Crisis in nursing homes - A simple solution: Existing Users' and In-patients' Committees

MONTREAL, March 5, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The Regroupement provincial des comités des usagers (RPCU) recommended, to Minister for Social Services Dominique Vien, that Users' and In-patients' Committees be the first-line contact during appraisal visits to residential and long-term care centres. These committees have already been assigned responsibility for assessing client satisfaction under the Act Respecting Health Services and Social Services.

"The committees' role is to assess levels of users' satisfaction with services received from the healthcare institution with which they are affiliated," pointed out Claude Ménard, head of the Regroupement provincial des comités des usagers. "Members of these committees are volunteers from the general population who already work in these institutions, so they are able to speak for ordinary citizens within the system."

The RPCU suggests that EXISTING structures be leveraged, rather than costly new ones created. It could offer assistance and support to Users' and In-patients' Committees as they perform these duties, and also coordinate their actions.

"Committee members are trained by the RPCU to perform service evaluations. This training, adapted to the real needs of residential and long-term care centres, needs to be extended to all institutions," proposed Pierre Blain, director general of the RPCU. "The RPCU is the best-positioned resource to undertake this mission, since it represents 73% of all users' committees in Quebec."

Users' and In-patients' Committees were set up pursuant to the Act Respecting Health Services and Social Services, and assigned a mandate to protect users' rights within the health and social services network. Close to 600 of them have been formed across Quebec. For more information on these committees, visit the RPCU website at www.rpcu.qc.ca.

Organization profile

The Regroupement provincial des Comités des usagers (RPCU) represents Users' and In-patients' Committees in Quebec's health and social services establishments. Its mission is to improve the quality of services provided to users of the health and social services network.

Pierre Blain, director general
Phone: [phone]