Hundreds of Quebec seniors' homes lack required safeguards to prevent wandering

Nearly half of Quebec seniors’ residences that house people at risk of wandering still lack the provincially mandated security measures meant to reduce that risk, Radio-Canada has learned.

The recent death of an 88-year-old woman outside a seniors’ residence in Laval, Que., has raised questions about compliance with regulations first announced in 2022 by the Health Ministry.

Certain seniors’ residences, based on their category, had until July 2025 to install the security systems.

Article 24 of the regulation on the certification of seniors’ residences requires operators of category 3 and 4 seniors’ residences to install security devices that alert staff when residents at risk of wandering leave the building without supervision.

In Quebec, category 3 residences serve semi-independent seniors and offer limited care services, while category 4 residences house seniors with moderate to severe loss of autonomy and must provide both personal assistance and nursing care, according to the government.

Quebec has roughly 350 category 4 private seniors’ residences housing nearly 11,000 seniors, as well as more than 1,000 category 3 residences home to about 108,000 people.

But data obtained from Santé Québec show more than 550 of these private seniors’ residences still have not installed the devices required under Article 24.

Among category 3 residences, 512 are compliant, while 520 are not. In category 4 residences, 289 have security devices in place, while 56 do not.

In an email, a Santé Québec spokesperson said the application of Article 24 has not been postponed, it remains in force and compliance is expected of those subject to the regulations.

But the Regroupement québécois des résidences pour aînés (RQRA), which represents seniors' residences, says it's not surprised by the figures.

“For category 3 residences without security devices, it would be unrealistic to enforce Article 24 tomorrow morning, and even in the long term it could turn into another saga like the sprinkler issue,” said spokesperson Hans Brouillette, referring to sprinkler regulations that proved too costly for some residences.

“Even with a compliant device, you need staff to respond, which isn’t always available around the clock.”

Brouillette said many residences face financial constraints that cannot be ignored. And Hugo Boucher, chair of the RQRA board, added autonomous residents will feel the impact of tighter restrictions that control their movements.

However, Pierre Lynch, president of a Quebec seniors’ rights advocacy group, said time is running out as the population ages and cognitive issues become more common.