The number of closures of private residences for seniors (RPA) is worrying in the province. Over the past 18 months, 250 establishments have closed.
The Quebec Association of Private Residences for Seniors expects further closures in the coming months.
There are increasing financial pressures on homeowners related to loans, insurance and inflation.
To seek income, establishments are limited, in particular by the guides of the Administrative Housing Tribunal, but also by the ability of residents to pay, according to the president and director general of the Regroupement québécois des residences pour ains, Marc Fortin.
The stakes for recruiting labor also hurt, as does accountability.
“We ended up with a lot of additional regulations and these administrative requests are overwhelming. An RPA that is small or medium in the region, which used to take three hours of administration, now has to take four to five days a week,” explained Mr. Fortin.
The agency expects further RPA closures.
“Definitely, there are going to be other waves of closure. I had four more this week, members who wrote to tell us that they were ceasing their operations. People call us crying. They don’t know what to do anymore. They work seven days a week, are not able to find employees, ”added the president and CEO of the Regroupement québécois des residences for seniors.
Mr. Fortin says that certain “fundamentals” might be corrected quickly to reverse the trend, notably for the workforce, loans and regulations.
The organization hopes that these issues will be at the heart of the provincial election campaign.
