An investigation of a Trois Rivieres seniors' residence found poor scheduling was the cause of an incident where two elderly people were left unattended on the floor after suffering a fall.
The incident was captured on video in July by Johanne Panneton as she visited her mother.
She then ran around building trying to find someone to help, without much success.
"To walk in and see things like that, it was proof that things need to change," said Panneton.
Quebec's Health and Social Services Agency agreed and launched an investigation, which found three staff members of the Cooke Home were taking their dinner breaks simultaneously.
The Agency is recommending dinner breaks be staggered, and that emergency buttons be installed so that visitors and residents can alert staff.
The report makes 13 recommendations in all, which it is asking the Cooke Home to implement by February.
But with problems like this found at seniors' residences across Quebec, advocates say the recommendations should be made province-wide.
Pierre Blain of a provincial users group said he fields complaints regularly.
"A lot of complaints from people who feel there is not enough staff. For us it's the fact that there's not enough staff for us we need to have a real working plans so that there are people there when they need it," said Blain.
