FAQs

Our mission is to offer respite, support, and guidance to caregivers caring for non-autonomous loved ones at home.

Baluchon Long-term Respite Care is the only non-profit organization offering long-term respite care for periods of 4 to 14 days for caregivers throughout Quebec. You can take 14 consecutive days or divide your respite into several periods of at least 4 days for a maximum of 14 cumulative days per year.

Téléphone : 514 762-2667

Courriel : info@baluchonrepit.com

Yes ! Our services are available to all caregivers of individuals experiencing a loss of autonomy.

Consult our website's Help page to learn more about the process and our criteria. Then speak with your healthcare professional. They will be the one to submit the request to Baluchon.

Please consult the eligibility criteria on our website. We do not refuse applicants based on diagnosis alone. Each case is analyzed separately, and we will match you with the best respite worker for your loved one's specific needs. We have cared for people with multiple disabilities, confined to bed, and at the end of life. However, the safety of our respite workers, caregivers, and care recipients remains a priority, and we will assess whether all the conditions for safe respite care can be met.

If you think you qualify, speak with a healthcare professional who can decide to send us a new application if necessary.

To ensure quality service, it is vital that we obtain all relevant clinical information.

Since 2019, Baluchon Long-term Respite Care's services are available throughout the province of Quebec.

Most (90%) of our respite workers are women, and the average age is 58. In addition to the requisite training, they undergo thorough background checks, and are all double-vaccinated. Our respite workers are chosen for their exceptional interpersonal skills.

Some have professional experience in the health sector or have cared for a loved one suffering from a degenerative disease and/or loss of autonomy.

Yes. All our respite workers complete four basic training courses. Those working with more demanding cases receive additional training for a total of 75 hours.

No. A respite worker replaces the caregiver and performs only those tasks usually performed by the caregiver. She will not carry out duties assigned to other service workers or professionals, including palliative care.

The application process includes a 90-minute interview with the caregiver. You are then matched with the respite worker who best fits the profile of the care recipient. It should be noted that respite workers are under no obligation to accept a match. If you have had a positive experience with a particular respite worker in the past, you can ask that they be assigned to you again (however, this does not guarantee that they will be available for the dates requested).

Diagnosis is no longer a factor in refusing a request. However, all conditions must be met to ensure a safe environment for the care recipient and the respite worker. For example, the CLSC must continue to provide any services already in place (e.g., bathing assistance).

The caregiver is billed $15 per day (per 24-hour period).

Groceries must be bought before the arrival of the respite worker, who will cook to accommodate the established eating habits of the care recipient.

We also ask that families provide their respite worker with $20 per day to cover any additional expenses (extra groceries, medications, outings authorized by the caregiver, etc.). She will save all receipts and submit them to the caregiver on the day of her departure, along with any unspent funds.

At least three months. Given that the number of respite workers is limited, delays vary according to the number of applications. It may also take a few weeks for the application to be processed and matched with a respite worker. Please note that there is a waiting list during our peak periods (June to October).

There is no minimum wait time for baluchonnage requests. However, our matching process can take up to 30 working days.

We accept requests no more than 3 months prior to the requested dates for respite care.

Vous pouvez consulter les disponibilités par mois sur notre site internet ici.

Your CLSC social worker or outreach worker must complete the request form (available here) with you. In some cases, they must then have the form signed by their program manager. The completed form should be e-mailed to us.

A new request form must be filled out for each new request. We cannot accept two baluchonnage requests on the same request form.

The request form is forwarded to us by the network member or a healthcare professional.

Each day started counts as a day of respite work, regardless of the arrival and departure times of the respite worker. The day is counted from 00:01 (12:01 midnight). For example, if you start the respite work service on Monday evening at 10 p.m., you are charged for the whole day on Monday. Similarly, if your baluchonnage ends on Sunday morning at 10 a.m., you are billed for the whole of Sunday.

To confirm receipt of your request form, an e-mail is sent to the network representative by e-mail within 10 working days, indicating the status of the request (under analysis, waiting list, refused). BUT it does not imply that the request is accepted for the requested dates. We will inform you within the following 10 business days if your request does not meet the respite care acceptance criteria or if the requested period is no longer available.

Every condition has its specifics, which is why precautionary measures must be exercised, and each case is analyzed individually and may be accepted or rejected.

Baluchon offers its services to people suffering from many illnesses and other conditions.

In particular:

• Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder (including Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia or mixed dementia).
• Bedridden people (Iso-SMAF 13 and 14)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Palliative and end-of-life care at home
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Physical (including stroke) or intellectual disability.

Note that the Iso-SMAF rating is not essential.

Caregivers are entitled to a maximum of fourteen (14) days of respite services (hereinafter referred to as “baluchonnage”) per year. These 14 days may be spread over several baluchonnage periods of a minimum of four (4) days.

The frequency and duration of baluchonnages are determined in collaboration with the network’s agents. This process respects the real needs of caregivers. This assessment also considers the risk of caregiver exhaustion and distress, as well as the inconvenience of relocating care recipients rather than keeping them at home.

