Medical

Job description: EHPAD Director

In all of the medical files published on our site, we have made it possible for the most experienced doctors to get jobs in the medical field;It's high time we took a closer look at what this means in practice. So it's high time to take a look at one of the lesser-known facets of medicine: management positions. To get to the heart of the matter, we're devoting today's fact sheet to the métier of EHPAD director.

What’s an EHPAD director?

The director of an EHPAD is the legal representative of a medical-social establishment dedicated to the care and support of people suffering from loss of autonomy. At the crossroads of the social, medical and administrative sectors, he embodies the structure's authority in the eyes of residents, families, professionals and institutional partners. His or her activities are carried out in a regulated and demanding environment, where he or she must guarantee the compliance of the facility, the quality of the services provided and the protection of the dignity of the residents. As such, they work within complex organizations where they combine strategic vision with a sense of responsibility, in the service of a facility project with a strong human and social impact.

The main missions of the EHPAD director

The responsibilities of the EHPAD directorare numerous and complex. While in theory, their missions are limited to the smooth running of the establishment they are responsible for, in reality, their day-to-day work is far more complex than that. Here's an overview of his responsibilities:

  • Overall organization and management of the facility: supervision of all activities, administrative and budgetary management, management of the facility project, anticipation of needs, coordination of material and human resources.
  • Management and support of teams: leadership, recruitment and training of professionals with varied profiles, management of schedules, support for the development of skills, prevention and management of conflicts, maintenance of a serene working climate.
  • Assuring the quality, safety and well-being of residents : implementation of health and support protocols, listening to expectations and monitoring individual situations, management of emergency or crisis situations, vigilance with regard to the good treatment and dignity of residents.
  • Relationship and communication with families, authorities and partners : information and support for relatives, dialogue with guardians, regular reporting, representation of the facility to authorities, suppliers, professional networks and local players.
  • Veille réglementaire, stratégique et éthique : follow-up of legislative changes, ongoing adaptation of practices, development of a development strategy, respect for values and a deregulatory framework, management of social and environmental issues.

Training and career paths to become an EHPAD director

L’accès to the métier of director of EHPAD is the result of training at bac +3 à bac +5 level, in fields such as management of health and social establishments, management, human resources or public administration. 

The CAFDES (Certificat d’Aptitude aux Fonctions de Directeur d’Établissement Social ou Médico-social) remains the référence for exercising these functions, but other specialized Master's degrees or university courses also provide access. In addition, a number of continuing education courses are available to deepen your knowledge of certain strategic aspects of the business, such as health law, financial management or the management of social and medical organizations.

Beyond the diploma, professional experience also plays a key role. Although it is not compulsory to have been a doctor, it is strongly recommended to have held a position of responsibility in the social or medical sector;It is also advisable to have supervised multi-disciplinary teams or managed healthcare-related projects. Support and logistics are real springboards to management positions. This hands-on experience enables you to develop the interpersonal, organizational and decision-making skills you need to manage an EHPAD, cope with the unpredictability of day-to-day life, and support the sector's regulatory and structural changes.

To learn more, read our EHPAD director salary sheet.

Essential skills for this job

À l’instar des missions susmentionnées, la délivrance des objectifs du directeur d’EHPAD is subject to the mastery of very specific skills, such as: 

  • Strategic analysis : ability to read data, build dashboards and guide decisions. Develop a medium- and long-term vision.
  • Budget management: steering a budget, monitoring financial indicators, optimizing resources. Anticipate investments and guarantee economic viability.
  • Conflict management : ability to defuse tensions and create a calm working environment. Ability to arbitrate with fairness and diplomacy.
  • Maîtrise du cadre réglementaire : connaissance approfondie des normes sanitaires, du droit des usagers, de la tarification et des obligations légales. Constant legal monitoring.
    Team management: ability to manage, motivate and motivate professionals with varied profiles. Know how to lead a collective project and manage internal dynamics.
  • Relational skills: active listening, empathy and a sense of dialogue with residents, families and teams. Resume a human and accessible authority.

Le quotidien et les défis du directeur d'EHPAD

Managing a facility of this type is a real challenge, as theory and practice tangle on a daily basis. Between medical emergencies, internal and external tensions, and pressure from families and the media, it is sometimes difficult to apply the right measures. The director of an EHPAD must be extremely active, making decisions quickly while maintaining cohesion and trust within the establishment. It’s a balancing act, as he manages a sensitive establishment, in the sense that our aînés are fragile and that the services they have rendered throughout their lives give them the right (which is also our duty) to be well cared for in their old age.

At the same time, relations with families and external partners are another essential dimension of the job. The director plays the role of intermediary between vulnerable residents and sensitive families. It's up to them to set a clear framework for communication, establish a climate of trust and provide tactful support, particularly during sensitive periods such as entry into a nursing home or loss of independence. At the same time, it maintains regular links with supervisory authorities (ARS, Conseil départemental), local authorities, service providers, health networks and local associations. He is the ambassador of the establishment in its local cosyst.

Finally, the directeur d’EHPAD expérimenté must ensure that the acts and care provided are the right ones, in order to guarantee residents a dignified, stimulating and sécurizing living environment. This is achieved through a variety of activities, the design of spaces, the quality of meals, attention to individual habits and psychological support. 

Generally speaking, the EHPAD director ensures that each resident can find their place, in an environment that respects their autonomy, rhythm and personal history.

Perspectives d’évolution et mobilité professionnelle

It would be easy to think that once you've arrived at the helm of an establishment, the perspectives d’évolution du directeur d’EHPAD diminish or become virtually non-existent, but that’s not true! In the case of an EHPAD manager, experience will enable him/her to aim for more senior positions, either transversally or vertically. For example, he or she could take charge of a larger facility, with greater organizational, budgetary or human challenges.

If he or she is very ambitious, he or she could obtain a multi-site management position, piloting several EHPADs or a single group. Such a move requires a global strategic vision and the ability to coordinate remote teams, while ensuring the coherence of facility projects. It's a role more focused on planning, management and support, with perhaps fewer day-to-day situations, but higher stakes.

In addition, the skills acquired in the management of an EHPAD are fully transferable to other types of social and healthcare facilities. This means they can move on to managing nursing homes, special care homes (MAS), establishments for people with disabilities, or even coordination functions within hospitals - in short! Dozens of modalities can be listed, limited only by the director's self-imposed limits.

As you will have gathered, running an EHPAD is an essential function in the healthcare system, even though the missions are managerial and administrative. As such, the candidate for this position must have a pronounced aptitude for human resources management and responsibility, in order to succeed in his or her role and ensure that everyone, caregivers and carers alike, are in the best possible frame of mind. It's not, therefore, a médical profession in the true sense of the word, but it's very much related to it, and every day.

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