Glossary of acronyms
The medical-social sector and public services use many acronyms. This page lists the ones you will come across on the site, with their meaning. Across the site, hovering over an acronym also reveals its definition.
A
- ADEME
- Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Énergie - French public agency funding and supporting the ecological and energy transition.
- AFNOR
- Association Française de Normalisation - the French national standards body, which drafts and publishes NF standards and represents France at European and international standards organisations.
- APA
- Activité Physique Adaptée - supervised physical activity designed for vulnerable people or those with chronic conditions. Also refers to the French personalised autonomy allowance.
- ARS
- Agence Régionale de Santé - French regional health agency that steers regional health policy and funds part of the medical-social system.
- AVC
- Accident Vasculaire Cérébral - French for stroke: a sudden interruption of blood flow to part of the brain, which can leave motor, sensory or cognitive after-effects.
C
- CARSAT
- Caisse d'Assurance Retraite et de la Santé au Travail - French regional social-security body managing retirement pensions and occupational-risk prevention.
- CCAS
- Centre Communal d'Action Sociale - French municipal social-action centre that delivers local social policy (aid, support, prevention).
- CDI
- Contrat à Durée Indéterminée - French open-ended employment contract, the standard form of permanent employment.
- CIAS
- Centre Intercommunal d'Action Sociale - inter-municipal version of the CCAS, pooled at the level of a group of municipalities.
- CNIL
- Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés - French data-protection authority that oversees personal-data rights.
- CNSA
- Caisse Nationale de Solidarité pour l'Autonomie - French national fund supporting the autonomy of elderly and disabled people.
- CPOM
- Contrat Pluriannuel d'Objectifs et de Moyens - multi-year objectives-and-resources contract between a French medical-social facility and its public funders (ARS, département).
E
- EHPAD
- Établissement d'Hébergement pour Personnes Âgées Dépendantes - French medicalised nursing home for elderly people with reduced autonomy.
- EPCI
- Établissement Public de Coopération Intercommunale - French inter-municipal cooperation body (community of communes, agglomeration, metropolis).
- ESAT
- Établissement et Service d'Aide par le Travail - French sheltered work facility offering adapted employment to people with disabilities.
- ESMS
- Établissement et Service Médico-Social - generic French term for medical-social facilities (EHPAD, IME, MAS, ESAT, etc.).
- ESS
- Économie Sociale et Solidaire - French social and solidarity economy: companies and non-profits prioritising social purpose and democratic governance over profit.
- ESUS
- Entreprise Solidaire d'Utilité Sociale - French government accreditation for social-economy companies whose primary purpose is social impact.
F
- FALC
- Facile À Lire et à Comprendre - French Easy-Read writing method that makes information accessible to people with reading or comprehension difficulties.
- FAM
- Foyer d'Accueil Médicalisé - French medicalised residential home for adults with disabilities needing medical support and daily-living assistance.
- FIR
- Fonds d'Intervention Régional - French regional intervention fund managed by ARSs to finance regional public-health actions.
G
- GIR
- Groupe Iso-Ressources - French dependency level for an elderly person, graded from GIR 1 (greatest loss of autonomy) to GIR 6 (full autonomy). It notably determines eligibility for the APA allowance.
I
- IME
- Institut Médico-Éducatif - French medical-educational institute for children and teenagers with mental or cognitive disabilities.
- INPI
- Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle - French national institute that registers trademarks, patents and designs.
- ITEP
- Institut Thérapeutique, Éducatif et Pédagogique - French institute for young people with behavioural difficulties affecting socialisation and schooling.
M
- MAS
- Maison d'Accueil Spécialisée - French residential facility for adults with severe disabilities who cannot live independently and require medical supervision.
- MDPH
- Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées - French departmental one-stop service that informs, guides and grants rights and benefits to people with disabilities.
- MSS
- Maison Sport-Santé - French sport-health centre that helps people unfamiliar with physical activity to start a regular, adapted practice.
P
- PAP
- Projet (or Plan) d'Accompagnement Personnalisé - French personalised support plan setting out the goals and tailored actions for each resident in a medical-social facility.
- PASA
- Pôle d'Activités et de Soins Adaptés - French daytime unit within a nursing home for residents with moderate cognitive impairment (Alzheimer's and related conditions).
- PMR
- Personne à Mobilité Réduite - French term for a person with reduced mobility, whether temporary or permanent (disability, age, pregnancy, injury).
- POCTEFA
- INTERREG Spain-France-Andorra Cross-Border Cooperation Programme - European programme funding cross-border projects between these three countries.
Q
- QVCT
- Qualité de Vie et des Conditions de Travail - French quality-of-life-and-working-conditions approach, focused on improving both employees' well-being and their working conditions (health, organisation, meaning, work-life balance).
R
- RCS
- Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés - French official trade and companies register.
- RGAA
- Référentiel Général d'Amélioration de l'Accessibilité - French digital-accessibility reference framework, setting the criteria that public and public-service websites must meet.
- RGPD
- Règlement Général sur la Protection des Données - French acronym for the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
S
- SAS
- Société par Actions Simplifiée - flexible French simplified joint-stock company.
- SSR
- Soins de Suite et de Réadaptation - French follow-up and rehabilitation care service that continues treatment after an acute phase, preparing the return home or to a facility.
U
- UHR
- Unité d'Hébergement Renforcée - small specialised unit within a French nursing home, designed for residents with severe cognitive impairment.
- USLD
- Unité de Soins de Longue Durée - French long-term care unit, a hospital department for highly dependent elderly people who need constant medical supervision. Often mentioned alongside nursing homes (EHPAD).
V
- VAE
- Vélo à Assistance Électrique - French term for an electrically power-assisted bicycle (e-bike): a bike with a motor that assists pedalling and cuts off above 25 km/h.