Quebec launches fast-track program to train 1,000 home care workers

Quebec is launching another fast-track training program that hopes to train 1,000 new home care workers by this fall, but some worry that cutting corners will affect the quality of care.

The program aims to help increase home care services in Quebec as the population ages.

Those who want to become home caregivers can enroll in an accelerated training program paid for by the government.

“We are investing a lot of money. This is $12,000 per person for five months,” said Health Minister Christian Dubé.

It's similar to another Quebec program launched in 2020 that fast-tracked 10,000 discipline training to help during the pandemic.

New home care workers will receive just 705 hours of training instead of the usual 870 hours.

Caroline Senneville, president of the CSN union, expressed concern that workers without sufficient training could face difficulties in patients' homes.

“They may also be aggressive because of mental health or because they have Alzheimer's disease or in the early stages,” he said.

All opposition parties agree to get more people into home care.

“The great problem of Quebec's aging population requires many measures,” said Gabrielle Nadeau-Dubois, co-spokesperson for Quebec Solidaire. “It's going to be a big challenge for us as a society.”

Interim Liberal Leader Mark Tanguay said it would not solve the underlying problem.

“So far, we have not seen any concrete results from such programs to solve the labor shortage and crisis,” he said.

Dub disagreed.

“When we trained 10,000 people, we saw that PABs (orders) were very good, and we still have 7,500 of them in the system,” he said.

Properly training workers is a big part of retaining them, Senneville said.

“We need to address this not just as a short-term solution, but as a medium-term and long-term solution,” he said.

CSN said it wants the government to commit to continuous training for these new recruits so they can complete the full number of training hours and hopefully retain the profession.