Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the Great Elders Facility and its use. I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services questions on this. Can the Minister advise what internal discussions she has had with her department on the usage of the Great Elders Facility in Fort Resolution? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Member’s question, as well as commitment, on this issue. As I have indicated already, we have been able to provide additional programming at the Great Elders Facility in terms of facilitating seniors to use that facility more in day programs. I know that the Member and the community are looking for an opportunity for the seniors to be able to stay there and be taken care of.
I want to give the Member a commitment that I am interested in working with the Member on that and working on a wider proposal to go to the Standing Committee on Social Programs to see how we could use this Great Elders Facility better. Thank you.
Can the Minister advise if the department can sit down with the community to hear their solutions and what they think of the usage of the Great Elders Facility and how it could be used as a residence for the elders of Fort Resolution?
When this facility was built back in ’96 by the Housing Corporation, there was no arrangement made for O&M for 24/7 care. The problem seems to be that we have to…. The solution to this issue is to come up with ways different than how the budgeting and programming is done with respect to a 24/7 intensive seniors’ centre, which we will not be able to do in Resolution.
I think there are other things we could consider. I have had meetings with the band leadership and the seniors’ community in Resolution. I think the department is very well aware of the commitment and interest on the part of the community to make this work. I’m willing to work with the Member to consider all options we have to make use of those four units at the Great Elder Facility, and I will be coming to the Member and the community with a proposal for further discussion.
Thank you, Minister, for the answer. Can the Minister commit to communicating soon with an updated status on what the department considers to be a good solution for residential use by the elders of the Great Elder Facility in as far as scheduling and planning and so on.?
Yes, I’m willing to make a commitment to come up with a proposal. I have to work out the details with the department. I have not had a chance to do that. I will make the commitment to come up with a proposal to discuss with the community to see how that facility can be used better.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister also commit to keeping me abreast of all the plans for the use of the Great Elder Facility so that I, too, can communicate with community governments and elders of Fort Resolution in order that they begin to see some progress on the usage of this as a residential facility?
Absolutely. I would need the partnership of the Member to work together as we move forward on the use of this facility.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
