Tom Beaulieu

I thought I did indicate that those programs had seen increases. I recognize that if the individual needed to live in their home, to make it more barrier-free for the seniors to remain in their home longer, then that’s a larger program that’s offered by the Housing Corporation called CARE that can do that. But in as far as looking at the Consumer Price Index and how that impacts the seniors, then definitely, the Housing Corporation has made appropriate increases in the preventative maintenance program and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has made appropriate increases in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Health and Social Services does work with MACA and the NWT Housing Corporation to come up with ways to try to keep seniors in their home as long as possible, and to provide services to the seniors in order to remain in their home. I think it’s just a matter of collaboration. I guess that would be the system that we’re collaborating on, trying to make sure that seniors can remain in their homes as long as possible.

Mr. Speaker, in 2011 the Auditor General of Canada recommended improvements to the department’s ability to evaluate and report on performance. Specifically, the Auditor General recommended that we implement system-wide indicators, develop a program evaluation plan for the health and social services system, and regularly inform this Assembly about the performance of the system. Mr. Speaker, later today I will table the first annual report on the strategic plan.

Mr. Speaker, we take recommendations from the Auditor General very seriously. Last year we published an updated strategic plan for the...

There is no indication that Health and Social Services has funded the laparoscopic adjustment band surgery in the past. What I do know is it is not an insured service in the NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we have terms of reference and, yes, they are available to the public.

One bed in each facility comes to mind, but I don’t have that information with me. Thank you.

Certainly, one of the good opportunities for youth and elders alike to speak on health issues and addictions issues is going to be during the Minister’s Forum on Addictions when they travel to the various communities across the North. Having said that, yes, I would work on something with the Minister responsible for Youth. It may not mean that we need to get some money together. It could mean as simple as the Member indicates, just challenging them to come to such a forum or conference to have an opportunity to hear firsthand what the elders have to say about the situations in the communities.

As the Member indicated, clinical practice guidelines are used to determine how we are treating diabetes. I don’t have the monitoring information here with me, but I do know that we get information on where the diabetes is across the Territories, the prevalence of diabetes from region to region.

Thank you. No, there’s no other area in long-term care, dementia or assisted living where there are units that are vacant that are ready to be used. There could possibly be units that are vacant that are not ready to be used at this time. Thank you.

Interestingly enough, I have actually thought about that, trying to bring the youth and the elders together in a central location. I also thought about the logistics of doing something like that and how difficult that could be. I think it’s not insurmountable, and I will be glad to meet with the Minister of MACA and the Minister responsible for Youth to see if we can put something like this together.