[English translation not provided.] Mr. Speaker, today I will be making a Member's statement on aging in place. Aging in place will keep seniors in their own homes and their own communities for as long as possible. In order to do this, the NWT Housing Corporation will have to make adjustments and changes to their repair programs. Mr. Speaker, aging in place, when the NWT Housing Corporation works with the Department of Health and Social Services' homecare program, can defer $125,000 per year per senior. That, Mr. Speaker, is the current cost of having one senior in long-term care for one year, not to mention the cost of building more long-term facilities. The capital cost of building long-term facilities is between $100,000 and $200,000 per bed.
Many seniors across NWT are now finding it difficult to remain in their homes. Most of them need their units to be retrofitted to a barrier-free or senior-friendly state so that they will not have the burden of a poorly functioning house in their later years. Once the seniors have their homes retrofitted to meet their needs they will need homecare services to remain in their home, and the NWT Housing Corporation and the Department of Health and Social Services must work together to make this possible. In addition, the seniors themselves want to remain in their homes and in their communities for as long as possible. Seniors wish to remain as independent as possible. This will give them the independence they so desire.
Currently about 15 per cent of the population across Canada is 65 years and over, and this number is expected to grow by about a half per cent per year, actually slightly under a half per cent per year. Therefore, the government should have programs for the costs of modifying the homes to accommodate the changing needs of aging elders and support should be put in place so they can continue to enjoy a high quality of life in their own homes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
