Despite assurances from the government to provide air conditioning at many seniors residences, at Maimonedes Geriatric Centre in Côte-Saint-Luc family members say many rooms are still without it.
On Monday afternoon, according to Morris Azouz, whose 92 year-old mother Ida Azouz lives at the home, the room’s interior was hotter than outdoors in the shade. According to Environment Canada, afternoon temperatures in Montreal were around 34 decrees C.
“It’s hot,” he told Global News. “I do have a fan in her room and we’re basically sitting in front of the fan.”
Azouz doesn’t understand why, given that humidex values of between 35 and 40 C were expected until Tuesday, according to Environment Canada, all the rooms at Maimonides were not equipped with AC.
Other relatives of tenants at the residence have also complained about the lack of air conditioning. Joyce Shanks said that last weekend Harvey Stoliar, 80, began talking about how hot it was in his room.
“My dad was living in a condition that was not comfortable and not safe,” Shanks insisted.
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Leah Lasry launched AC for Seniors to deliver units to needy seniors She said she stepped in and helped Shanks to deliver fans to Maimonides as a stop gap.
“About $500 worth of fans, like 15 fans,” Lasry said, “because we didn’t know what was going to happen.”
In late May, after a heat wave, Quebec premier Francois Legault promised to have air conditioning units installed at seniors homes. Shanks wants to know why some residents at Maimonides are still waiting.
“We need to take care of them,” she stressed. “That’s why it’s called a long term care facility. They’re not being taken care of.
According to the West-Central Montreal Health Authority that oversees that home, 150 air conditioning units were purchased for Maimonides and another 100 are expected.
In an email statement to Global News, agency spokesperson Lauren Schwartz said “as of today, all requests to install AC units in resident rooms at Maimonides Geriatric Centre have been fulfilled. Any new requests will be fulfilled in real time.
Shanks said she received confirmation that her father finally got air conditioning late Monday morning. As of early afternoon, though, Azouz said his mother’s room still had none.
“I had requested an air conditioner for my mother’s room two weeks ago,” he insisted.
He said he spoke to the head nurse, who promised to follow up.