Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a few questions from my Member’s statement for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I would like to ask the Minister what the waiting time is for elders to get into the long-term care facility in Inuvik.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know what the waiting time is for the long-term care in Inuvik. I don’t have the waiting list with me at this time.
As I mentioned earlier, there are more than 300 elders over the age of 60 in my riding. Thankfully, not all of them need long-term care, but many will. What is the Health department’s plan for them?
The Department of Health and Social Services is working on what we’re referring to as a continuum of care living services for seniors. We are looking first at trying to keep the seniors in their home as long as possible, by providing support such as home care and then moving to assisted living. The next level that we’re working with NWT Housing Corporation and then, I guess, at the end if there are no other options that can keep the people in their home communities, then our last option is to move them into long-term care.
My final question to the Minister is: If the Minister is unwilling to renovate the Joe Greenland Centre up to proper standards, will he start planning for a new facility in the Mackenzie Delta riding?
Any facility that is built by the department or by this government would have to go through the House. What we’re doing is looking at all the needs across the Territories and if there is a need for long-term care facilities, then we start working into the capital planning process with that need.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
