Have you ever needed assistance, but didn't know where to look? Whether it is to find out what benefits you are entitled to, to file a complaint about a situation you have experienced or simply to vent following an event in your life, there are resources to support you. We have identified several options to assist you in your efforts.
- Complaint services
- Legal Services
- Housing Law Services
- Hotlines
- Respite services
- Health services
- Finance services
Directory of Main Resources
Complaint Services
User committees
The comités des usagers (CU) and comités de résidents (CR) have existed for several years. These are authorities provided for by the Act respecting health services and social services, in order to ensure that users who have or have used the services of the health and social services network are respected in their dignity and their rights.
The members of these committees are users, family members, relatives or residents who volunteer. Each committee is autonomous and the interests of users guide each of their actions.
As guardians of rights, their mission is to:
- Inform users of their rights and obligations;
- Promote the improvement of the quality of the living conditions of users and assess their satisfaction;
- Defend the collective rights and interests of users.
Contact details: Each region has its own office. Find out from the 211 for contact information for your local office.
Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner
The Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner has the mandate to receive and examine complaints concerning health services and social services. It also deal with situations of mistreatment of seniors and vulnerable people that are brought to his attention. The Office of the Commissioner's services are free and confidential.
The Office of the Commissioner will inform you of your rights and agree with you on how to deal with your complaint. Rest assured that the entire process will be done with tact, delicacy and impartiality.
Contact details: Each CIUSSS/CISSS has its own office. Check with your local institution for more information.
Commission des Droits de la Personne et des Droits de la Jeunesse
On the strength of its independence and expertise, the mission of the Commission is to ensure the promotion of and respect for the principles set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
Telephone: 1 800 361-6477
Email Address: information@cdpdj.qc.ca
Protecteur du Citoyen
Their mission is to ensure respect for the rights of citizens in their relations with Quebec's public services.
They process complaints and reports and intervene daily to prevent and correct non-respect of rights, abuses, negligence, inaction or errors committed with regard to persons in contact with a department or agency of the Government of Quebec. or an institution in the health and social services network.
Telephone: 1 800 463-5070
Email Address: protecteur@protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca
Canadian Anti-Fraud Center (CAFC)
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center (CAFC) is the central repository for fraud data. They help citizens and businesses:
- to report fraud;
- learn about different types of fraud;
- to recognize signs of fraud;
- to protect against fraud.
They also provide information to law enforcement agencies and governments at home and abroad. Their objectives include, but are not limited to, the following:
- disrupt criminal activities;
- strengthen the partnership between the private and public sectors;
- preserve the Canadian economy.
The CAFC is jointly managed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Competition Bureau Canada and the Ontario Provincial Police.
Telephone: 1 888 495-8501
SOS Aînés Maltraitance (SOSAM)
The mission of SOS Aînés Maltraitance is to offer accompaniment, information and support services to vulnerable seniors or seniors at risk of becoming fragile, their caregivers and other stakeholders in the community in order to fight against the mistreatment of older adults across Quebec.
Telephone: 514 503-5216
Legal Services
Regroupement provincial des comités des usagers
This group aims to defend and protect the rights of users of the health and social services network by supporting the users' and residents' committees in carrying out their mission and by exercising leadership in improving the quality and safety of health and social services in Quebec.
Telephone: 514 436-3744
Email Address: info@rpcu.qc.ca
Senior-Aware
Senior-Aware is a free program to raise awareness of fraud, mistreatment and bullying of older adults. Since the program's launch in 2010, more than 60,000 people have attended Senior-Aware information sessions.
Telephone: 1 800 544-9058
Association des grands-parents du Québec
The Association des grands-parents du Québec (ADGPQ) defends the rights of grandparents and their grandchildren in order to maintain the relationship as well as emotional and family ties. It also aims to strengthen recognition of the precious role of grandparents within Quebec society.
Telephone: 1 866 745-6110
Email Address: agpq@grands-parents.qc.ca
Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées — AQDR
The AQDR is a national, democratic, free and non-partisan organization bringing together seniors and retirees of all ages. An open and inclusive organization, the AQDR is dedicated to defending, protecting and promoting the rights of seniors. It believes in the need for proper ethics to feed her thoughts and actions so that moral values such as the search for the common good, respect and dignity guide her constantly.
Telephone: 514 935-1551
Email Address: info@aqdr.org
Boussole juridique
Developed by Justice Pro Bono, Boussole juridique is a search tool for free or low-cost legal resources available in Quebec.
