Learn more about your health and social services rights
Demystifying the right to accommodation in the healthcare network
Published on August 1, 2024 by Azalée Larouche. Journal Le Canada Français, page A-20.
Everyone who receives services or care from the health and social services network benefits from rights enshrined in the Act respecting health and social services (LSSS). To ensure your rights are respected, it’s important to know what they are. Today, we present the right to residential services, depending on the user’s state of health, if he or she cannot return home or has no other resources available.
To illustrate this right, here’s a case study.
Case study: 90-year-old Esther lives in a private seniors’ residence. Two weeks ago, Esther fell in her apartment and fractured her hip. Following the surgery, despite close follow-up physiotherapy at the hospital, she still has great difficulty walking.
Her health has deteriorated considerably since the fall, and she is unable to return home. The hospital social worker informs her that she must move to a long-term care facility (CHSLD).
Stéphanie, Esther’s daughter, decides to contact the Centre d’assistance et d’accompagnement aux plaintes (CAAP) de la Montérégie, as she needs help with the next step. The CAAP counsellor tells Stéphanie that, as there are currently no places available for her mother, she will have to leave curative care and go to the hospital’s geriatric ward to await accommodation as soon as a place becomes available in a CHSLD.
Depending on their state of health, users are entitled to accommodation services.
BETTER INFORMED
From then on, her mother will have to pay rent to the CISSS as if she
were living in an apartment. In addition, the contribution will depend on her income, and will be calculated on the basis of her tax return.
The advisor then searched and found the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) scale for Stéphanie. She
informs her that CHSLD rent is calculated according to the financial resources of the resident and the type of room occupied: single room ($2142.30), two-bed ($1789.80), three-bed or more ($1333.20). These amounts are indexed on January 1 of each year.
Stéphanie now feels better informed and equipped to accompany her mother through this big change.
CAAP MONTÉRÉGIE
CAAP Montérégie is the community organization mandated by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux to help users file complaints in the public services sector.
We inform and guide users through the complaint process, assist them in writing and formatting their letter of complaint and, if necessary, refer users to the appropriate body.
All our services are non-judgmental and confidential. We respect the customer’s wish to continue or not to continue the process, which means that the customer can end the process at any time, without having to justify it. If you think you need our services, don’t hesitate to contact us at 450 347-0670.
