Residents of the private CHSLD Les Floralies where acts of violence and neglect have occurred, in the southwest of Montreal, are now in “good hands”, but a lot of work remains to be done.
This is the situation described by the interim CEO of the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’île-de-Montréal the day after the publication of a devastating investigation report commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS).
Investigator Michel Delamarre confirmed that “mistreatment in all its forms” took place inside the two CHSLDs located in the boroughs of LaSalle and Lachine.
His findings include reports of dehydrated residents and signs of physical violence, including bruises. He specifies that the beneficiary attendants who committed these acts were fired.
The CEO of the CIUSSS, Najia Hachimi-Idrissi, indicated on Friday that four employees have been dismissed and that six disciplinary measures have been taken in recent months, following some twenty files filed with the Complaints Commissioner and to the quality of services.
“We have zero tolerance for abuse,” she said.
According to Mme Hachimi-Idrissi, the rest of the cases treated required interventions in terms of staff training.
The leader of the CIUSSS provided an update on the measures taken to improve the living conditions of residents. Since 1er September, his organization acts as provisional administrator of the residences Les Floralies after they have been placed under guardianship for a period of six months.
“The situation has now been stable for some time. Our elderly residents receive the care and services [que] their health requires. However, we recognize that much remains to be done to ensure the sustainability of the efforts invested in these facilities over the past few months,” Mr.me Hachimi-Idrissi at a press conference.
She explained that clinical assessments were conducted with all residents and that an intervention plan was established for each one.
“No one closed their eyes”
Five CIUSSSs and the CISSSs of Montreal and Montérégie had in recent years service purchase agreements with Les Floralies for permanent or transitional accommodation places.
They had carried out multiple interventions with the two CHSLDs to correct the quality of care. However, the situation only reversed once the investigation and the provisional administration were in place, noted investigator Delamarre.
He believes that the numerous agreements to purchase places and their management in silos have caused a “disorder” and that no one had an overall picture of the situation.
Mme Hachimi-Idrissi agrees that it was when the various CIUSSSs and CISSSs met that they had a better overview.
“With hindsight, we should have, let’s say, intensified our interventions more quickly. […] Nobody turned a blind eye to the situation,” she said, adding that she now had more leverage to intervene.
Michel Delamarre made 21 recommendations, including implementing an action plan at the Floralies, reviewing the frequency of inspection visits and ensuring better coordination between CIUSSSs and CISSSs during agreements to purchase services, which also need to be standardized, according to him.
The new Minister for Health and Seniors, Sonia Bélanger, has promised to act in light of the report’s conclusions. She announced several measures on Thursday that will affect the entire network of private establishments.
The Minister said that she would not hesitate to resort to a provisional administration for CHSLDs and RPAs found to be at fault.
At present, two other CHSLDs are under supervision, namely those of Boisés Sainte-Thérèse, in the Laurentians, and Domaine Saint-Dominique, in Quebec.
This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.