Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding food services at the new dementia centre that’s being constructed right now. There’s a concern out there that the food services won’t be adequately delivered or of adequate quality for the long term care people at the dementia centre. I’d like to ask the Minister: will the food services be privatized at the new dementia centre, and will that subsequently lead to the privatization of all the food services at Aven centre?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories and Department of Health and Social Services is providing 100 per cent of the funding and 100 per cent of the O&M. We’re creating 28 beds at the territorial dementia centre at almost half a million dollars each for 28 units. We’re funding 100 per cent of O&M. It is an NGO organization; it is not a government organization. But we’re providing them with the capital funding and O&M to fund that. It’s up to YACCS as to how they use their money to provide the services that they do. At the same time, the YACCS board has instructed the staff to work with the staff of the Department of Health and Social Services to work out the details, and they’re working on that in a very cooperative manner.
Mr. Speaker, this reminds me of the old adage that when it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. If YACCS is only paid in Sodexo coupons and there’s only one place that takes Sodexo coupons and they are privatized food services that offer only short term food delivery based on a seven day meal plan, what is the Minister doing to accommodate the long term meal plan as designed by the single point design that this dementia centre is designed on?
Mr. Speaker, I believe the Member is trying to say Signal Pointe facility based in Calgary. I want to tell you, and I’m sure he knows from talking to YACCS, that this new facility has three kitchens. It will be a beautiful facility. It’s a facility that’s very much required in the Territories. It will allow us to take our elders who are suffering from dementia into extended care, some of them for ten to 12 years. It will take care of elders who are being sent away from Yellowknife. It will be a wonderful facility, very needed, and the seniors will be very well taken care of. The Member should be cautious in suggesting that this…. We don’t want to alarm the public. This will be a very beautiful facility with beautiful programming.
Mr. Speaker, I’m not alarming the public. The bell has already rung. I cannot unring the bell that’s been rung, that’s been brought to me. The fear and concern is because YACCS is not allowed to build their own independent kitchen at this time. The fact is that no one’s one hundred per cent clear where these meals are going to come from, and no one’s one hundred per cent sure at this time why you would have three kitchens when you only need one. So where are the meals coming from? Clearly, the question simply is: will the meal plan be delivered by Sodexo, and is that privatization of the meal plan going to lead to the privatization of the meal plan at Aven as well?
The staffing and programming services are the jurisdiction of the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors, which is YACCS. I have every confidence that YACCS will use the money they get from the government and provide the best services for the seniors. There is no suggestion or conclusion that any of those services will be privatized.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. A final short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In that report it cites that long term patients need long care meal plans. That’s typically based on a 30 day meal plan. I’d like to know exactly who will be making the meals for the dementia centre. Is it strictly based on YACCS only having the Sodexo contractors to go to? Or are they able to design and cook and create their own meal plans within their own facility? Which is it?
Mr. Speaker, once again, YACCS has one hundred per cent control over what services they provide. This government provides funding for that. It’s not within the purview of this Legislature as to what they do in terms of providing food services to the seniors. I can assure you that those seniors are going to have a beautiful facility, and it’s going to be beautiful programming.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
