Coroner Kehan Kamal argues that private CHSLTs should be brought to an end

The epidemic shows that the model of entire private nursing homes is a thing of the past, says Coroner Kehan Kamal, who calls for “snatching up the system” and moving towards home care.

“Private CHSLDs are unfortunately an impossible solution if we want to provide decent quality care for the elderly,” she said.^Me Kamal inside His report on the many deaths that occurred in nursing homes at the onset of the epidemic.

The coroner is not referring here to the so-called “formal” private residences for the elderly funded by the government, but to completely private CHSLDs such as the CHSLD Heron. All of this should become a deal, he suggests. In his report, he notes that the mortality rate there is high and that they have fewer staff than other facilities. They are, he writes, “one of the most important blind points of this crisis.”

The main interested parties agree with this view. The Association of Quebec Long-Term Companies, which represents the majority of the 40 private CHSLTs in the province, demanded such a change when it appeared before an autopsy last November.

“Investing in home support is another way of exploring other poor children in the health care system,” she argues.^Me Kamal cites some “possible solutions” as examples Presented by former PQ Health Minister Region Hebert.

Launched in June 2020, its investigation focused primarily on the deaths of 53 people in public and private residences – CHSLD Heron, in particular – in the first months of the epidemic. All of these deaths may be the result of ambiguity or negligence. The work of the coroner includes the “national component” of government action and decision-makers’ choices in the context of epidemics.

Blaze was “trustworthy”, not McCann, Arruda skinned

Géhane Kamel concludes that Marguerite Blaise, the minister in charge of seniors, was the one who provided the most “credible” explanation for the government’s late attention to housing for the elderly. “To this day, I hope she has tried to listen to herself, but the emphasis on hospital settings has been so high that her voice or the voice of her office only echoed late into the day.”

As for the role of Health Minister Daniel McCain at the time, the report did not mention him.

On the other hand, Horacio Arruda, the former National Director of Public Health in Quebec, is coming out of the gym. “During his testimony, [il] He argued that the chances of developing CHSLDs were low COVID-19 Than hospitals. “^Me Kamal stressed that this “opinion” was “not based on any conclusive evidence”. “They justified the government’s decision to prioritize the resources available in intensive care systems and do not increase preventive measures to combat potential spread by inhaling aerosols in long-term maintenance systems.”

Always about t^R. Arruda says we need to give her more freedom to function in the future. “Suspicious” when the big boss of public health is considered “changing his words or recommendations” […] It must be in line with government priorities, ”he wrote. However, whether this impression is true or not, according to the coroner, should be ruled out.

“Baby” caregivers

The Ministry of Health, for its part, made a serious mistake by preventing caregivers from going to CHSLDs. “One of the reasons cited by MSSS for restricting access to caregivers is the safety of caregivers, noting that they themselves are vulnerable, and most of them are elderly. However, this information has not been documented, and if so, it is child-bearing for families,” she said.^Me Kamal.

“Overnight, the elderly living in apartments were seen being cut off from the outside world during the first wave, and many died unable to communicate with their loved ones. Dizzy human drama.”

What’s even worse is that the autopsy regrets the circumstances in which the infection was treated. “From time to time, observers and families noted that their consent was obtained at the end of a brief discussion during the investigation, which, apparently, became null and void because it was not announced,” we read in the report.

“In fact, as soon as the anesthesia started, no further questioning or diagnostic maneuvering was done. Death awaited and no caregivers came to review or question the diagnosis. We closed the bedroom door and came in only to make sure everything was quiet and peaceful,” he wrote.

“A few residents are entitled to a visit from a family member, and many do not even have this opportunity.

Work in pits

Those who believe that this report clearly identifies the culprits will be disappointed. Apart from some bad decisions taken by the government, the failure of one of the organizations mentioned in this report is primary.

“What happened because we did not act on this product? Most of the recurring thesis throughout the backstory was working on silos,” Kehan Kamel points out.

Therefore, civil defense officials did not play their part and were done in a “separate” environment in the medical planning ministries, while “the data obtained were not sufficient to allow real-time administration”. From the outset, although communication was “the nerves of war”, the inquiry “brought to light unspoken and outdated information systems”.

However, the coroner said he was confident that “all necessary efforts had been made to respond” to the staff shortage.

Less than 4,836 of organizations dedicated to the elderly died of COVID-19 during epidemics; 3,675 of them are lodged in CHSLDs.

The report contains a total of 23 recommendations for the Quebec government (10), the Ministry of Health (8), the Integrated Health and Community Service Centers (4) and the Medical College (1).

Called to respond, Health Minister Christian Dube said on Monday that he had not yet read the report and would like to wait before commenting on it in detail. However, he said the government was generally “comfortable” with the recommendations of coroner Kamal.