Some 200 long-term care residents forced to move from troubled Montreal facilities

After seven months of trusteeship, the regional health authority for the West Island has decided to move all 200 residents out of the Floraries long-term care facilities in Lasalle and Lachine.

 

The Floralies residences were put under trusteeship last September after allegations of mistreatment of patients came to light.

 

Inspectors discovered residents suffering from negligence, dehydration, untreated infections, and even violence. There were deaths related to COVID-19 and strep infections.

 

It led to six people being fired and four disciplinary measures. Now, the health authority says it's time to move everyone out for good.

 

"Right now, we don't see that sustainability in the long term without the presence of the CIUSSS and the heavy presence of the CIUSSS team and its partners," says Naja Hachimi-Idrissii, the president of the Centre Intégré Universitaire en Santé et Service Sociaux (CIUSSS) for the West-Island.

 

It means the authority won't consider improving the facilities. And returning them to the former management is not an option.

 

"We're stable but not in a situation where we can continue in the long term" added Jean-Francois Miron, assistant director at the CIUSSS.

 

The buildings are currently partly staffed with nurses and employees from private agencies to compensate for its severe staff shortage.

 

The health authority did some basic repairs since putting them as trustees, but extensive renovations are out of the question.

 

"We don't own these buildings, and for long-term care centers (CHSLD) standards, the buildings must have certain modifications, and so on, and these buildings don't offer all the adaptations that are necessary. The buildings must be upgraded to be up to the standards of a CHSLD," adds Miron.

 

Families of the residents have received letters informing them of the move, with various options being offered to them. The authority says it has enough rooms in its network to accommodate everyone.

 

Each resident will choose where they want to move, whether it be in the West Island or other options closer to their families.

 

The move officially started Tuesday but will take several weeks to complete. At least one employee will be assigned to each resident to ensure their needs will be addressed.

               

A spokesperson for the Résidences Floralies said the company was blindsided by the decision and said there was no indication that the trusteeship would lead to a complete move.

 

"We were told yesterday about the move of 200 residents", Sylvie Pellerin told CTV News on behalf of Les Floralies. "We had an action plan, but we never managed to implement it. We hired top managers in the field, but we never had a chance to be heard." 

 

Pellerin wouldn't venture to say what's to become of the two large facilities and said the company's focus was to assist the residents with their upcoming move.