2024-03-25 08:00:00
The CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale is terminating the contracts of 11 kinesiologists dedicated full-time to the 29 CHSLDs in the region. This regional public organization responsible for health care will now entrust the task of preventing the physical deconditioning of residents to its beneficiary attendants.
After the waves of pandemic confinement, the Quebec government asked seniors’ residences and CHSLDs to call in kinesiologists as reinforcements to get seniors moving and to prevent their physical deconditioning.
Since then, their work has been conclusive and has enjoyed great success throughout Quebec, according to the Fédération des kinesiologues du Québec. Despite everything, the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale has decided not to renew the contracts of kinesiologists after March 31, 2024.
The Federation of Kinesiologists denounces this decision which goes against the principle of preventive medicine, according to its president, Marc-Antoine Pépin.
With the government’s speech which talks more and more about prevention, we are faced with a bit of incomprehension.
A quote from Marc-Antoine Pépin, president of the Federation of Kinesiologists of Quebec
According to the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, the hiring of these 11 kinesiologists represents an amount of one million dollars per year. In recent months, the CIUSSS maintains that it has hired 230 new beneficiary attendants who will be able to keep residents moving.
We are returning to pre-pandemic values for this employment category.
A quote from Annie Ouellet, spokesperson for the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale
CHSLD, beneficiary attendants, supported by occupational therapists, physiotherapists and leisure technicians, offer different activities to seniors on a daily basis, whether walking, leisure activities or individual activities”,”text”:”In our CHSLDs, beneficiary attendants, supported by occupational therapists, physiotherapists and leisure technicians, offer different activities to seniors on a daily basis, whether walking, leisure activities or individual activities”}}”>In our CHSLD, beneficiary attendants, supported by occupational therapists, physiotherapists and leisure technicians, offer different activities to seniors on a daily basis, whether walking, leisure activities or individual activities, we can read in a statement written form of this regional public body responsible for health care.
On the other side of the St. Lawrence River, in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, the CISSS has instead decided to focus on kinesiologists. Twenty full-time positions exclusively reserved for CHSLDs in the region have just been created there.
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The president of the Federation of Kinesiologists of Quebec, Marc-Antoine Pépin, denounces the decision of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale. He maintains that it is the only CIUSSS in the province to terminate the contracts of kinesiologists in CHSLDs.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Pierre-Alexandre Bolduc
Incomprehension and disappointment
The president of the Federation of Kinesiologists struggles to explain the decision of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, especially since cases of success have been reported to him throughout Quebec following the integration of kinesiologists into CHSLDs. Seniors have seen their physical deconditioning slowed and their abilities increased following the intervention of these specialists.
We have seen success stories. Greater muscular endurance to remain standing reduces the number of care attendants needed to provide care, maintains Marc-Antoine Pépin. This reduces the number of nurses needed, so it allows for reduction elsewhere.
From the moment they enter a CHSLD, we know that the level of physical fitness decreases radically. So, it is certain that we must do something as early as possible, upon entry, to [prévenir] deconditioning.
A quote from Marc-Antoine Pépin, president of the Federation of Kinesiologists of Quebec
Doubts and worries
Relatives of residents told Radio-Canada of their concerns and frustration following this announcement. This is the case of André Lafond, a caregiver whose mother, Ginette Maheux, lives in a CHSLD in Quebec. He doubts that the beneficiary attendants will have the time to focus on his mother’s physical capabilities. Already, she is limited to just one bath per week.
They tell us that it will be replaced by beneficiary attendants […]. I have a reasonable doubt given that these people are already busy at full capacity, explains André Lafond.
The expression that we don’t want them to be dead… It’s important to keep them [les aînés en CHSLD] as active as possible.
A quote from André Lafond, son and caregiver of a CHSLD resident
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André Lafond is saddened by the abandonment of the kinesiologist assistance program in the CHSLDs of the Capitale-Nationale.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Pierre-Alexandre Bolduc
This caregiver announced to his mother that visits from the kinesiologist who gave him tone will be a thing of the past.
It annoys me in the sense that we are currently hearing that they have reinjected so much money into the health network and that at the same time, services are being taken away.
Attendants already overwhelmed
The member for Québec solidaire Sol Zanetti also deplores the decision of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.
Prevention always costs less than cure. Everybody knows it! says the member for the riding of Jean-Lesage, in the Quebec region.
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Sol Zanetti asks the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale to reverse course and renew the contracts of kinesiologists in CHSLDs.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Sylvain Roy Roussel
If the CIUSSS has the impression that it is lacking resources, […] he must tell the government and the government must give more money.
A quote from Sol Zanetti, MP for Jean-Lesage, Québec solidaire
The politician, who has already worked as a beneficiary attendant, recalls that these employees are already overwhelmed by their basic tasks and that they do not have the three or four year university training of kinesiologists.
Beneficiary attendants do extremely important work. But they have not been trained to prevent deconditioning in seniors like kinesiologists are. It’s not the same work, underlines Sol Zanetti.
The office of the Minister responsible for Seniors, Sonia Bélanger, preferred to let the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale explain its decision.
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