Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has almost been a year since the government closed the Joe Greenland Centre in Aklavik to elders who cannot live independently. Now there is a line-up of elders waiting to get into the facility in Inuvik which serves the entire Beaufort-Delta region.
I am not convinced that the Inuvik facility can handle all of the elders who need care. I am not convinced that sending the elders to Inuvik and Yellowknife from the communities is the best way to care for our elders. In my riding alone, there are more than 300 elders over the age of 60. In Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic there is only one home care worker in each community.
Mr. Speaker, even if they can’t stay at home, the elders themselves would rather live in one of the Delta communities instead of Inuvik or Yellowknife. The reason is family and friends visit regularly and bring their elders traditional food.
The Joe Greenland Centre is part of our social and cultural fabric of the Delta, Mr. Speaker. The community of Aklavik was proud of its role in taking care of our elders.
Members of the 16th Assembly, a year ago, passed a motion to continue providing long-term care for elders at the Joe Greenland Centre. For all of these reasons, I am asking the Health Minister to reverse the department’s decision to end long-term care at the Joe Greenland Centre. I believe the current building can be renovated to meet necessary standards, but if that is not possible, a new facility should be built in the Mackenzie Delta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
