Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement was on the elders facility in Ulukhaktok. Will this government commit to improving the life of our elders and develop an elders facility in Ulukhaktok? Like the Minister said before me, fairly, being fair to all across the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government recognizes that this is a very important issue that we need to work on. We understand demographics tells us there is going to be an increasing need for facilities and support systems for our elders across the Territories. We are engaged in long-term care planning studies where we will have a prototype of long-term care facilities so we can lessen the time required to put these facilities in place. We are also doing a needs assessment for long-term care facilities all across the Territories so that we have a comprehensive plan as to the need so we can work it into the capital planning process.
Again, I’m tired of the studies. I’m tired of the needs assessments that this government takes upon itself to do. This has to get done. The elders in Ulukhaktok are... We don’t want our elders to go to Inuvik. We don’t want our elders to go to Aklavik. We don’t want them to come to Yellowknife. Caring for our elders’ health and well-being must be a pillar of this government. Will this government place substandard living conditions of seniors as their highest priority?
I have committed to looking at the situation in Ulukhaktok and Paulatuk. We will follow up on that and look at it in light of the overall assisted living programs for seniors that we need to develop as a whole. The Member has to understand, and I think everybody here understands, that we want to keep our elders in their communities and as close as possible, wherever possible. We need to have a plan in place to do that.
We’ve put a $15 million dementia centre in Yellowknife. It wasn’t even on the books. I could be corrected if need be, but I know that if the $15 million we want to, like, she’s saying.... The Minister is telling me she wants to put a package together for all the communities. Well, I have a package that says we could do a sixplex in the community and work with the Housing Minister and the Health and Social Services Minister to get this done. Will this government commit the necessary resources fairly to all northern communities and not just the major centres so elders have equal access to quality services that they deserve?
I could commit to the Member that I will work with the Housing Corporation to see what we can do in Ulukhaktok. I think the Member is talking about a different facility in Ulukhaktok than the dementia centre. The dementia centre is not a regular long-term care facility; it’s for the residents of the entire Territories and there are different levels of facilities that our elders need. I can commit to working with the Minister of Housing to see what we can do in Ulukhaktok.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m just talking about how quickly the money appeared when they needed it in regard to that. The sixplex design, is the Minister committed to a sixplex design with the Minister of Housing? Could we make this project a reality in the community of Ulukhaktok by May?
Just for the record, the dementia centre from the planning to opening this year took 10 years. The feasibility study was done in 2003. Like I said before, I am willing to look at Ulukhaktok, and the Member is well aware of the capital plan process that we have to follow. I will make a commitment to look at Ulukhaktok and see what the needs are and where we could work with other agencies to see. I’m not even sure, I need to be clear what the Member is talking about, and that it is an assisted living facility, which is done through the Housing Corporation and Health and Social Services. Then we have the other end of the spectrum, which is a level IV and level V very intense care facility.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
