Rivire-des-Prairies residents upset over CLSC day centre move

Rivire-des-Prairies residentsare upset that some services at their local CLSCday centreare moving to another borough next month.

The centrewill close in Februaryand more than 100seniors will have to go to the Pierre-Joseph Triest centre in the neighbouring borough ofMercierHochelaga-Maisonneuve.

• Ren-Cassin CLSC health care workers protest cuts
• CIUSSS Centre-Ouest backs off plan to cut seniors' services

Melissa Di Lena, a resident ofRDP, was shocked when she heard about the closure. Di Lena says her family and many members ofthe community rely heavily on the CLSC's services.

She started an online petition in early January to stop the closure.

"Why would they be closing something that our community needs?"Di Lena said. "Each community should have a CLSC that's multifunctional."

The day centre offers services to more than 100seniorsto help them preserve their independence.

Safety concerns

Danile Bernard, who heads the program to promote independence of the elderly at the Centre intgr universitaire de sant et services sociaux de l'Est-de-L'le-de-Montreal (CIUSSS) the umbrella organization that oversees CLSCs and CHSLDs in Montreal's East End says the decision to move the centre was made after safety concerns came up.

"Our clientele has changed a lot,"Bernard said. "Many years ago, the day centre was mostly just for seniors to socialise but that's no longer the case."

The building is notwell suited for people with reduced mobility, Bernard she.

"People who come now get around with adapted transit.These are clients with serious loss of independence."

'We need these services'

Bernard denied that the closure wasa cost-cutting measure, adding thatno jobs will be eliminated in the process.

She said most of the seniors will get to the new centre in Mercierby adapted transit.

However, about a dozen patientswho aren't eligible for adapted transit, and officials are still working to find a solution for them.

"We need these services. Why should they take it away from us? There'salready jokes about RDP but the fact is that we should have the necessities, not take away the things that we need," Di Lena said.