It should be noted that professional respite and assistance services already provided by the CI(U)SSS and/or included in the care recipient’s care plan may be adjusted following an assessment by the CI(U)SSS caseworker and the Clinical Director of Baluchon Long-term Respite Care, if applicable.

Refusal criteria:

• An erroneous or incomplete request (verified at the time of registration);
• Numerous coexisting pathologies that cannot be managed by the respite worker;
• Unstable state of health (acute care);
• Lack of access to a 24/7 end-of-life care team;
• Presence of a serious behavioural disorder that the caregivers cannot manage and that is not covered or compensated for by the care recipient’s care plan.

In addition to these criteria, a refusal may also come about because of :

• The absence of respite workers with the skills or knowledge required to ensure the health and safety of the care recipient, and/or the impossibility of adequately training them;
• The impossibility of ensuring the health and safety of the respite worker;
• A third party living in the home of the person being cared for during the baluchonnage period;
• Too many animals;
• The inability to communicate in the care recipient's language;
• Too many requests for our capacity in a popular period (summer, fall hunting).

This is a three-stage process:

1. Request Sorting: Cases are individually analyzed.

2. Creation of the registration form with a 90-minute interview with the caregiver.

3. Pairing the user with a respite caregiver.

The caregiver will know if their request for a respite work service is accepted within 30 working days of receiving the completed request form.

Upon receipt of the request form, we will confirm whether we have availability for the month requested within 10 working days, but final confirmation of the dates will only be made after analysis of the file. A caregiver will be specifically assigned to best meet the specific needs of the care recipient.

Once the network healthcare worker has received the form, we call the caregiver to let them know that we have received the request, and schedule a telephone meeting to complete the registration form. This form, completed with our healthcare worker, lasts a maximum of 1.5h and is used to assess the eligibility of the request. (See acceptance and refusal criteria above.)

Following your telephone interview, your file is analyzed to determine whether your request is accepted or refused. The clinical team sends the acceptance to the network healthcare worker by e-mail or by telephone in the case of a refusal.

Once the baluchonnage confirmed, the family can request a courtesy visit before the service to meet the respite worker. This visit lasts one hour and is at the family’s expense ($19.50/hour + the respite worker’s travel expenses ($0.50/km)).

The respite worker contacts the primary caregiver by telephone one week before the baluchonnage begins to introduce herself, confirm her arrival time (usually around 10 a.m.) and any other arrangements. (Length of the call = 15/20 minutes)

On the first day of baluchonnage, the caregiver must plan a minimum of 4 hours of transition with the respite worker. Among other things, this helps to establish a relationship of trust between the respite worker and the care recipient, and also gives the respite worker a chance to get to know the household organization.

The network healthcare worker sends us the request form, and must be contactable during the baluchonnage. This person acts as a link with other CLSC staff (occupational therapist, nurse, etc.) and gives us instructions if specific medical devices are required.

A period of exchange takes place with the caregiver before the respite worker leaves. Following the baluchonnage, the respite worker puts together a care journal. The journal presents the respite worker’s observations and suggestions regarding difficult situations experienced by her or the caregiver, enabling her to better manage the day-to-day upon her return.

In the weeks following the baluchonnage, we send the following (by mail) to the caregiver: the journal, a service evaluation form and the invoice.

Our clinical services officer contacts the caregiver after the baluchonnage. She reviews the strategies proposed by the respite worker to determine whether they have been adopted and whether they have improved the well-being of the caregiver and their loved one.

If there are no more places available for the period requested (for both choices of dates selected), the family may be put on a waiting list in case of cancellation. If days become available, we call the caregiver to see if they are still interested.

Yes, evaluation is done on a case-by-case basis. Two separate requests must be sent with the number of days authorized by the program manager on each request form. A respite worker will look after the couple during the respite period, but the family will be billed double, i.e., $30 per day.

It is very important to maintain external services (private agencies, CLSC, others), in order to maintain the care recipient's routine. This also allows the respite worker to catch her breath during the stay. Our Clinical Director can help you determine which services should be maintained during a baluchonnage.

Applying for a baluchonnage is a commitment on your part. We will remind you of this during the interview. Cancellations should only be made in cases of force majeure. For example, permanent accommodation, hospitalization or death of the person being cared for.

If the family cancels the baluchonnage, they will have to pay a fee of $15 per day of baluchonnage. But beyond this symbolic cost, it’s important to understand that another family on the waiting list will be deprived of the service, that all the preparatory work done by Baluchon, an NPO, will not be financially compensated, and our respite worker will be deprived of a significant portion of her monthly income.

No. The primary caregiver must leave the home. First of all, so that the respite worker can establish a relationship of trust with the person being cared for. Secondly, so that the caregiver can rest fully during the respite period. The presence of a third party other than the primary caregiver is assessed on a case-by-case basis. If the caregiver does not know where to stay, we offer the Baluchon Escapade solution.

However, if your loved one is at the end of life or in palliative care, your presence at their side is necessary.

Finally, please note that certain exceptions may be considered in special cases.

Sophie Morin, who is also Executive Director of Baluchon Long-term Respite Care and of the Foundation.