Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier on, I spoke about elder awareness abuse day and today I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, my first question is: how does the Our Elders: Our Communities framework support elders in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure there’s enough time on the clock. The Our Elders: Our Communities framework outlines seven priorities that will be used to guide the future program design for older adults to assist them to remain in their communities, as long as possible. That’s the ultimate goal of aging in place. The seven priorities include:
Healthy and active aging;
Home and community care services;
Integrated and coordinated services across the continuum;
Caregiver supports;
Elder responsive communities;
Accessible and current information, making sure it’s available; as well as
Sustainable best practices.
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier today, Our Elders: Our Communities is a holistic document. It’s not a narrow document. It is focused on trying to improve resident’s experiences with aging and as I said, particularly, aging in place. We work closely with the NWT Seniors’ Society as well as trying to ensure that our residents have access to a wide range of programs and services to ensure that they can stay in their home for as long as possible and that they can stay in their communities as long as they can. We’re also developing specific action plans, so the action plan on community care services that is built around the top priority of areas of planning for long-term care. Our Elders: Our Communities is a holistic document, touching on many areas across the Northwest Territories for seniors in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the answer from the Minister of Health and Social Services. Seeing how all these services are available to elders, I think moving ahead, we should make these services mobile so that the workers can actually come to the elder’s home and offer these rather than the elders having to leave their homes many times of the day when some of them need wheelchair access. My second question, Mr. Speaker, is: what is being done in the NWT to address abuse of our elders?
Mr. Speaker, the department has been collaborating with the NWT Seniors’ Society and the Network for the Prevention of Abuse of Older Adults. A key action in the strategy is related to training for frontline providers and screening, assessment and support of older adults who actually are undergoing abuse. Older adult abuse screening tools are designed to gather information about older adults and their circumstances in order to evaluate the possibility of abuse occurrence. Screening tools offer a framework for deciding what strategies may be the most appropriate, if problems are identified based on the individuals situations. The department has been working with the NWT Seniors’ Society to develop these screening tools for health and social services providers, going to the Member’s comment, so that they can identify elders who may be at risk of abuse and family caregivers at risk of burnout. The tools were focus tested by seniors in December 2015 and these tools will be trialed in practice setting during this fiscal year. We’re collaborating with the authorities on policies to support implementation of the new continuing care standards. Those are a number of the things that we are doing, but it’s all about partnerships, Mr. Speaker and working closely with the NWT Seniors’ Society and other groups throughout the Northwest Territories.
Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity for the Minister to answer that. Mr. Speaker, my final question to the Minister of Health and Social Services is: what can a person do if they have concerns about the well-being of an elder? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, during my Minister’s statement today, I did provide a couple of numbers that individuals could call. But if an individual sees or witnesses abuse, I think one of the important things that a person can do is start developing a relationship with that elder and learning about the elder, to help him identify the abuse that might be taking place. They can go to the elder’s home and invite them to engage with other local seniors who may be participants in the society that is visiting us here today. I would encourage communication using the 1-800 numbers, getting in touch with other seniors and if the abuse continues and it escalates, they may well also want to get in touch with the RCMP. But definitely getting to know the elders and learning about them and finding out what’s going on in their lives is going to be critical and important.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
