Intermediate resources (IR) succeed, every day, in performing small and large miracles with 17,000 people accommodated, namely seniors with a loss of autonomy, people living with an intellectual disability, a physical handicap, a mental health or addiction. Even if many are at the end of their tether, IRs offer distinctive living environments thanks to dedicated staff concerned with the well-being of their clienteles, whose particular needs require attention and kindness.
As Stéphanie Vallet’s investigation showed in The duty, families, IR owners and healthcare network employees face many challenges on a daily basis. The Association of Intermediate Housing Resources of Quebec (ARIHQ) is concerned about the difficulties facing all the resources across Quebec.
The lack of planning in terms of developing and maintaining a housing stock in long-term accommodation, the historical impasses relating to the process of “pairing” residents, the increase in the needs of the clientele and the compensation allocated to support and assistance, underfunding of basic RI operations, inequitable compensation compared to other health care workers and staff retention challenges, to name a few, should be among the priorities of the next government.
There is a real need for intermediate resources to be better recognized and supported in their mission. In 2021, nearly 2,000 people were still waiting to be accommodated. In this context, given the more than growing needs in all regions of Quebec and the impacts that can directly affect residents, it is essential to resolve the points mentioned above with pragmatism and diligence, in a spirit of structuring collaboration between the relevant partners.
In fact, to resolve the situation, the Department of Health and Social Services cannot act alone. This is why we will ask the integrated health and social services centers (CISSS) and the integrated university health and social services centers (CIUSSS), as well as the government, the day after the elections, to offer our collaboration in implementation of the Action Plan for long-term accommodation 2021-2026 so that the needs of users living in intermediate resources are better taken into account.
It is by working together that we will be able to improve the living conditions of the people housed in our environments. As all the actors mentioned above have a role to play, the ARIHQ will continue its representations so that residents in RI are at the heart of decisions, while continuing to offer training targeted and adapted to the needs of multiple clienteles and equip its members to promote continuous improvement in all intermediate resources.
The Association also plans to go even further, hence the creation in April 2022 of a department dedicated to quality in IR. The well-being of people staying in RI is our priority. It is fundamental that everyone lives in an environment adapted to their needs where trained staff work who take their wishes into account and respect their dignity.
We are reaching out to the next government and are in a hurry to propose unifying and concrete solutions in order to give some breathing space to families and the dedicated teams that support them on a daily basis. Despite the pandemic and everyday challenges, the network of intermediate resources is determined and committed to providing users with high-quality living environments, while reiterating the importance of collaboration and government investment to achieve this. fully.