Patients rights group hopes to sue Quebec over deteriorating CHSLD conditions

Quebec's long-term care facilities are failing to meet their duties of care by allowing residents to languish inunhygienic conditions, says a patients rights group seeking to sue the provincial government.

The Quebec Council for the Protection of Patients has filed an application for a class-action lawsuit that targets all the government-run care facilities (CHSLDs)in the province, which house around 37,000 people.

PaulBrunet, who chairs the council, says over the last few years patient care atCHSLDshas declined significantly, and patients are no longer able to access services on par with those mostQuebecershave access to at home.

That, he said, is a violation of provincial law as well as rights protectedby the Quebec Charter Human Rights and Freedoms."We have decided to not let it go this time."

If approved, the lawsuit woulddemand the government pay each CHSLD residentup to $850 dollars a month as compensation.

'Dignity, honour and reputation'

DanielPilote, a 56-year-old with muscular dystrophy,is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit application.

He has lived in aSaint-Jean-sur-Richelieu CHSLDfor the past four years. In court documents, he claims medical staff at the facility are overworked and their numbers are dwindling.

Pilote, who is paralyzed from the head down, relies on breathing apparatus to live and says he fears there is not enough staff on hand to help himif the machine fails.

He also alleges that personnel at his care facilityhave onlyten minutes to wash and dress him each morning. As a result of this treatment, Pilote's"dignity, honour and reputation" is being violated, lawsuit application reads.

Brunetblames the decline in quality of care at CHSLDs, in part, on health reforms passed in 2015, whichsought to cut managerial positions in an attempt tosavethe health care system $200 million dollars per year.

Government says CHSLD conditions improving

Government officials responded to the lawsuit by insisting thereforms actually improved the services offered inCHSLDs.

"Never has a governmentinvested so much to improve the quality of life of people who live there," aspokesperson for the Health Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

In comments to reporters,Premier Philippe Couillardaddedthat his government has worked hard to improve hygiene, food and staffing conditions at government-run long-term care facilities.

"[Are conditions]better? Yes. Could theybe even better? Yes," Couillardsaid. "I'm not saying they're perfect, far from it, but I think we are headed in the right direction."