Speaking Out and Being Heard Residents’ Committees in Quebec’s Residential Long-Term Care Centre

Abstract

Residents' councils in Quebec's residential and long-term care centres have the mandate to promote the improvement of living conditions for residents, to assess their level of satisfaction, and to defend their rights. Based on two studies on the autonomy of councils, we examined how committees can express themselves on topics other than those the management is already aware of, to reveal various previously unknown aspects of the services, and to voice unexpressed concerns. We are especially interested in what makes management receptive, or not, to what the committee members say. The councils' ability to express them selves is, in fact, inseparable from its capacity to listen to the management teams, and we seek to determine the conditions required to perform this dual capacity.

Will the “New” Become the “Normal”? Exploring Sustainability of Rapid Health System Transformations

“…Like all healthcare organizations, LTC facilities in Québec have been operating on tight budgets and limited staff for the past two decades. Gagnon et al (2017) reported staff shortages, high turnover of staff and reliance on private staffing agencies as problematic issues in delivering multidisciplinary care in LTC. This challenging organizational setting has meant physicians, nurses, and orderlies often face difficult situations.…”