Officials made a mea culpa – but not a reversal of plans – Tuesday over the closure of a drop-in centre for seniors in Cote St Luc.
Family members expressed their frustration last week by news that the seniors’ centre at the CLSC Rene Cassin at Cavendish Mall will close at the end of the month.
The west-central CIUSSS held a news conference Tuesday to address the situation, and they were apologetic.
“We could have done better. The users and their families could have been consulted prior to the decisions being taken, prior to the recommendations being made. We could have done better – and we will do better. This situation will not occur again,” said Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg executive director of the regional healthcare group.
Rosenberg did not backtrack on the plans, however.
“Having said that, we still feel the decision that was made was made in the best interest of the users of the drop-in centre and the decision will stand,” he said.
The roughly 40 people who use the centre consider it to be a second home. A number of the regular visitors suffer from dementia or have other health issues, and go to the centre to get out of the house, socialize with others and even get help with exercises.
Users of the centre say it’s a second home to them, and praise the staff and care they receive there.
The CLSC is now part of a larger umbrella group, the Centre integre universitaire de sante et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) Centre Ouest de l'Ile de Montreal. It was created by Bill 10, Health Minister Gaetan Barrette’s overhaul of health care bureaucracy, and is in charge of nine health care institutions including the Jewish General Hospital.
The CIUSSS said it has been analyzing the situation for about a year and feel patients be better served at facilities closer to their area.
The CIUSSS said the change is unrelated to budgetary issues or the re-organization of health care, but simply that it will improve patient care.
The closure was made in the best interest of the users of the drop-in centre, said Rosenberg.
People who use the facility argue that if was made in their best interest, they should have been consulted.
