Workplaces

Patient care attendant in a CHSLD: the role, the tasks, the setting

What a CHSLD is, who your employer is depending on the type of institution, and what the official job title lists as the attendant's tasks.

October 10, 2026 · Lire en français

Workplaces

Working in a CHSLD (long-term care centre) is one of the four main workplaces of the patient care attendant, according to the Quebec government's Avenir en santé site. Here is what the official sources say about the setting, the job title and the tasks.

What a CHSLD is

Québec.ca defines the mission of the residential and long-term care centre: to provide, temporarily or permanently, accommodation, assistance, support and supervision services. Psychosocial, nursing, pharmaceutical, medical and rehabilitation services are added to these.

These services are for adults who, « en raison de leur perte d'autonomie fonctionnelle ou psychosociale, ne peuvent plus demeurer dans leur milieu de vie naturel » (because of their loss of functional or psychosocial autonomy, can no longer remain in their natural living environment).

As of March 31, 2021, Quebec had 36,350 people living in CHSLDs, according to the Plan d'action pour l'hébergement de longue durée 2021-2026 of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS, Quebec's Department of Health and Social Services). Of these, 91% were 65 or older and 47% were 85 or older. This figure covers public CHSLDs, subsidized private CHSLDs and purchased places.

Public, subsidized private, non-subsidized private

An MSSS summary dated December 19, 2020 distinguishes three types of CHSLD. The difference directly affects the employee.

Type	Your employer
Public	The health and social services network
Subsidized private	A private employer
Non-subsidized private	A private employer

Source: MSSS, summary on living environments for seniors, version of December 19, 2020.

The same document states that every CHSLD must have at least one nurse on site 24 hours a day.

Measure 5 of the MSSS action plan provides for bringing non-subsidized private CHSLDs under agreement. It aims to give staff the same working conditions in every CHSLD in Quebec. The plan announced a gradual transition until 2024.

Seniors' homes and alternative homes

According to Québec.ca, seniors' homes (maisons des aînés) house seniors with a severe loss of autonomy. Alternative homes (maisons alternatives) house adults with a physical disability, an intellectual disability or an autism spectrum disorder.

These homes are made up of households of 12 rooms. Each room has its own bathroom with an adapted shower.

The official job title

In the network's nomenclature, kept by the CPNSSS (the bargaining committee for the health and social services network), the title is number 3480: « Préposé ou préposée aux bénéficiaires ». The description begins: « Personne qui fait partie de l'équipe de soins et qui prodigue des soins d'assistance liés aux activités de la vie quotidienne. » (A person who is part of the care team and provides assistance care related to activities of daily living.)

The work week set in the job description is 35 to 36.25 hours.

The tasks

The description of title 3480 lists the tasks:

See to the hygiene, well-being and supervision of residents
See to their comfort, general needs and activities, in a safe environment
Help them move around, transport them and accompany them outside the institution when needed
Provide basic care
Report information on residents' health and behaviour to the care team
Set up the devices the person is trained for
Make sure equipment and supplies are available, maintained and working properly
Carry supplies, samples and files

The Avenir en santé site adds examples: helping with getting up, meals and going to bed, helping with washing and dressing, being in charge of bedding.

In CHSLDs, the MSSS action plan gives attendants a « rôle crucial dans l'équipe de soins » (crucial role in the care team). They help prevent deconditioning, spot a change in a person's condition and support a caring, respectful approach (bientraitance).

Service aide, a different title

The service aide is number 3244 in the same nomenclature. Its description fits in two sentences: « Personne qui exécute des tâches générales telles que nettoyer, entretenir et ranger le matériel et l'équipement en usage. Elle prépare et distribue certains produits. » (A person who performs general tasks such as cleaning, maintaining and storing supplies and equipment in use. They prepare and distribute certain products.)

This description mentions neither assistance care, nor basic care, nor the care team.

The risks of the job

The ASSTSAS, the joint health and safety association of the health and social services sector, names two risks in its references for residential care settings: musculoskeletal disorders and violence.

Its management guide from February 2022 specifies that PDSP training, formerly PDSB, cannot by itself eliminate musculoskeletal disorders. It is part of the institution's prevention program. See PDSB training.

According to the ASSTSAS file of March 24, 2026, violence is physical or psychological: assaults, hostile behaviour, insults, intimidation, threats. The institution's emergency procedure is described in code white.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the tasks of a patient care attendant?

According to the description of job title 3480, the attendant sees to the hygiene, well-being, comfort and supervision of residents. They help them move around, provide basic care and look after equipment and supplies. They pass on to the care team what they observe about residents' health and behaviour.

What is the role of a patient care attendant?

The attendant is part of the care team and provides assistance care related to activities of daily living, according to the network's nomenclature. The Avenir en santé site specifies that they provide a presence with patients and help licensed practical nurses.

Why work in a CHSLD?

The verifiable facts are those of the public network. The network's nomenclature sets the rate for title 3480 at $29.40 an hour since April 1st, 2026. The Avenir en santé site announces 20 days of vacation, 13 statutory holidays and 9.6 sick days for a full-time employee. The details are in patient care attendant salary.

Where can I find CHSLD jobs in Quebec?

The Québec.ca page « Trouver un emploi en santé et services sociaux » links to the job sites of the network's institutions, region by region, and to Emploi Santé Montréal for the Montreal region. A private CHSLD does its own hiring, as the employer. See also where to apply.