Earlier this year a report by analysts Laing and Buisson had also criticised training in care homes, saying it was "fragmented and ad-hoc".

BBC: Dementia services 'dehumanising'

Figures from analysts Laing and Buisson show that the number of geriatric beds fell from more than 80, 000 in 1988 to 16, 300 last year.

BBC: Vulnerable elderly 'forced to pay for medical care'

Housed in a former coaching inn in the Latin Quarter whose walls are lined with pretty old murals of pastoral scenes, Le Buisson Ardent serves up creative, contemporary variations on traditional bistro food.

BBC: Mini guide to Paris�� bistros