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Montréal – The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) publicly endorsed the joint declaration issued by the Coalition pour la dignité des aînés at the close of the Estates-General on living conditions for seniors (États généraux sur les conditions de vie des aînés) and was proud to participate alongside the Coalition’s member organizations.

“Seniors are invaluable to Québec society, and APTS members are committed to offering them the best possible services, whether in long-term care facilities, homecare support, rehabilitation or psychosocial services, or the health and social services system as a whole. On behalf of our 65,000 members, we are proud to support this joint declaration to ensure that our seniors live with dignity and respect, in conditions that are more in keeping with their contribution to our society,” declared Robert Comeau, President of the APTS.

The Estates-General on living conditions for seniors showed that there is a consensus in support of major public policies that ensure better care of seniors in our society. A number of issues targeted by the joint declaration are already part of the APTS focus to improve services and adapt the public system to seniors’ needs.

“Public and better-funded services are central to the continuum of services for seniors. It’s high time that the government significantly increase budgets for home care and support, improve the quality of services in CHSLDs and seniors' residences, and focus on prevention so that seniors can continue to live a dignified and fulfilling life in their community. Public-sector professionals and technicians providing health and social services play an essential role in ensuring this. But to ensure that these employees who are dedicated to caring for seniors stay in our public system, better working conditions are a must,” added Benoît Audet, 3^rd Vice-President of the APTS.

With the Estates-General coming to a close, the APTS took the opportunity to reiterate its commitment to improving seniors’ living conditions in long-term care facilities. After testifying at the public enquiry headed by Coroner Géhane Kamel on the deaths that occurred in CHSLDs during the first wave of the pandemic, the union is impatiently waiting for the report to be made public. It is determined to ensure that the recommendations are implemented in practice, to avert another tragedy of this magnitude.

The APTS

The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents more than 65,000 members who play a key role in ensuring that health and social services institutions run smoothly. Its members provide a wide range of services for the population as a whole, including diagnostic, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, clinical support, and prevention services.