(Quebec) Sonia Bélanger wants to restore the CLSC’s “letter of nobility” and make it the unique “gateway” for seniors. According to the minister, users, as well as health workers, are losing their knowledge when it comes to access to home care.
“People tell me: Madame Bélanger, we don’t even know what exists anymore, we don’t know which door to knock on. I am told this often, even the speakers are no longer aware of the programs. It doesn’t work,” says the Minister for Health and Responsible for Seniors.
According to her, CLSCs have “lost their notoriety” over time and “reforms” in health. “We withdrew things from the CLSCs that we sent everywhere [dans le réseau]. We must give them back their letters of nobility […] and rediscover the meaning of the word community,” she pleads.
Ten CLSCs “among the most efficient” in terms of services to seniors will be chosen by the minister in September to launch the new initiative, which will be implemented across 300 facilities by 2025.
In particular, she wants to develop directories of services available in the community for seniors and train employees so that they can guide users. Mme Bélanger is even considering the creation of a new “job title” to achieve this.
No need to have a social worker with a master’s degree, it can be an information officer specializing in senior programs. That’s how I see it.
Sonia Bélanger, Minister for Health and Responsible for Seniors
This would also make it possible to “identify” seniors losing their autonomy in order to act in prevention, according to the minister.
However, around a hundred organizations and groups representing seniors asked the minister on Wednesday not to simply make CLSCs “information resources”, and to open these facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This request was made at the close of the National Meeting on Home Support of the Coalition for the Dignity of Seniors, which was held Wednesday in Quebec. Mme Bélanger delivered a speech there in the morning.
“The CLSC […] must also be able to assess needs, offer care or refer the person to the right professional or home care and service provider, whether from the public health and social services network , social economy home help companies, community organizations or private companies,” write the organizations.
Commissioner’s recommendation
Creating a single entry point for seniors is a recommendation from the Commissioner of Health and Well-being, Joanne Castonguay, who led – at the request of the Legault government – a complete review of the home care offer. in Quebec, which she described as a “complex ecosystem”.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The Commissioner of Health and Well-being, Joanne Castonguay
In his report, Mme Castonguay recommends that Quebec create “regional home support offices as a gateway to home support” with the aim of “supporting users in navigating the health system”.
“I agree with the spirit of the recommendation, but we will not add regional offices in all regions of Quebec,” which would imply satellite offices in the large territories. “We won’t do that,” said M.me Bélanger.
The commissioner welcomed the minister’s initiative, but also reminded her of “the importance” of ensuring that CLSCs and professionals have the “necessary resources.”
“These elements are essential for these intentions to come to fruition and produce tangible results for the people concerned,” writes Mme Castonguay in an email to The Press.
In March, Mme Castonguay affirmed to The Press that the “massive” shift towards home care promised by the Legault government is still pending while it is not tackling the “fundamental elements” proposed in its report.
The initiative, which has not yet been costed, will be financed from available budgets, Ms.me Bélanger. It is also unclear whether the measure will result in job creation.
Targets achieved
Furthermore, Quebec has exceeded two targets in terms of home care. The government managed to reduce the list of users waiting for a first home support service, reducing it from 20,562 to 16,656 in one year. This is a better result than the target planned for March 31, set at 17,478. “It is a sign that the shift [vers les soins à domicile] is being done,” underlined the minister.
Quebec also exceeds its annual target of 32.2 million hours offered in home care; the network offered 37.6 million this year. For the number of users who receive care, the government misses its objective by very little.
Given this performance, the Minister is committed to revising upwards the targets of the MSSS strategic plan. It could be 20% to 30% more ambitious, she said.
Sonia Bélanger attributes this success to the implementation of her pilot project which reduces the administrative tasks of psychosocial workers1. According to an internal survey, this change would have allowed workers to save an average of 30 minutes per patient assessment. It also initiates phase 2 which aims to reduce paperwork for nursing staff. The Press revealed in the fall that administrative tasks take up 70% of the time of workers assigned to home care2.
1. Read “Home care: fewer forms, more time with patients”
2. Read “Home Care: Too Much Time Away from Patients”
Number of people waiting for a first service
- Target as of March 31: 17,478
- Result: 16,656
Number of hours of service
- Target as of March 31: 32.2 million
- Result: 37.6 million
Number of users receiving home care
- Target as of March 31: 387,807
- Result: 386,469
Source: Ministry of Health and Social Services
Dubé reduces the administrative burden on doctors
The Legault government will table a bill to put an end to medical prescriptions imposed by private insurers. For example, we would like it to no longer be necessary to obtain a doctor’s prescription to obtain reimbursement for a visit to a professional (physiotherapist, massage therapist) and for the purchase of a cane or orthotics (medical equipment). . It will also be up to the doctor to determine the frequency of follow-up meetings for a person who is disabled. Currently, private insurers can request medical monitoring every month for a person off work, which is not always relevant. Quebec hopes to recover 500,000 medical appointments per year. In February, Ministers Christian Dubé and Jean Boulet reduced the paperwork for family doctors for the first time by putting an end to an old form for accommodation requests and allowing general practitioners to determine themselves the follow-up of patients compensated by the CNESST3. At that time, they had telegraphed their intentions to extend the measure to the private sector. The bill must be tabled by next fall. The announcement comes at a time when Mr. Dubé and the general practitioners’ union are engaged in a standoff over a regulation forcing them to take care of more vulnerable patients.
3. Read “Family doctors: Quebec cuts red tape”