Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, in April, there was a day designated as Autism Awareness Day. I do know of parents who are caring for their autistic children and they’re burdened with the cost of bringing, sometimes, their autistic children down south just to get that specialized care.
In the hospitals, too, we have a few patients who live there in the extended care unit. Sometimes, of course, there’s separation from family, and sometimes we have disabled persons who have to be removed from their family and communities.
Being disabled, there are challenges in terms of transportation. We just heard about it, accessibility, plus access in terms of big, large buildings such as this.
My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services. Since 2008, what enhancements have been made to the department’s Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The action plan that the Member is referring was put in place in 2007. It was done in partnership with a number of different organizations, including the NWT Disabilities Council.
We recently had some discussion with the NWT Disabilities Council about helping us to provide an update on that plan. I’m happy to provide the Member and committee with a written update of all the actions in the action plan to date and how we’re going to move forward with the council to do an update. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. The five key areas of the action plan include employment, education, income, disability supports and housing. One of the problems that government seems to have once in a while is working in silos. We have, perhaps, one division in a department working in isolation from another division. An example right now is Health and Social Services. The Minister is stating the responsibility for public transportation for disabled persons is a responsibility of communities, basically MACA.
In these key areas, what interdepartmental activities are being undertaken to advance the quality of life for disabled persons? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, within the action plan, a number of the activities actually require departments to work together: Health and Social Services; Education, Culture and Employment; but not just the government departments but organizations that are providing services to residents, like the NWT Council for Persons with Disabilities and organizations like the Yellowknife Association for Community Living. Within the action plan, it identifies clearly who’s working on what initiatives, and I’d be happy to provide Members an update of where we are on that action plan today, a status report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Right now there has been discussion in terms of the Stanton Hospital updates. Within the hospital, we have an extended care unit, and unfortunately, there are some persons who live there because there is no other facility to house them.
I believe it’s time for a designated territorial facility that provides professional, state-of-the-art rehabilitation services for disabled persons in a warm and homelike environment.
Will the Minister commit to examining the feasibility of such a facility? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, a number of times in the House I’ve made reference to the adults and youth living in southern facilities, and I’ve indicated that we’re going to be doing a review on a case-by-case basis to find out if there are any similar type conditions or individuals or groups of individuals that are out there in those facilities, to see if there’s an opportunity to repatriate them. That will go to what the Member is talking about to some degree.
But, also, we are moving forward with the renovations of the Stanton Territorial Hospital. As part of that plan, the extended care unit will not be located in that hospital. It doesn’t make sense to have an extended care unit in the hospital because it is a person’s home, for all intents and purposes. So as part of that plan, we are looking for an alternate site for extended care in the Yellowknife area, similar to services that are provided in other communities throughout the Northwest Territories, and that will have the programs and services for our residents within that extended care unit. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Minister for highlighting some of the possibilities. There’s hope.
The Minister has indicated the idea of repatriating some of our patients who live down south and possibly moving the extended care unit.
As the Minister leading the Department of Health and Social Services, what is his vision in terms of how it is that perhaps facilities designated for disabled persons could work, and how could industry and non-government organizations play a part in helping the government realize this dream of having a facility in the North for disabled persons? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, I was making reference to an extended care unit that currently exists within Stanton and that will have to be located outside of the building, but it does provide services to people living with disabilities who require extended levels of care.
As far as the funding model around the Stanton renovations, we’re looking at a P3 model and a request for qualifications has gone out to that effect.
If the Member is talking about a completely separate building designed for particular individuals to provide either short-term or long-term rehabilitation, that is a different building and we would have to talk about a building like that in the capital plan, which would have to go through the full capital process. Whether it’s built by the government or built by someone as part of a P3 or a lease to own, it would still affect the borrowing limit, so it would still have to go through the capital process as it would be a design purpose building.
But if that’s the wish of committee, we’re certainly willing to have that conversation, that discussion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Hawkins.
