As of October1st, we are accepting all applications for the month of January 2025, regardless of the date of your respite.
Example: Whether your respite is on January 1st, 15th or 28th, you must send us your request by September 1st as we have limited places available.
ATTENTION: Please note that due to our annual team meeting, there will be no baluchonnages between December 3 and December 7, 2024.
NOTE: Any requests submitted before the 1st of the month will not be processed unless the 1st falls on a weekend or a holiday.
Availability:
- October : fully booked, future requests will be put on the waiting list
- November : fully booked, future requests will be put on the waiting list
- December : fully booked, future requests will be put on the waiting list
- January : fully booked, future requests will be put on the waiting list
Last updated on 10-16-2024
Processing time: please allow up to 8 weeks on average.
Due to a high volume of requests, particularly during the summer, and to ensure greater fairness, Baluchon wishes to inform you of its procedure for processing requests, which includes the following elements:
- Integration of long-awaited requests;
- Priority treatment for people at the end of life;
- Distribution among Quebec regions;
- Ability to match the family with the right respite worker;
- Matching a respite worker whose respite has been cancelled by the family and whose dates match or who has indicated, “flexible dates;
- If there is still room, treatment according to when the request arrives in the current month.
- Please respect the calendar above to give families a chance to request a specific month.
Please note that in 22-23, we offered 26% more days than the previous year. With an average waiting list of 30%, but close to 100% in July and August, and the two hunting weeks in October, it’s impossible to meet all the summer demand.
Unfortunately, we also have a 30% cancellation rate by families, which means that other families are deprived of their chance to get respite and some of our employees are left without work. Families indicating “flexible dates” and willing to accept shorter notice could get access to respite sooner. The best way for network staff to ensure good access to our services is to explain our services to the family (e.g., leaving the home) and to ensure a serious commitment on the family’s part before they make the request.
Our team is extremely dedicated and aware of the physical and mental fatigue of caregivers. Just like you, we do everything we can, and sometimes more, to offer quality respite. Thank you for your kindness towards our employees.