i steamed and removed ALL the paper, scraped all the loose stuff,
plaster had been damaged by a overflowing tub years ago.

then patched all the holes, bin primed everything and resurfaced with
drymall mud. use drywall tape on reoccuring cracks for permanent fix!

then primed and painted.

that was 10 years ago and with minor exceptions the place looks good
but does need repainted, perhaps this coming summer.

paper over mess is no fix at all and at resale time you get more for a
good looking home.

if you resurface its a great time for blown in insulation or something
similiar. plus more electric outlets if needed

whats a few more holes to fix?