Juripop Legal Clinic
Juripop mobilizes the law to allow everyone to improve their living conditions, their economic capacity and their physical and mental health. To this end, Juripop creates innovative legal information projects and provides access to low-cost legal services.
Telephone: 1 855 587-4767
Email Address: info@juripop.org
Conseil pour la protection des malades
This service aims to promote and defend the rights of users of the health and social services network in order to increase their power to act and improve the quality of services.
Telephone: 514 861-5922
Email Address: info@cpm.qc.ca
Curateur public du Québec
The main mission of the Curateur public du Québec is to ensure the protection of incapacitated persons. It does so in their interests, respecting their rights and safeguarding their autonomy, while taking into account their wishes and preferences.
To carry out its mission, the Curateur public assumes certain responsibilities:
- Recognize assistants to persons of full age (The assistants to persons of full age are people recognized by a non-judicial process to speak in place of the vulnerable person or who is experiencing a difficulty. This is a voluntary measure directed by the assisted person. The assisted person must still be legally able to make decisions. This practice aims, among other things, to facilitate the work of caregivers.);
- Oversee the administration of patrimonies by tutors;
- Inform the persons represented and the persons assisted of the rules which concern them;
- Inform assistants, tutors, temporary representatives and mandataries of their obligations;
- Educate the public about the issues surrounding incapacity and ways to protect incapable persons;
- Support people experiencing difficulty;
- Act as a tutor, tutorship council, or temporary representative by decision of the court if the person is alone and cannot assume personal responsibilities.
Telephone: 1 844 532-8728
Éducaloi
Éducaloi is a neutral and independent organization with recognized expertise in legal education and clear communication of the law. Their mission is to popularize the law and develop the legal skills of the population of Quebec.
Équijustice — Restorative Justice Service and Community Mediation Network
Équijustice is a provincial non-profit association that offers expertise in restorative justice and community mediation. Driven by values of respect and openness, it favors a human and equitable approach.
Telephone: 1 877 204-0250
Email Address: info@equijustice.ca
FADOQ
The Réseau FADOQ brings together and represents people aged 50 and over with the aim of maintaining and improving their quality of life. The network defends and promotes their collective rights, values their contribution to society and supports them through programs, services and activities, particularly in recreation, culture, sports and the outdoors.
Telephone: 819 429-5858
Email Address: info@fadoqlaurentides.org
Office de la protection du consommateur
The Office de la protection du consommateur is an agency of the Government of Quebec. They intervene with merchants to ensure that they meet their obligations to consumers. Their actions also aim to help consumers make informed choices and to inform them of their rights, obligations and remedies in the event of a problem with a merchant.
Telephone: 1 888 672-2556
Option consommateurs
Founded in 1983, Option consommateurs is a non-profit association whose mission is to help consumers and defend their rights.
Telephone: 1 888 412-1313
Housing Law Services
CAAP on the LEASE — Center for assistance and support for complaints
The CAAPs in the various regions of Quebec have the mission of supporting you if you are dissatisfied with the care or services received or to be received in health and social services. Thus, they are there to help you express your dissatisfaction so that the services meet your expectations and your needs.
Contact details: Each region has its own office. Find out from the 211 for information about your local office.
Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL)
Created on October 1, 1980, the Régie du logement is now known as the Tribunal administratif du logement. This specialized administrative tribunal holds exclusive jurisdiction in matters of rental housing to hear all applications pertaining to leases.
In order to promote greater harmony in relations between landlords and tenants, and to ensure compliance by each party with the obligations arising from the lease, the legislator has given the Tribunal a dual mandate: to provide citizens with adequate and effective remedies when one of the parties evades its obligations.
Telephone: 1 800 683-2245
Hotlines
Ligne Aide Abus Aînés (AAA)
A call to the AAA Line is to obtain information on the types of abuse, as well as their consequences on your quality of life, your physical health and your psychological well-being; it is also to find out about the resources at your disposal to support you in this difficult situation and/or to help you put an end to it.
Telephone: 1 888 489-2287
L’Appui proches aidants
Support for Caregivers has been serving and listening to caregivers for more than 10 years with the goal of preserving their quality of life. They also support the organizations that come to their aid and mobilize the entire community.
Telephone: 1 855 852 7784
Email Address: info-aidant@lappui.org
Crime Victims Assistance Centres — CAVAC
The CAVACs provide front-line services to any victim of a crime and their loved ones, as well as to witnesses of a crime. CAVAC assistance is available whether or not the perpetrator of the crime is identified, arrested, prosecuted or convicted.
The CAVACs work in collaboration with stakeholders from the legal sector, the health and social services network and community organizations. The intervention of CAVACs with victims is done in accordance with their needs and at their own pace. It relies on their ability to manage their own lives and make decisions that affect them.
