Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 8)

Sorry, I don’t have that timeline with me in the House today, but I can provide that information to the Member later on today or tomorrow when I have that information. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 8)

The department is also piloting and talking about mental illness programs with Grade 8 students in Yellowknife. This program focuses on decreasing the stigma associated with mental illness, which could result from being bullied, causing depression for the youth, including suicidal thoughts and so on. So if youth are experiencing those, it’s more likely that they’re able to reach out for some help. The program also strives to build empathy with the youth, so they’re able to recognize somebody who is struggling and also recognize people who are being bullied and not saying anything. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 7)

The Department of Health and Social Services offers a range of programs to all seniors across the territory in all the communities. They range from home care to long-term care, extended care and other seniors’ benefits across the territory. I don’t believe there are any monies actually marked for specific seniors’ societies in the communities, but there is money given to the community for those very seniors. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 7)

The department is doing a pharmacy strategy. I’m sure all the costs of medicine, pills, pharmaceuticals are within that strategy.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think there’s been a lot of discussion and that in dealing with the Supplementary Health Program. One of the key areas that the MLAs asked be looked at was addressing the working poor that didn’t have coverage, any existing supplementary or any sort of health coverage at all. The department has done the work, is now working on trying to fill that gap, and it seems to be a gap there now of the working poor, and the department is bringing information together to try to fill that gap.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The long-term care facilities need to be located near larger centres where we have physicians and nursing care and so on. Right now it makes it very difficult to put long-term care in the smaller communities where that service is not available 24/7. That’s been the issue in the past. Because physicians are not available 24/7, it’s difficult to keep long-term care in the smaller centres like Aklavik. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 7)

I will work with the NWT Seniors’ Society, which is made up of seniors from all the communities – I believe the president of the seniors’ societies in the various communities for the NWT Seniors’ Society – to see if we could redistribute the money that’s going to the seniors. If it’s possible to put little pots of money into the communities so they can do those functions, I will make note of and discuss that with the NWT Seniors’ president and the society. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time the funding from the Department of Health and Social Services for seniors’ groups in the Northwest Territories is to the NWT Seniors’ Society which, in turn, works with the seniors’ societies at the community level.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 7)

I don’t have the timeline with me here. I will commit to providing that information back to the Member as soon as the department is able to give me the details on when that strategy will be in place.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 7)

This is a fairly large group of individuals. One of the key aspects of the work will be to cost out this type of benefit, and once the benefit is costed out, then this government would have to come back to the House in the business planning process to get the money together. It’s not going to be in this business plan, so I will commit to the Member that we can do the costing for the next business plan.