Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health on the question of funding and support for seniors, in particular aging in place. Mr. Speaker, the Minister recently stated that while federal health funding is diminishing, there is a new funding anticipated. Can the Minister provide the status of that funding and indicate to the assembly, if approved, what will it be used for? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the federal election, there was an indication that there would be money allocated to provinces and territories by the federal government, about $3.9 billion over a four-year period. We don't actually know how they plan to distribute those dollars or what the criteria is for utilizing those dollars are. If past predicts future, and they use the same types of formula as they have in the past, which is often population-based, we could get as much as $3.6 million over the four years, which works out to just over $900,000 a year.
We, and all the other provinces and territories, are working with the federal government to figure out how to distribute those funds and what those funds can be utilized for. It is clear that it is for home care but not the scope and nature. In the past, there have been some concerns about some of the federal dollars that are rolled out that have been very specific. There hasn't been a lot of flexibility. The provinces and territories are suggesting to Ottawa that our needs across this country are different, and there needs to be some room for flexibility.
One of our concerns about the dollars, when they do flow, is they are often referred to as boutique funds or short-term funds. We will get four years of money, and we have to be cautious about setting up programs or delivering programs that become expected and we are required to continue to deliver them because the federal money will end. As we are accessing these monies, we need to figure out how to ensure that we are either set up to continue programs or that they are utilized to help us design programs that we then have to come to this House to fund. But as the Member knows, we do have financial challenges here in the Northwest Territories. We need to make choices here in this building about cuts, reductions, corrections in order to invest in new initiatives. We are all going to have to work together to find out where the money is. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for his response. Mr. Speaker, the question I would like to ask, the "Our Elders: Our Communities" frameworks speaks of the need to support seniors in aging in place in the community to delay the need for long-term care. Can the Minister elaborate on some of the steps that are being taken to support aging in place in our communities?
Mr. Speaker, I have mentioned it before. We are working on a continuing care services action plan, which is helping us to quantify the needs and demands out there for things like home care and other supports that we can be providing for our seniors. We hope to have that action plan done by the end of this fiscal year, at which point I will be coming to committee to have some discussions on the plan itself and how we can work together to roll that plan out and make sure that we are meeting the broad range of needs of seniors across this territory.
I appreciate the response and am looking forward to that plan. My next question, Mr. Speaker, is a disturbing trend is that of elders being neglected or taken advantage of or even abused. Can the Minister describe how the department is collaborating with the NWT Seniors' Society in developing training for the prevention of abuse of elders?
Mr. Speaker, this is a serious issue, not just in the Northwest Territories, but across Canada. We have made dollars available to the NWT Seniors' Society, who I do have to applaud for the amazing work that they have done on creating programs and awareness around elder abuse here in the Northwest Territories. We have made technical staff available to them, as they need, to help with information, but they have really taken the lead on the development of this. We do what we can to help promote it and to get that information out there.
Masi. Oral Questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks again to the Minister for his response. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my statement, an important element of healthy aging is in engagement with social circles and activities within the communities. Can the Minister describe ways the department is trying to make that happen, even in the smaller communities? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, traditionally, we have supported some of the different senior societies around the Northwest Territories who have done a lot of this work. But in our design of independent living units and other facilities around the Northwest Territories, we have actually allowed for space where seniors can get together and do programming, whether we are delivering the programming or whether it is community groups who are delivering the programs.
I would suggest that the Member or any of the Members have an opportunity to take a look at one of our new independent living units put together by the Housing Corp, such as the one at Fort Liard. Go check it out, see the space that is available, and you will get a sense of the type of space we are trying to create for individuals to do group activities and gatherings to support socialization.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