Telephone: 1 866 532-2822
Suicide Prevention Center
The Suicide Prevention Center's mission is to prevent suicide and its impacts by ensuring access to quality services for suicidal people, their loved ones, people bereaved by suicide, and workers who rub shoulders with them. It also aims to raise awareness and develop the skills of individuals and organizations.
Contact details: Each region has its own center. Find out from the https://www.211qc.ca/en/ for information about your local center.
Little Brothers
The mission of the Little Brothers is to counter the isolation of people of old age until the end of their life.
Telephone: 1 866 627-8653
Email Address: info@littlebrothers.ca
Interligne Line
Through their help and information service available 24 hours a day, they offer support to LGBTQ+ people, loved ones and staff from different backgrounds. Through their training and awareness-raising activities, they encourage greater openness in society towards LGBTQ+ realities.
Interligne is a front-line organization that, through its listening, intervention and awareness services, contributes to the well-being of people affected by sexual diversity and the plurality of genders.
Telephone: 1 888 505-1010
S.O.S. violence conjugale
The mission of SOS violence conjugale is to contribute to the safety of victims of domestic violence and to the reduction of domestic violence and its consequences by offering services to victims, the population and all those affected by domestic violence.
Telephone: 1 800 363-9010
Email Address: sos@sosviolenceconjugale.ca
Tel-Écoute — Tel-Aînés line
Tél-Aînés aims to help seniors break their isolation by promoting the expression of their feelings. This service is offered to people aged 60 and over and their caregivers who feel the need to talk.
Telephone: 514 353-2463
Email Address: info@tel-ecoute.org
Respite Services
Baluchon Alzheimer
Baluchon Alzheimer is a Quebec non-profit organization (NPO) with more than 20 years of existence. Its mission is to offer respite, support and accompaniment to caregivers who wish to keep their loved one suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other related diseases at home. It is the only non-profit organization offering long-term (4 to 14 days) in-home respite, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Its services are available throughout Quebec.
Telephone: 1 855 762-2930
Health Services
Alzheimer Society
Alzheimer Society represents, supports and defends the rights of the 153,000 Quebecers with Alzheimer's disease or another neurocognitive disorder.
Telephone: 514-369-7891
Email Address: info@alzheimerquebec.ca
Info-Santé 811
Service offered by the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
Info-Santé 811 is a free and confidential phone consultation service. This service allows you to reach a health professional at any time to obtain advice or information on a health problem deemed non-urgent for yourself or a loved one.
Telephone: 811, option 1
Info-Social 811
Service offered by the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
Info-Social 811 is a free and confidential phone consultation service. This service allows you to consult a professional in psychosocial intervention for yourself or for a loved one.
Telephone: 811, option 2
Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ)
The RAMQ is responsible for the sound management of the Quebec health insurance plan and public drug insurance plan. As part of its mission, it manages the eligibility of people for the plans, monitors the remuneration of health professionals and facilitates access to health care.
Telephone: 1 800 561-9749
Finance Services
Service Canada-Benefits Finder
The Benefits Finder is a tool that can help you find benefits and services to which you may be entitled. It asks a few questions and uses your answers for research. It does not store your information. The more detailed your answers to the questions, the more personalized and precise the results obtained will be.
The Rights of Seniors Protected by Law
As with other age groups, seniors have rights protected by the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. Among these we find the right to equality, the right to protection in the event of exploitation and fundamental rights and freedoms.
The right to equality protects you from injustice or discrimination based on your age, commonly referred to as "ageism".
The right to protection in the event of exploitation, in the case of an elderly person, is reflected in the defense of the elder against the use of his state of vulnerability by a third party, in order to take advantage of it.
Fundamental rights and freedoms include the right to life, security, integrity and liberty of person as well as the right to respect for one's private life, the right to free disposal of one's property or the right to assistance.
Discover the resources that can help you assert your rights and support you in times of physical or psychosocial need. See also our guide on the protection of seniors' rights and consumption.
Live With Respect and Dignity
Would you like to find a living environment where you can maintain your autonomy and where care is taken to respect your limits and your rights? A private retirement home might be the right place for you. In addition to having access to an active social life and adapted care services, enjoy a living environment that puts the resident forward, according to their needs. Would you like to know more about retirement homes? Our accommodation specialists are available to help you find the living environment that meets your personal needs, with respect and dignity. The Bonjour Résidences team offers you its services free of charge to assist you in your efforts.
contact us at 1 844 918-1020 for more information and to speak to a member of our team.
