Housing experts for seniors and entrepreneurs are concerned about the possibility of seeing the concept of seniors ’homes set aside due to large increases in costs.
Over the next few months, dozens of seniors ’homes will be delivered to the government to eventually house nearly 3,500 seniors who have lost autonomy.
Announced at less than $ 400,000 per room in 2019, the latest assessment from the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) averages more than $ 800,000, for a total of $ 2.8 billion.
The consultant and full professor responsible for continuing education in the Faculty of Nursing Sciences at Laval University, Philippe Voyer, apologized for such an increase in costs.
It is inexplicable why it costs so much, emphasizes Mr. Voyer. The latter is familiar with the concept of seniors ’homes for having business and government partners in developing new approaches to care for clients with a loss of autonomy.
The latter mentioned some recent projects CHSLD and intermediate resources (IR) launched by the private sector at less than $ 300,000 per room. Projects inspired by the concept of seniors ’homes with households, individual rooms and toilets as well as common areas.
According to Mr. Voyer, private buildings and homes of the elderly are products equivalent and well responsive to the needs of the population.
For me, what annoys me is that people question the concept of seniors ’homes when construction costs are the problem.
Asked earlier this week by Radio-Canada, the Minister responsible for the Elderly and Carers, Marguerite Blais, acknowledged that the homes of the elderly more expensive [car] we work with high quality materials, we want these houses to be solid for many years.
” Very good model we make […] because the experts, the geriatricians, tell us to build these houses. “
Guillaume Houle, spokesman for the Association de la construction du Québec, told us recently that he there have been so many fluctuations since the beginning of the pandemic that traders have had to protect themselves against rising costs and because the supply chain is completely out of order..
At the Parti Québécois, parliamentary leader Joël Arseneau proposed this week, at a press conference, to end the project on the home for the elderly.
” Every time we look at the file, the costs explode. […] To continue to sink into a bottomless pit, into a destructive project, when the needs are elsewhere, well, that will continue in the wrong direction. “
From private to less than $ 300,000
In Terrebonne, a suburb of Montreal, Sébastien Barrette and his partners opened the Maison l’Étincelle in February 2021, after work was cut off due to the pandemic.
A 144-unit accommodation for seniors with loss of autonomy, combining intermediate resources and a private accommodation for seniors with mental health problems.
It’s just like a house for the elderly […] with households of 16 peopleexplanation by Mr. Barrette, who used the services of Philippe Voyer.
We did it here for less than $ 250,000 per roomsaid the manager.
She is concerned about what she hears about the rising value of seniors ’homes. There will be a tsunami of mentally handicapped seniorshe recalled.
To what extent can we meet the needs of tens of thousands of peopleon the value of seniors’ homes ?, Mr. Barrette asked.
In Vaudreuil-Dorion, on Montreal’s South Shore, Jean-François Blanchard’s group will build 111 new rooms next fall at Manoir Harwood, a CHSLD private.
The pandemic had at least one good thing, we had time to reflect and be inspired by seniors ’homes, a great concepthe said.
Average price per room: $ 230,000
In Quebec, Humanitae living environment, which specializes in clients with Alzheimer’s, has 170 units with households of 12 to 15 rooms. A building built at less than $ 300,000 per unit in 2019.
During the 2018 election campaign, the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) made housing for seniors the main theme of its program.
Senior homes are a generational project, François Legault said, as his candidate Marguerite Blais recalled the party’s intention to end waiting lists in CHSLDs.
Source: Radio-Canada
