Posted at 4:59 p.m.
Prime Minister, in a society that values inclusion and diversity, it is surprising how indifferent the system can be when it comes to the quality of life of people with disabilities.
In order to compensate for the lack of staff in CHSLDs, the salary of orderlies in the public sector has increased significantly. We know that this has resulted in unfair competition between the public and non-profit community organizations. This is particularly the case of the Maisons d’à Côté de Joliette, two residences welcoming people living with a physical disability. With staff present 24 hours a day, the Maisons d’à Côté offer several services to their residents, whether it be, for example, preparing meals, dressing, or even leisure service.
Because of the gap with the public sector, it is very difficult to attract beneficiary attendants to community organizations such as the Maisons d’à Côté.
Certainly, during the pandemic, a “COVID bonus” was given to the staff of these organizations to partially mitigate the gap. However, the government now wants to withdraw this bonus.
Those in charge of these community organizations have done everything in their power to try to obtain financial assistance to enable them to maintain the salaries of their employees. However, the government refused interview requests, on the pretext that discussions were continuing on how to maintain services in these centres.
Finally, in the face of the government’s inaction, organizations such as the Maisons d’à Côté are forced to greatly increase the rents of their residents in order to prevent them from ending up in CHSLDs in the event of closure. . Once again, this destitute, under-resourced public goes under the radar.
Risk of closures
For many people with disabilities, a living environment such as the Maisons d’à Côté is the only chance to have a home that really stimulates their interests, and in which they can flourish and maintain a certain autonomy. Some of these residents work, go to the gym, participate in various social and artistic activities, etc.
Without this possibility, they risk ending up in CHSLDs, regardless of their age. It is not normal that the only solution to enable them to participate in social life is to empty their pockets. Even without this increase, the rent required to live in these adapted centers already accounted for a large part of the minimal financial assistance granted to people with disabilities who did not have the capacity to work.
To what extent do we want these people to feel isolated and abandoned because of a condition they did not choose? I believe that we can hope for better in terms of inclusion in Quebec in our time.