Like other public retirement homes, the 'Residence Chez Nous' in the south of France is facing rising costs with inflation and a lack of state funding for some expenses. This could lead to the closure of beds, despite a growing waiting list. "We have chronic deficits, and chronic deficits mean that at some point an establishment is financially unsustainable," says Audrey Growas-Combon, director of the Saint-Sulpice-la-Point community care center. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES