Debates of October 27, 2006 (day 17)

Mahsi and good morning, Mr. Speaker. As our population ages, the occurrence and incidence of Alzheimer’s and other dementia syndromes is going to increase, Mr. Speaker, and so will the demands on our families, our communities and, of course, our health care institutions, to deal with this in a way that is not only adequate but helps give these people the dignity and the quality of life even as this terrible disease robs them of just about every memory and ability to cope that they have.

Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that, again, as more and more of us get older and older, almost one in 10 of us is going to suffer from this situation. In Yellowknife, from a survey about three years, there were at least 35 people in the earlier stages of dementia and another 30 in the moderate to severe stages. At present, Mr. Speaker, in this community, we are assisting these people. We are caring for these people in the long-term care ward in the Stanton Hospital and at the Aven seniors' facility, neither of which are designed for this kind of care or are really able to give these people the kind of quality of life that they should have.

Mr. Speaker, the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors has had this on their agenda for more than 20 years. They have tried to alert government to the growing need for this and it is desperate now, Mr. Speaker. This government has recognized that to some extent. It has assisted this organization with planning money, but one thing we have not done, Mr. Speaker, is that we have not committed our capital plan to constructing this essential part of our health care institution here in Yellowknife to serve not only this community, Mr. Speaker, but the whole territory. It is time that we make this commitment, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause