ST-FELICIEN, SAGUENAY – Quebec’s Health Minister was about to loosen safety regulations in private seniors’ homes when the fire at L’Isle-Verte happened.
The blaze killed 32 seniors last Thursday – 17 bodies were found, 15 are still missing.
Opposition parties are outraged and are asking that the minister drop his draft regulation.
“Obviously Mr. Hebert should have looked more carefully at his regulation here. He is responsible for any regulation that is out,” said Liberal leader Philippe Couillard.
READ MORE: Call for end to ‘patchwork’ safety rules for seniors’ homes across Canada
Current rules require nursing homes have at least one employee available to seniors at night. That employee has to be trained as an orderly.
Hebert’s new regulation would bring down that level of training to first-aid.
“I really don’t understand how Mr. Hebert is able to table rules and after that say he ignores or doesn’t know about the rules he has tabled,” said Liberal MNA Jean-Marc Fournier.
“Really, is there a minister there? I’m not sure.”
On Wednesday, Health Minister Rejean Hebert called his draft regulation a mistake and blamed his civil servants; even though he was the one who presented it to cabinet and then published its wording in the National Assembly’s Official Gazette.
Hebert said elements, such as the training modification, have been dropped.
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However, one of the provisions he is keeping shocked liberal critic Marguerite Blais.
Hebert would allow facilities for autonomous seniors with less than 50 rooms to have a resident – not a staff member – do the surveillance at night.
“Do you think it’s good that a person living in the home is looking after old people at night?” asked Blais.
At least two Liberals agreed with Hebert on that one.
Jean D’Amour and Jean-Marc Fournier suggested that hiring someone at night is costly for small facilities, especially in rural areas, which in turn have to raise monthly rent.
“We’ve got to think about the amount of money Quebecers have in their pockets when you talk about seniors to pay to be there, in that place,” said Fournier.
Hebert said his government could consider giving out subsidies, to make sure all seniors’ homes in this province are safe.
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