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home / 世界杯决赛2022

francophone groups fear bill 7 could trample long-term care patients' language rights

long-term care minister paul calandra said patients’ rights will be respected, but advocates want the right to french language services specifically spelled out in the bill's regulations

by elizabeth payne

sep 5 2022
read time 3 minute read
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advocates say ontario’s more beds, better care act (bill 7) could threaten the rights of franco-ontarians to receive care in their first language of choice.
the act, which was passed in the ontario legislature on aug. 31, allows health authorities to move patients who are in hospitals waiting for long-term care beds to a home they have not chosen in order to free up hospital space.
the act has attracted widespread criticism from those who say it tramples on the rights of the elderly, disabled and other people in need of long-term care. advocates for the elderly say it places a disproportionate burden of the health-care crisis on the backs of those waiting for long-term care beds.
there are additional concerns about the impact the act will have on francophones, especially since there are limited francophone long-term care spaces across the province.
last week, ottawa-vanier liberal mpp lucille collard raised the issue in question period at queen’s park.
she said francophone families are worried.
“families are afraid (their loved ones) might be transferred to homes far away from their own home where they cannot have services in the french language,” she said.
long-term care minister paul calandra responded that patients’ rights will be respected. but advocates want the right to french language services specifically spelled out in the bill’s regulations, which are expected to be released in greater detail in the coming days. they are also expected to contain details about how far away patients waiting for long-term care could be moved while they wait for a permanent bed.
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jacinthe desaulniers, president and ceo of the french language health services network of eastern ontario, said she understands the challenging situation in ontario’s hospitals right now and the need to enact bold strategies to address it, but she said language has to be a key part of decision making when it comes to moving hospital patients waiting for long-term care beds.
“i would like to see in the regulations (for the act) that distance and linguistic identity be two factors considered,” she said.
currently, so-called alc (alternate level of care) patients who are in hospital beds awaiting a move to long-term care are asked to create a list of five homes in which they would prefer to live. under the more beds, better care act, patients can be moved to a home that is not on their preferred list. critics say that, despite long waits for long-term care beds, some homes have space and that is generally because no one wants to go there. that could include homes with poor records of infection, death and care during the pandemic.
there is even less choice when it comes to homes that provide care in french. there are about 15 long-term care homes across eastern ontario that are either designated under the french language services act or identified as working toward that designation — meaning services are available in french.
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at montfort hospital, patients’ first language of choice is documented at registration. that enables the hospital to offer care and services in their language and to inform decisions such as the choice of accommodation after leaving the hospital, said spokesperson martin sauvé.
but sauvé added that the coordination of long-term care planning is not solely in the hands of the hospital and it is unclear if montfort will have a final decision about long-term care placement of patients under bill 7.
“the availability of francophone long-term care spaces remains limited across the province,” he said. “we are therefore concerned that bill 7, if it does not take into account the linguistic characteristics of patients, could significantly reduce access to french language services,” he said.
a recent study led by ottawa researchers underscores the importance of people receiving health services in their first language. 

“forcing a resident into a home that may have language and cultural discordance may have health consequences,” said dr. peter tanuseputro, a physician-scientist at the ottawa hospital, institute du savior montfort and bruyere research institute. he co-led a recent study that found hospital patients are more likely to die or have serious outcomes if their physician doesn’t speak their language. he has published a similar study involving long-term care patients and said they are generally more vulnerable.

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sauvé underscored that language does make a difference to residents’ well-being.
“while the proposed measures would help liberate hospital beds, it is imperative that the language of patients be taken into account in the choice of accommodation to ensure quality and safety of care, and that these patients be able to receive care in their language.”
 
elizabeth payne
elizabeth payne
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