In Quebec, it was not necessary to obtain a licence to open an elderly people’s home. Now things have changed however. The Quebec Government has adopted bill 83 which makes it mandatory to have a permit to open a residence for old people.
Henceforth, any given manager of an elderly people’s home must enter each and everyone of the residences that he owns in the « Registry of elderly people’s residences » of the Health and Social Services Agency of the region where the residence is located.
All of the elderly people’s homes are now subject to the application of the « Rules governing the conditions for obtaining a certificate of conformity of an elderly people’s residence », as was promulgated on 1 February 2007.
In order to obtain and conserve a certificate of conformity, renewable every other year, the manager must abide by a set of socio-sanitary criteria as defined by the Regulations. Moreover, he must comply with the requirements in regard to other laws and norms embedded in municipal bylaws in matters of hygiene, healthiness, security or construction.
By the 1st of February 2009 the health and social service agencies must complete the certification process for all of the elderly people’s residences on their territory.
For more information on this subject, go online to the Ministry of Health and Social Services at: www.msss.gouv.qc.ca , in column « Topics », choose « Population Groups », then go into « Seniors » as well as in the file entitled « Opening a residence for elderly people » of the « Répertoire des programmes et services du gouvernement du Québec » at : www.formulaire.gouv.qc.ca .