By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

A health watchdog group in the Hills is concerned about the region’s aging population, as the MRC des Collines is already short 139 long-term care beds, saying the problem is only going to get worse. 

Vigi Santé spokesperson Marcel Chartrand told the Low Down that the province, nor the region, has a comprehensive plan to house seniors. With nearly 25 per cent of the region’s population over the age of 65, he said the need for a senior’s housing plan is long overdue. 

“How to adequately respond to seniors who wish to stay in their homes, rather than be forced to move to a long-term care facility?” Chartrand questioned. “First, do municipalities know how many of their seniors need home care? Do they know who they are, where they live? No. We need a comprehensive survey to identify them and their needs.”

According to Statistics Canada’s latest census profile, there are just over 50,000 residents in the MRC des Collines region. Of that population, nearly 15 per cent of residents are over the age of 65, while an additional 10 per cent are over 70. And with just 181 beds available, that leaves over 12,000 seniors with no option to grow old in the places they call home. 

“Les Collines’ population is aging fast,” said Chartrand.  

According to The Institut du Québec, projections show that in the next 20 years, the population growth of those aged 25–54 years will only be 128,000 people, while those 70-plus, which are larger users of the health system, will grow by 553,000 people. 

Quebec’s new health department, Santé Québec, has been slashing health budgets across the province in an effort to cut $1.5 billion from its budget. 

“Meanwhile, our hospitals in Wakefield and Gatineau are housing seniors waiting for long-term care beds,” said Chartrand. He added that long-term care patients are using at least 90 beds at the Gatineau Hospital and eight beds at the Wakefield Hospital.

“What facilities are in place to stimulate them, provide social activities?” said Chartrand. “Seniors from Les Collines, in long-term facilities, are displaced in CHSLDs in Gatineau mostly away from their families.”

Chartrand said that in 2024, 25 per cent of all emergency room visits were from residents aged 70 and up, and the cases are becoming “more complex, requiring more time and diagnostic equipment not available in Wakefield.”

“The need for home-care workers keeps growing, putting pressure on family members who are not trained to take care of parents, who require physical, psychological, mental, medical and basic home improvements,” he said. 

Santé Quebec responded to the Low Down after press time.