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Réseau FADOQ welcomes the measures it has long been calling for to help certain collective living environments, particularly private seniors residences (RPAs) and non-profit seniors residences.
The personalized allowance allocated to smaller residences and the creation of a fee schedule to control the cost of services paid for by the government will have positive repercussions, for both residence administrators and tenants.
“We believe that the measures announced by the Québec government will help stop the hemorrhaging of RPA closures, particularly outside major centres and in remote areas. These actions were necessary to support residents and reduce their financial burden,” said Réseau FADOQ president Gisèle Tassé-Goodman.
Our organization has long called for the introduction of a fee structure to govern the cost of RPA services. We hope that the introduction of a government fee scale will also lower the cost of services in establishments not covered by the personalized allowance.
Until now there were no price limits or regulations for RPA services. For example, one RPA could charge $50 a month for medication administration, while another could charge $150 a month for the same service. For Réseau FADOQ, such a disparity in service fees was unacceptable. Now the same calculation will apply across Québec.
The personalized allocation for small RPAs (30 units or less) to cover the services required by residents with a severe loss of autonomy is very good news.
Our organization has long called for special assistance for smaller RPAs. These are establishments on a human scale, often located outside urban centres.
“Smaller RPAs are essential to help seniors stay in their own homes. We had to act to support them before it was too late,” said Ms. Tassé-Goodman.
Over the past five years, the number of RPA closures has multiplied, almost of them smaller-scale RPAs. These closures are a heavy blow for tenants, who have to relocate and sometimes move away from their loved ones and communities.
While measures to help RPAs are welcome, Réseau FADOQ stresses the need to ensure a healthy diversity of housing options for seniors. In particular, we need to encourage the development of alternative collective living environments, such as housing cooperatives and non-profit RPAs.
Réseau FADOQ expects that these measures will reduce the financial burden on tenants in such residences.
