On October 21, the Framework Policy on Continuing Care for Persons with Decreasing Independence in Quebec First Nations was approved by the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador. It aims to give First Nations the opportunity to define their priorities and offer a continuum of services that is holistic and equitable and meets the needs expressed by individuals and their families.

Background

The work surrounding its creation was initiated in 2012, thanks to the development of a Framework Policy on Continuing Care for Elders in First Nations Communities of Quebec, a project led by Timiskaming First Nation, which was carried out with five other communities. In 2015, the FNQLHSSC continued the process by including, in addition to the seniors initially targeted by the project, other groups requiring long-term care such as people with intellectual or physical disabilities, mental health problems and chronic diseases.

A project born from several collaborations

It is the result of joint work carried out by a steering committee made up of representatives of Indigenous Services Canada, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, the Secrétariat aux affaires autochtones and the FNQLHSSC. It brings together the findings made during local and regional consultations and puts forward five issues punctuating the offer of services and continuing care.

The stakeholders made the commitment to take actions to overcome the recurring obstacles that people with decreasing independence face in receiving services and care:

• Obstacles linked, among other things, to the ambiguity of the roles and responsibilities of the partners involved in the service offer.
• Difficulties related to accessing equitable and culturally safe services.
• A lack of harmonization between programs.
• Shortcomings in terms of human resources, as well as in the exchange of information.

Dissemination

A committee of experts, made up of representatives of the health and social services sector of the communities and Quebec’s health and social services network also collaborated in the development of the Framework Policy that will be broadly disseminated in the coming months. It will be launched at the next regional meeting on services for persons with decreasing independence, which is scheduled for mid-March 2022. In addition, it will soon be posted on the FNQLHSSC website.