The Ressource residence in Lanaudière, where Thérèse Brassard-Lévesque lived in Terrebonne, strangled by her husband who said he acted “out of compassion”, was the subject of strong criticism from the Public Protector a few months before her death.
Published at 5:00 a.m.
Read the article “Abandoned by the system, he kills his wife suffering from Alzheimer’s “out of compassion”
A physical altercation between an employee and a resident. An elder who spends the night on the ground after falling. Employees who sleep on their shift. The report from the Québec Ombudsman, published in January 2023, noted numerous problems surrounding the safety of care offered to residents of Ressource de Lanaudière and Maison l’Espagne.
Ressource de Lanaudière is an intermediate resource (IR) adapted to the needs of semi-autonomous seniors or those losing their autonomy, while Maison l’Espagne is a private residence for seniors (RPA). These two establishments, having opened their doors in 2021, are operated by the same owner and occupy the same five-story building. They accommodate 144 people, the majority of them presenting cognitive deficits.
In the summer of 2022, the Public Protector opened an investigation after receiving a report alleging the presence of deficiencies in the safety of residents. The report notes a “number of worrying events”, some of which have harmed residents.
In particular, it is reported that a fall that occurred one night led to the death of an elder. A beneficiary attendant would have picked up the resident without taking into account the post-fall protocol. When his condition was noted the next day, he was immediately transferred to a hospital, where he died a few days later. The coroner concluded that he died after his general condition deteriorated secondary to the fracture sustained from the fall.
The Québec Ombudsman also noted that residents with neurocognitive disorders can be given magnetic cards to leave their unit without accompaniment.
Gaps in staff training
Certain gaps in care and services are “attributable to the lack of training of beneficiary attendants,” notes the report.
In particular, we highlight inappropriate or ineffective approaches by staff when dealing with clients with major neurocognitive disorders. Beneficiary attendants also do not know where to find essential information on medication if necessary.
Some beneficiary attendants refuse to use the electronic tablets made available to them. This tool allows, among other things, to ensure surveillance at night by viewing the room cameras. Each of the rooms has a camera that allows staff to monitor places and people.
The establishment must manage a significant staff turnover, where 80% of the beneficiary attendants present at the opening of the residences in 2021 left their jobs within a year and a half.
Following these observations, the Public Protector made 15 recommendations to the two accommodation resources, as well as to the CISSS de Lanaudière. In particular, we are asking to increase the supervision of residents during night shifts and to ensure the application of post-fall procedures by staff.
The recommendations were all accepted and implemented, the Public Protector’s media relations manager, Carole-Anne Huot, confirmed to us on Wednesday. “There is no longer any issue with the CISSS de Lanaudière and with our residents. There are no complaints. People are well trained and there is less turnover,” says the owner of Ressource de Lanaudière and Maison l’Espagne, Sébastien Barrette.
