MONTREAL -- An organization representing nearly 4,000 Quebecers paralyzed by spinal cord injuries is calling for improvements to the province’s home support program.
In a brief tabled Friday by the advocacy group Moelle Epinere et Motricite Quebec the group said the program should be altered to allow people with severe disabilities to stay at home as long as possible. The brief was filed as part of consultations into developing a new accommodation and care policy, which the Legault government announced in May.
MEMO-QC director Walter Zelaya said too many people with severe disabilities end up in long-term care accommodations because of a lack of in-home care.
“For example, a severely disabled person may need 30 hours of care,” said Zelaya. “Unfortunately CLSCs often don’t have the budget and are unable to provide 30 hours of service. So these people, to fill this gap, often have to go to CHSLDs.”
Zelaya said while he recognizes people need to be house in facilities with more supervision, he said CHSLDs don’t take that reality into account, especially for younger people.
“CHSLDs were not designed to necessarily meet this type of clientele,” he said. “This is why Minister Marguerite Blais announced the creation of homes for the elderly, on one hand, and alternative homes for people with disabilities on the other. That’s fine, but these homes must meet several criteria. Especially for people under the age of 65, if they unfortunately can’t stay at home, they can have accommodations that truly meet their needs.”
In the brief the organization also recommended the government’s description of CHSLDs’ target clientele “better reflect the real clientele found there’ and ‘promote greater flexibility in activities of daily living, such as bedtime, meals and hygienic care.”
