Residents of Montreal care home where abuse occurred now in 'good hands': CIUSSS

Residents of the Les Floralies private residential and long-term care centres (CHSLDs) in Montreal's west end, where abuse and neglect occurred, are now in "good hands," but much work remains to be done.

That's how the situation was described by the interim CEO of the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'île-de-Montréal (COMTL) the day after the publication of a devastating investigation report commissioned by Quebec's health and social services ministry (MSSS).

Investigator Michel Delamarre confirmed that "abuse in all its forms" occurred within the two CHSLDs in LaSalle and Lachine.

His findings showed dehydrated residents and marks of physical violence, including bruises. He said that the attendants who committed these acts were fired.

Four employees have been fired and six disciplinary measures have been made in recent months, said COMTL CEO Najia Hachimi-Idrissi Friday, after some 20 cases were filed with the Commissioner for Complaints and Service Quality.

"We have zero tolerance for abuse," she said.

The rest of the cases required staff training interventions, said Hachimi-Idrissi.

The COMTL leader reported on measures to improve residents' living conditions. The health board has been acting as the provisional administrator of Les Floralies residences after they were placed under trusteeship for a period of six months as of Sept. 1

"The situation has been stable for some time now. Our elderly residents are receiving the care and services their health requires. However, we recognize that there is still a lot to be done to ensure the sustainability of the efforts invested in these facilities over the past months," Hachimi-Idrissi told a press conference.

She explained that clinical assessments have been conducted with all residents, and an intervention plan has been drawn up for each person.

'NO ONE TURNED A BLIND EYE'

Five regional health boards in Montreal and the Montérégie in recent years had service agreements with Les Floralies for permanent or transitional housing.

They carried out multiple measures with the two CHSLDs to improve the quality of care. However, the situation was only reversed once the investigation and the trusteeship were in place, noted Delamarre.

He believes that the numerous contracts and their siloed management caused a "mess" and that no one had a complete picture of the situation.

Hachimi-Idrissi agreed that it was when the different CIUSSS and CISSS met that they had a better overview.

"Looking back, we should have, let's say, intensified our interventions more quickly. (...) No one turned a blind eye to the situation," she said, adding that she now had more power to intervene.

Delamarre made 21 recommendations, including implementing an action plan at Floralies, reviewing the frequency of inspection visits and ensuring better coordination between CIUSSS and CISSS when purchasing services, which he said should also be standardized.

The new Health and Seniors Minister Sonia Bélanger has promised to act on the report's conclusions. On Thursday, she announced several measures that will affect the entire network of private institutions.

The minister said she would not hesitate to resort to provisional administration for CHSLDs and RPAs caught in default.

Two other CHSLDs are currently under trusteeship, namely those of Boisés Sainte-Thérèse in the Laurentians and Domaine Saint-Dominique, in Quebec City.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 1, 2022.This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta and Canadian Press News Grants.