Photo: Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press The Quebec Minister responsible for Seniors, Sonia Bélanger, responds to the opposition parties during question period at the National Assembly, on May 9, in Quebec
Caroline Plante – The Canadian Press in Quebec
Published on June 6
- Quebec
Employees who “are not in their place” in CHSLDs should leave their jobs, said Thursday the Minister responsible for Seniors, Sonia Bélanger.
“My message this morning is that employees who do not have the necessary skills to work with people who are losing their autonomy, with seniors, well if the people are not in their place, they just have to leave”, she declared in the press scrum.
The minister was reacting to a report revealed in La Presse, Thursday, which reports abuse at the CHSLD Robert-Cliche, in Montreal. Several “inappropriate” actions allegedly caused “harm, distress” to vulnerable people.
Workers allegedly ignored residents, served cold meals and refused to carry out certain tasks requested by nurses, according to the report of the complaints commissioner of the CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal which dates from last January.
< p>What happened at the CHSLD Robert-Cliche is “unacceptable”, protested Ms. Bélanger, who however speaks of “isolated cases”. She recalled that the law on mistreatment, which was improved in 2022, provides for criminal sanctions.
“There are employees who have been laid off, employees who have been suspended, there are labor relations investigations underway, there is training that has been given, there have been changes in managers,” she listed.
The minister does not rule out going further; the file could be submitted to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP).
“Everything is on the table,” she argued. For the rest of things, whether for criminal sanctions or to bring a file to the DPCP, it follows its course. »
On Thursday, the opposition parties deplored the appearance of other cases of mistreatment in CHSLDs, even though the Legault government had improved the law precisely to give it more teeth.
“It is clear that the government is not using its famous teeth in the law,” denounced Liberal MP Linda Caron.
The MP Christine Labrie, from Québec solidaire, stressed that several steps must be taken before being able to impose sanctions or financial penalties.
“When the CIUSSS or the CISSS deals a complaint, they must first decide for themselves whether they report it to the ministry, and, at the ministry, they will decide for themselves whether they report it to the DPCP,” she said.
“That’s two levels of filter. These are two levels where they have every advantage so that it does not result in a possible fine. So, for me, that is not the right system,” she added.
For its part, the Parti Québécois recalled that the Legault government had promised that there was going to be a “champion” for the prevention of mistreatment in each of Quebec’s CHSLDs.
“Where are we with that ? Was there this champion, this person duly trained to ensure that practices were applied at the CHSLD Robert-Cliche ? asked MP Joël Arseneau. I think there is still a lot to do. »