Thank you, Madam Chair. So the $46 million per year for home care, that's right across the Northwest Territories. So I guess what I'm looking for is regards to you going to be home care in regards to some of the communities that I represent, and the lack thereof, I guess. Is there everybody in the communities that apply for this through the health centre, are they getting approved? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Yes, thank you. I think it really depends on what the person needs. So some people need a personal support worker maybe to help them go shopping, sweep their floor, and do that kind of thing. And other people need nursing care. So they need dressings changed and medication dispensed and so on. So I think it depends on what the needs of the client are. And we have had the paid family caregiver program running for a couple of years, and it I think it's running again next year. And it's running in Tuktoyaktuk. So that would give you an idea of what kind of services are available in that community. So I think that at the end of the paid family caregiver program, the question will be whether this program is scaled up to other communities or whether there is a different approach that we could take to meet the needs of our aging population. We know that this is an area of high growth and demand because we have committed to enabling people to age in place, and they won't be able to do that unless we can provide them inhome support. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Minister for that. Oh, it's so true about aging in place. People, you know, back home, we take care of our elders and we have big issues with that because, you know, the longterm care facility in Inuvik, we send some of our elders from Ulukhaktok and Paulatuk and Tuk, you know, that we just leave them there, and you can't take them home. The only time you visit from the smaller communities is, like, Sachs, Paulatuk, and Ulu. That's over a thousand dollars. That's almost $2,000 to go visit your family with the prices these days. I think what we should be doing is the programming that we do have with family care and that and once that program's successful, we should be working at that in the smaller communities across the territory, not only, you know, in the delta but right across the territory because you know as well as I do that we really honour our elders, and we want to take care of them. But it's just sometimes it's the same family members that are doing it all the time, and they're burnt out and tired. And then, you know, hopefully you can get respite care, put them in care in Inuvik or something for a week or something so they could rest up. But we really should be looking at a longterm fix for this. And it's more of a comment but I'm thankful for what you've done in this section. Thank you, Madam Minister. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. I didn't hear any questions. But did the Minister have any comment?
No, thank you for that. This is a big priority. For me, I toured the Member's riding in the summer of 2022 and met elders in Sachs Harbour in particular who were trying to hang on in their own homes with the support of family. A very difficult situation for the family but also for the elder whose first language was not English, who had lived on country food most of their lives, and wanted to die where they had lived all their lives. So it's really a heartbreaking situation. I realize Inuvik is part of generally part of the same culturally group but it truly is a million miles away in terms of what people are used to. So that is keeping people at home for as long as possible, I think, is a priority all across the territory. But that's one situation that really touched my heart. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Are there any Members that still want to speak to long term and continuing care? Okay. So what I'm going to do is just break right here, and then we can resume in maybe about half an hour, 20 minutes.
SHORT RECESS
Committee, we are continuing on with Health and Social Services, long term and continuing care, and I am going to turn it over to the Member for Frame Lake.
Thank you, Madam Chair. A few questions here. I'm just wondering if what's happening with the paid family caregiver pilot project, and is it still going; is it going to be expanded? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the program is still going. It was evaluated last year and found to be useful. We have funding for one additional year, and then we're going to be faced with a decision about putting it into the business plan for ongoing funding and whether we can afford to scale it up. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. So is that where do I find this in the money or sorry, the money in the budget? I know on the grants and contributions, there's a respite fund. Is that different thafn the paid caregiver program? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
We're looking for that, Madam Chair. I don't think that that's what you're looking at on page 204. This is a federal contribution agreement that provides for this through one of the existing bilaterals. So I feel like it would be near the front with revenue summary maybe.
Yes. While they're looking for that, Member for Frame Lake, did you have any other questions?
Thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, look, where the money comes from, I understand it's from the feds, it's for another year. I think we're going to have to look at making this a permanent program. But I wanted to ask about the page 203, home care and support services. You know, back in 20212022, it was almost $24 million then it went down. It's going back up a little bit. What's happening with this line item? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Yes, thank you. I'll answer the first question first. So if the Member looks on page 182, there is a fund here called home and community care and mental health and addiction services bilateral funding agreement. And that is the fund that we're using to address a couple of priority areas. One is mental health programming and crisis support. And the other is the family care paid family caregiver program and the implementation of this international resident assessment tool, known as interRAI. So that's where the money is coming from from that. That fund expires in at the end of March and it is being renegotiated. So that will certainly have an impact on whether it's continued.
The next question there was extra money in 20212022, which was part of the safe long term care agreement from the federal government that assisted with COVID expenses and which has since lapsed.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Okay, thanks. So there was a big review of home care services, and I think there were some, you know, policy level changes that were made. But are we actually increasing any money in the budget to help better support home care services? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Yes, thank you. For that detail, I'll ask the deputy minister, please.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So currently the funding that we have using to support some of the recommendations that came out of the home and community care review, which I believe is what the Member is speaking to, is we are using both internal funding that has come through the GNWT as well as our third party funding through our federal funding that we receive through the home and community care agreement as well. So, for example, some of the areas that we have invested is we have invested in three regional home and community care nurses to provide clinical oversight to the home and community care program.
We've also, in the last year, also implemented two territorial wound care nurses to help provide support to complex wound care, particularly for those clients that have that need extended areas of wound care that require some specialty services.
And we are also looking to invest resources to enhance hours for home and community care beyond the existing hours that we currently have which would normally be Monday to Friday. And that is in two particular areas, in Behchoko and in Hay River.
And so those are some of the examples of where we are expanding the services from that extend from the home and community care review.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Yeah, okay. No, thanks for that detail. I guess my last question is what's the status of the seniors strategy? And I'm if I didn't if it fits in somewhere else. Just this seems like a logical place to ask. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I intend to table it during the next session. That is the May/June session. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a couple questions on the paid caregiver. I think most of them have been answered. But a constituent there in Hay River had asked me if there was any if there was any appetite, I guess, from this government to increase the remuneration amount or the number of hours that they could charge for? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Yes, thank you. We haven't considered doing that because it would mean that fewer people would qualify for the program or have fewer hours. So we set a number of clients that we would focus in each focus on in each community, and that's what informed the funding pot for this year and the carryover for next year.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And the two years I guess it's been in operation two years and I think you said you extended it for another year. What was the review criteria that was used, I guess, for the extension? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. I'll ask the deputy minister to talk about how that was developed. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So there was an evaluation done that include conversations and interviews with the clients and their families as well as the service providers.
The other thing that I would just add is one of the other reasons we're extending the program in the coming year in its current existence, and also using some of the other areas to inform this program such as the supported living review, and so over this next year we hope to be able to use the supported living review as well as the evaluation from the paid family caregiver to determine what our next steps are in relation to that program.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And with that program, is do you see a need, I guess, for home care support as well to sort of back up that caregiver position? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Yes, thank you. Yes, there would be a partnership required of the nursing staff in home care, along with the paid family caregiver. They would be offering different kinds of services to the clients. Some of them are more medically sophisticated, if I can say, administration of medication, changing dressings, and so on whereas the paid family caregiver would be doing basic necessities of life.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to talk about supported living. In Hay River, we have a facility there and it seems to, you know, work fairly well. And I think most of the people that are living there are pleased with it. Has an assessment or is it, I guess has an assessment been done in Hay River as to whether that facility needs expansion? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Yes, thank you. I don't think there has been that kind of an assessment of the facility in Hay River. Generally speaking, we had moved away from facilitybased care for people who need supported living and instead have them in family groups or near family groups rather than in group homes. So I don't think anything will happen with that facility in Hay River. I mean, there are no plans to change it but I don't see either that we would expand it.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
That's all. Thank you.
