Résidence Vivalis

Overall, my father's medical care has been neglected:

The doctor does not see patients in their rooms. The doctor is there infrequently and meets with the head nurse to review a list with her. The doctor only sees patients in extreme need. Myself and my father have repeatedly asked that my father be seen by the doctor in person. He has still not seen the doctor in person. The online description says “Regular doctor visits in the comfort of their room” http://www.excelsoins-en.com/

My father has extensive damage to his middle and inner ear. He needs his ears cleaned regularly. I have asked repeatedly that he be recommended for ear cleaning. Nothing has been done.

Due to the damage in his ears, my father is almost completely deaf. He depends on the use of one very powerful hearing aid. His hearing aid needs cleaning and the batteries checked regularly. I have asked for help with contacting an audiologist for cleaning his hearing aid, but I got no reply.

My father was recently seen several times by a dentist and given upper and lower dentures.The dentist has given staff clear instructions about keeping his teeth and dentures clean. He was found in bed without his dentures and extreme plaque and bleeding in his upper gums. He has been provided with no monitoring or help with brushing his teeth or cleaning his dentures. This resulted in bleeding sores in his mouth.

There is little to no communication with family about my father’s medical status. Although we were contacted when he fell, we were never informed that there was an outbreak of COVID or gastro. There is no regular communication at all from administration or nursing staff.

The laundry is badly mismanaged. Several of my father’s shirts, sweaters, pants and a pair of slippers have gone missing. I have photos of his clothes, and I put labels on all of them other than socks and underwear. When I talk to him on FaceTime he is always wearing clothes that are not his. When I visited him in December 2023 he was wearing worn pajama pants that were ripped in the seat. All 6 pairs of pants I left him with in September 2023 were gone. I spoke with Sylvie Hunt (director) and Maude Robert (head nurse) directly about this issue. Nothing has changed, as Dad’s clothes have not been returned to him. He is provided with a random assortment of shirts and pants.

I have repeatedly asked who my father’s CLSC social worker is, or who to contact to find out. There has been no followup. My father is supposed to be on a list to be moved to a public CHSLD, but we are not given any information even if we ask repeatedly.

I agree with the positive reviews. My experience with my dad at Vivalis is very positive so far. My sister and I were overwhelmed with caring for our dad at home. He fell in March 2016 and broke his hip. Then suffered a stroke after surgery. We tried our best to keep him home but it got too tough and we were exhausted and always arguing. The staff here at Vivalis is so patient and understanding. I agree with the reviewers about the general manager. He’s amazing! Things are very different since he is here. This is because he has solid experience in health care and nursing and it shows! My sister and i are so grateful to have him and Vivalis, to know our dad is happy and safe and close to home :) (we grew up in and live in West Island).

I moved my mother here after a long and complex struggle in another residence in the West Island. Vivalis is so different than other résidences and I highly recommend it. The general manager is so caring, professional and attentive to our needs. He and his team are problem solvers and we can reach out to them with any concern. Also, the building itself is fairly new, with great uptake. Most importantly, i know my mom is in good hands and happy. I no longer feel guilty about having “placed her” somewhere. Vivalis is her new home.