COTE-SAINT-LUC – Seniors at the Cavendish CLSC are breathing a sign of relief.
Just a few days after announcing the caregiver support centre was going to be closed, officials have backtracked on their plans – for now.
“The centre, the CLSC, the walk-in clinics – it is used constantly,” said Bella Kotler, a Cote-Saint-Luc resident.
“The services, the people who take care, the social workers are absolutely marvelous.”
The closure was part of a series of changes to programs at the Integrated Health and Social Services University Centre for west end Montreal.
“Any time there’s a reform or there’s a change, seniors panic and they get very nervous,” explained Ruth Pelletier, president of Seniors Quebec Action.
“How are they going to work the new system out?”
According to management, the proposed changes to the centre were not linked to Bill 10, the legislation that aims to reform the healthcare system. But senior rights advocates aren’t so sure.
Their main concern is the possible cost-cutting measure when it comes to abolishing of the boards of directors at many healthcare institutions and lumping them together under a bigger umbrella network.
“We’ve heard that there have been cuts as recently as yesterday to three social workers and four nurses at the CLSC Rene-Cassin,” said Pelletier.
READ MORE: Cavendish caregiver support centre remains open for now
Residents argue the Cavendish CLSC caters to the neighbourhood perfectly – from small families to Cote-Saint-Luc’s increasingly ageing population.
“Cote-Saint-Luc is an elderly population,” said Jerry Zelnicker, a resident.
“Anything that helps the older people gives them a little bit of life.”
Activists insist the fight isn’t over.
“If we have to, we’ll ask the seniors to come out and march. We have to watchdog,” said Pelletier. “We would like them to be consulting with the users of the service and the people who are delivering the services and to make sure the decisions are smart ones.”
Management told Global News they would not comment on the reprieve, but they did issue a written statement.
“Given the enactment of Bill 10 and the rapidly changing landscape that resulted from this reform, Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and Director-General of the CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest, has requested all of the partner establishments to suspend the implementation of any planned changes. This request was issued…to conduct a thorough review of changes that were planned before Bill 10 was passed and after it took effect.”
READ MORE: Seniors’ drop-in centre a casualty as Cavendish CLSC ends some services
It looks like good news for the seniors who use the drop-in centre, but they are cautiously optimistic; just because the centre is open today doesn’t mean it will be at a later date.
rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
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