Learn more about your health and social services rights

Spotlight on the right to services in the healthcare network

Published August 29, 2024 by Azalée Larouche.
Journal Le Canada Français, page A-27.

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 services that are scientifically, humanely and socially appropriate, offered with continuity and in a personalized and safe manner, while taking into account available resources.
To illustrate this right, here’s an example of a fictitious case: Jocelyne, 89, has a slight loss of autonomy.
She lives in her own home with the CLSC homecare program.

She currently has one bath a week, as well as assistance with medication through the CLSC services.
She finds that one bath a week is not enough to maintain adequate hygiene.
The attendant who comes to visit her is not very patient or gentle with her.
Jocelyne feels constantly rushed and pressured.
What’s more, the attendant makes her take her bath without a suitable bench, which makes it very difficult for her to get up from the bottom of the bath, as she has lost mobility in her legs.

Jocelyne contacted a counsellor at the Centre d’assistance et d’accompagnement aux plaintes (CAAP) de la Montérégie for advice. The advisor told her that she had the right to request a second bath and a change of attendant. The advisor also mentioned that she should be able to receive care safely. She told her that she could also request an assessment by a CLSC occupational therapist to adapt her environment safely.

COMPLAINT

Unfortunately, her requests to the CLSC went unheeded. The CAAP counsellor therefore helped Jocelyne write and file a complaint with the regional complaints commissioner to denounce her situation with the attendant and also to point out the lack of safety
during her care, with the aim of improving the CLSC’s homecare services. This complaint enabled her to obtain an assessment by an occupational therapist, as well as a new attendant who is more patient and gentle with her.

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.

CAAP MONTÉRÉGIE

All our services are non-judgmental and confidential, and we respect the customer’s willingness to continue or not to continue the process. This means that the user can terminate the process at any time, without having to justify his or her decision. If you think you need our services, don’t hesitate to contact us at 450 347-0670.