Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Elders are highly respected in First Nations and traditional cultures around the world. Northerners would agree that elders deserve to live with dignity and independence for as long as they can. Each one of us can think of at least one senior in our community who lives a vigorous and independent lifestyle, and who is a help and an example to younger generations. However, no matter how healthy we are, we need stable, effective care to help people to live as comfortably as possible in their later years.
In the summer there was an elder in Fort Providence that fell in their home and was not discovered by family for several hours. Fort Providence and the Hay River Reserve are the only communities in my riding with elder care facilities. They are not nearly as specialized or well equipped as the facilities in our regional centres. Quite often the elderly leave their community for treatment they cannot receive at home. It is especially tragic when a respected elder dies in hospital in Yellowknife or even Edmonton, far from their land and people they knew and loved most of all.
Every year it becomes more costly to transport seniors to larger centres for extended care, or to relocate them to a facility in a regional centre where they may not feel the same sense of belonging. Imagine leaving the community for treatment and while you’re away finding out that you will never see your home again, the trapline, fishing boat, lake or river.
For our elders, even if they are too old or sick to enjoy things that were such a part of their lives, it is helpful to be in familiar surroundings. Family, friends, spiritual leaders, neighbours and pets can offer hope and encouragement, which may improve a person’s overall condition.
It is good that all people in the Northwest Territories have access to quality health care for all stages of life. We must continue to support these services, but also look for ways to localize care. Removing the birth and dying process from our home communities separates the reality of the lifecycle from our home and families that impact our way of life, our thinking and, ultimately, our culture. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
