Memo reveals centre closing due to budget cuts
Health authority CEO admits CLSC erred by failing to consult families
Health officials resorted to closing a popular drop-in centre for seniors at the CLSC René-Cassin at the end of May “because of a lack of funding,” according to an internal management memo.
The memo, obtained by the Montreal Gazette, contradicts assertions made by the West End’s top health official Tuesday that the decision to shut the caregiver support centre on May 30 “has nothing to do with implementing budget cuts.”
Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, president and CEO of the new health authority (the CIUSSS du centreouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal), insisted in a news conference that the goal behind closing the 23-year-old centre was to improve services to seniors. Rosenberg even compared the care that seniors used to receive as equivalent to “economy class” on an airplane, saying they will now benefit from “business class”-style service under the reorganization.
A total of 39 seniors — some of whom suffer from dementia — will be redirected to the Henri-Bradet Residential Centre in NôtreDame-de-Grâce and the Centre d’hébergement Saint-Margaret in Westmount.
“This has nothing to do with implementing budget cuts or cutting services,” Rosenberg said.
However, a memo by Cindy Starnino, director of quality and the university mission of the Centre de santé et de services sociaux Cavendish, says otherwise.
“Some of you have come to learn perhaps that unfortunately the caregiver support centre will close on May 30 because of a lack of funding,” Starnino wrote to university researchers on May 1.
“I understand that this signifies a loss, particularly to those of you who have contributed to (the centre’s) development over the years, but I want to assure you that we will pursue a proactive role in advancing the cause of caregivers through research activities, knowledge transfer, partnerships, leadership and influence.
“In fact, I hope we will seize this opportunity to explore opportuni- ties to expand our work on these social issues more broadly across our CIUSSS,” Starnino added.
Patrick Durivage, a union representative for health and socialservices workers at the CLSC René-Cassin, said administrators at the CLSC clinic are refusing to make budget figures public. He noted that an occupational therapist was laid off at the CLSC on Tuesday.
“They’re cutting a service and displacing patients,” Durivage said. “They’re putting a positive spin on things, but there’s no question there are cutbacks.”
The union, the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux, carried out a survey across the province and determined that a total of 20 day centres for the elderly are being closed.
Joanne Beauvais, Health Minister Gaétan Barrette’s press attaché, told the Montreal Gazette last week that the government wants to “optimize” services for the elderly through “consolidation,” and that this could “result in savings.”
Durivage estimated that the CLSC René-Cassin will save about $200,000 a year by closing the centre.
Stung by criticism from families and the mayors of Hampstead and Côte-St-Luc who argued that the centre is an invaluable community resource, Rosenberg held a news conference at the Jewish General Hospital to “correct the misinformation” by the news media.
Still, Rosenberg issued a mea culpa, saying that the CLSC could have done more to consult families ahead of the closing.
“The users and their families were not consulted prior to the decision being taken, prior to the recommendation. We could have done better and we will do better. This situation will not occur again.
“Having said that, we still feel the decision was made in the best interests of the users of the dropin centre, and the decision will stand,” Rosenberg added.
Some caregivers have complained that their loved ones enjoyed spending two to three days a week at the René-Cassin CLSC, but have now been allotted fewer days at the other centres.
Rosenberg acknowledged that some families are experiencing “angst” as a result of the closing, and pledged to improve service to those who might have lost some days at the centres where they have been transferred.