CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE Nov. 11, 2020
Occupational therapy services have been interrupted at the Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH) in recent months.
According to coordinator Gilbert Daoust, the position for an occupational therapist (OT) at PCH had been vacant for almost half a year.
The hospital is approved for a therapist three days a week, and the previous employee split her time between PCH and Gatineau for around two years.
“We had an occupational therapist that left her position I would say, five months ago,” he said. “The position was posted but there were no applications on it. It’s been sent to human resources for recruitment outside of the CISSSO, because it was internally posted but [had] no candidates.”
Daoust said in an emergency situation, he would . . .
ask one of the occupational therapists currently doing home care to step in and do an evaluation.
A source that works at the hospital with knowledge of the situation said that not having the service is a serious disruption for patient care. The source requested anonymity as they are not cleared to speak with the media.
The source said that the occupational therapy had been disrupted so thoroughly in recent years that staff at PCH were growing tired of their requests for services being ignored.
“They hate calling the city because they get the door slammed in their faces, and [I] understand that, but at the same time the patients need the care,” they said.
The source explained that occupational therapists perform a number of tasks, like finding adapted furniture for patients and assessing their cognitive abilities. They said that these types of assessments are a vital service.
“You could be condemning someone to not driving, taking medication, and having dementia, which has huge implications. It’s an important thing,” they said. “We’re to the point where we don’t even talk about it anymore, because nobody thinks we’re going to have an occupational therapist.”
They added that they have been encouraging families of patients to file a complaint with CISSSO in order to get the treatment they need.
“I’ve seen on the floor where one family complains and they actually get service, they get transferred to the city,” they said. “There’s other people that have been in the hospital much longer and are waiting for service, but they haven’t complained. The squeaky wheel is getting the grease.”
