It was a terrible week for seniors in Quebec. Another one.
Posted on February 6
Twenty of them had to be evacuated urgently from their private seniors’ residence because they were malnourished and dehydrated.
Hundreds of others have been served with eviction notices because their living environment had been acquired by a developer who seems more concerned about his profits than their well-being.
Between the fall of Conservative leader Erin O’Toole and the “freedom” convoys, this news went almost unnoticed. In itself, that says a lot.
However, these two cases raise important questions about the regulation of private seniors’ residences – the famous RPAs.
Above all, they testify to the precariousness in which many seniors in Quebec still find themselves. And the indifference reserved for them.
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The most shocking news concerns the residence Le Phare de Paix, at L’Épiphanie. We had to evacuate 21 “dehydrated and malnourished” elderly people there.1 “.
The case brings back painful memories. At the start of the pandemic, seniors died of thirst in their soiled diapers at the CHSLD Herron. In 2020. In Quebec. At the time, we said to ourselves: never again.
Less than two years later, we still find ourselves having to extricate hungry and thirsty people from an RPA. It’s beyond comprehension.
The owners of the Phare de Paix must answer for what appears to be gross negligence. If they had lost control of the place (we know there was an outbreak of COVID-19), why not sound the alarm?
Faced with such tragedies, the first instinct is to say that the private sector does not have the capacity to take care of our elders and that RPAs must be brought back into the public fold. The problem is that there are more than 1,600 private residences for seniors in Quebec, which total 137,500 apartments. To nationalize such a network would require gigantic resources.
Which brings us to the framing of these places. Ultimately, the CISSSs and CIUSSSs are responsible for RPA residents. When their well-being and health are threatened, the State has therefore failed in its duty of surveillance.
Are certifications granted too easily? Considering the lack of cooperation from some owners, one might wonder.
The question of compliance with standards is also glaring. In 2019-2020, 571 inspections were carried out in RPAs. This is four times more than a year earlier. But considering the 1600 establishments, it is still very few.
Until recently, there were only 7 inspectors for the entire province – less than the 18 provincial inspectors dedicated to animal welfare, as Radio-Canada reminded us in June 20202 ! Since then, Quebec has hired 10 additional inspectors and 7 other positions are to be filled.
Minister Marguerite Blais also tabled a bill against elder abuse. And Quebec has released hundreds of millions to support RPAs during the pandemic, targeting in particular small establishments to allow seniors to stay in their community.
All of this is positive. But the drama of the Lighthouse of Peace is proof that this is insufficient.
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As if that were not enough, our colleague Louise Leduc told us that hundreds of seniors living in the Montreal RPAs of Mont-Carmel and Château Beaurivage had received an eviction notice this week.
Their residences have been purchased by Gestion LRM, which wants to convert all of Mont-Carmel and two of the three towers of Château Beaurivage into ordinary apartment buildings.3.
The choice available to residents is far from exciting. Either they stay, but lose their adapted services and suffer a rent increase, or they move.
They have time and help. An owner who wants to close an RPA must notify the CISSS or the CIUSSS six months in advance. The authorities are also hard at work to help the people affected to find new housing.
But moving causes stress, a loss of bearings, a break in social ties. In this case, it seems clear that the buyer had no desire to exploit RPAs when he purchased them. It’s shocking.
The case is not unique. Over the past five years, 434 RPAs have closed in Quebec. The openings have compensated for the closings and the total number of places is increasing. But each time, it involves moves and upheavals.
You cannot manage an investment in rental real estate like you manage an investment on the stock market. Behind the transactions, there are human beings and their fundamental right to housing. This is even truer for seniors, who are often more vulnerable.
Both the ombudsman and the health and welfare commissioner have shown that seniors have been in the blind spot of the pandemic. Their findings should drive change.
Give food and drink to the elderly under our responsibility. Avoid evicting them from their homes or withdrawing their services without reason. It’s called the basis of decency. We can’t make any concessions on that.