Are you looking for a senior living residence but getting lost in the abbreviations and terms used in Quebec’s healthcare system? Between PSR, IR, CHSLD, MDA, CLSC, TS, CISSS and CIUSSS, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This article helps you better understand these concepts, often used by healthcare and social services professionals when working with seniors and their caregivers.
Quick Glossary of Key Terms
When researching senior living residences or healthcare services in Quebec, you will quickly come across recurring acronyms. These abbreviations, used daily by healthcare professionals and public organizations, may seem complex to families and caregivers. To help you navigate your search, here is a clear and detailed explanation of the main terms you will encounter most often.
PSR (Private Senior Living Residence)
A PSR is a private senior living residence for seniors who are autonomous or have mild to moderate loss of autonomy. It offers a safe environment and provides services such as meals, housekeeping, activities, and some tailored healthcare.
Discover the Ranking of the Best PSRs in Quebec
IR (Intermediate Resources)
Intermediate resources (IR) accommodates semi-autonomous seniors who need daily support ranging from 1.5 to 3 hours. Residents are usually mobile, continent, and may have mild to moderate cognitive losses.
CHSLD (Long-Term Care Nursing Home)
CHSLDs house seniors with significant loss of autonomy who require 3 or more hours of care daily. They provide structured support to compensate for severe disabilities, major mobility loss, incontinence, or mild to moderate cognitive losses.
MDA (Maisons des aînés)
Maisons des aînés (MDA) are recent public establishments in Quebec designed to replace some traditional CHSLDs. They offer smaller living environments (around 12 residents per unit), fostering a warm, human, and family-like atmosphere, while providing safe and adapted support for seniors with loss of autonomy.
CLSC (Local Community Services Centre)
The CLSC is the entry point to the public healthcare system. It provides healthcare and home support services, such as nursing care, hygiene assistance, and caregiver support.
SW (Social Worker)
A social worker is a professional at a CLSC or in the public network who supports seniors and their families. They assess needs, provide psychosocial support, and guide families to available resources.
CISSS and CIUSSS
CISSS (Integrated Health and Social Services Centres) group different public establishments within a territory, such as hospitals, CLSCs, and IR and CHSLDs. CIUSSS also has a university mission, hosting students and interns in medicine, social work, and other health disciplines.
ISO-SMAF
The ISO-SMAF tool is an assessment grid used to measure a senior’s level of autonomy. This evaluation determines access to public services and guides the choice of the most appropriate housing or care type.
Case Scenarios: Understanding Families’ Real Needs
To better understand how senior living residences and services operate, here are real-life examples of families facing choices between the public and the private networks and different autonomy assessments.
Scenario 1: When ISO-SMAF Prevents Access to an IR
Mrs. Dubé learns that her mother, who has Alzheimer’s, has an ISO-SMAF score too high to qualify for an intermediate resources (IR).
This means her mother is still considered too autonomous for public network admission and can only receive home support services.
In an IR, daily care ranges from 1.5 to 3 hours. Residents are generally mobile, continent, and have mild to moderate cognitive loss.
Scenario 2: When the CLSC Recommends a Private Senior Living Residence
Exhausted from her caregiving role, Mrs. Côté contacts the CLSC for her still-autonomous father. The social worker (SW) explains that the public network only handles admissions to IRs and CHSLDs.
Independent seniors or those with mild loss of autonomy must therefore turn to the private senior living residence network. In this case, Bonjour Résidences can guide families free of charge, saving them from contacting each senior living residence individually.
Scenario 3: Admission to a CHSLD via the CISSS
Following the death of her natural caregiver, Mrs. Gingras obtains a CHSLD placement through her CISSS.
Since the 2015 reform, CISSS and CIUSSS bring together different public establishments to provide integrated services: hospitals, CLSCs, youth centres, CHSLDs, etc. A CIUSSS also has a university mission, hosting students in medicine, social work, or physiotherapy.
Scenario 4 : Differences Between Public and Private-Subsidized CHSLDs
Mrs. Gingras moves into a private-subsidized CHSLD. These establishments are privately owned but regulated by the Ministry of Health and Social Services and integrated into the public network.
Pricing, quality of care, and oversight standards are identical to those of a public CHSLD. Admissions are processed through the same access portal.
Making the Right Choice for a Private Senior Living Residence
Understanding the terminology of senior living residences is crucial to making an informed decision. Whether you are autonomous, semi-autonomous, or have a loss of autonomy, there are various living environments to meet different needs. This glossary and these scenarios aim to make your search clearer and more accessible, so that every senior and their family can make a well-informed, suitable choice.
For any questions or help finding the right senior living residence, Bonjour Résidences is here to assist. Contact our housing specialists at 1 844-918-1020 or submit an online request.
