Gino Lebel doesn’t look like a fighter, but he’s brought his message from the Maison Jean-Eudes Bergeron group home in Alma for people with severe disabilities to the National Assembly.
“Until God decides I die, I will continue to fight,” Lebel said.
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The group home where Lebel lives is scheduled to close on July 1 unless the government kicks in some financial aid. It opened four years ago.
“For me and the 20 other residents, there’s an anxiety that’s always there,” Lebel said.
This is the 28th time the 43-year-old has been forced to move.
“Stop playing with them and make sure they will not have to leave their home, their family, their friends,” said Lac-Saint-Jean MNA, Alexandre Cloutier of the Parti Quebecois .
Cloutier explained that the Maison Jean-Eudes Bergeron is short about $25,000 a month. Lebel says it would actually be cheaper for the government to pick up that tab than it would to send him to live in a long-term care home.
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Residents don’t want to be moved to the province’s long-term care homes, where they say there’s little mental stimulation and the quality of care is not the same. The health minister said the government is looking at other options for the residents, but none of those options includes keeping the Maison Jean-Eudes Bergeron open.
“Unfortunately, their business plan was such that they were not able to sustain what they were thinking they would be able to sustain,” Gaetan Barrette said. “Unfortunately the risk that they took is impacting patients.”
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“They have built this house with the recommendation of the Quebec government, so the Quebec government has also the responsibility to make sure they have all the money they need,” Cloutier said.
Tuesday morning, Lucie Charlebois — the minister responsible for public health — confirmed her ministry will prolong funding until Sept. in hopes of giving the home time to find a long-term solution.
Keeping the home open for tow extra months, will cost the government $50, 000.
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