Thank you very much, Madam Chair. That's some of the things that are coming out of my riding, is that they're saying all our elders are going to Fort Simpson and they're concerned that the facilities are filling up fast. There's already a waiting list. I kind of like that approach of increasing the home care for the elders. Is it possible to do that in the smaller communities like Nahanni Butte and Trout Lake? I'm not too sure. It's just there's probably a level of training or certification that has to happen with the field staff. Perhaps the Minister can address that. What are the long-term plans of training and upgrading the skills of the workers that we do have in the communities?
About a year ago I commended the Minister and the department for addressing the cross-cultural needs of our elders when they're dealing with Health and Social Services or the hospitals. There was a remarkable improvement. People aren't coming to me anymore saying they're really concerned that there's been some misdiagnosis. I'd like to commend the department on that. However, there are still needs that the elders see. When I visit them in the hospital, they're still saying that even though they're in the hospital...They have a couple words that they use with me in my language. In my language it's called nahetsandile, which means that they're not caring about what I say. It might be a language thing, Madam Chair. Also, tsighenealeh, which means coolly done or without regard.
I don't want to berate staff in the communities, but what happens is the level of care that's taken here in Stanton, there's probably a good reason for it, that it's hourly, it's always there for them. Or when they go home to the communities, there's one poor elder who was here, they were watching her on an hourly basis, then she went home to Fort Simpson and says nobody goes by her room to check on her. So I don't know what the difference there is. Perhaps she feels she has to be checked on more often or she felt that she's not being cared for. I'm not too sure of how the professional staff do it because I'm not in that field. For her, the patient sitting there, she's saying that nobody is watching her, nobody cares for her. She's here stuck in some room and nobody is really checking on her.
Anyway, just with those couple of comments there, Madam Chair, I'll just end my comments, if the Minister can respond or reply to that. Thank you.