Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all have experienced a loved one in need of care. We also know that in the coming years there will be more elders that will need to be looked after. Someone will be ill and someone will be frail. Their supports and needs can become very complicated and require training and specialized skills.

Hospital care is not what these elders need. Their needs are usually better looked after in the caring environment of their home communities. There they can have visits from their family, who also help them with their care. They can eat traditional foods and enjoy a familiar environment. The philosophy of our elders care home in Fort Simpson includes meeting the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional needs of the residents. This facility is a true community-based caring facility that encourages family and friends to visit and participate in the care of their loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, the elders care home in Fort Simpson unfortunately has only 20 permanent beds. This is not enough for a population that serves over 3,000 that is spread out into many of the communities. Just recently a constituent of mine had to endure a lot of hardship over many months before her husband was finally returned home to the Fort Simpson long-term care facility. This family had to travel far to see their sick family member, only because there was no bed available in Fort Simpson.

I want to remind the Minister of Health and Social Services that it is important to my people in the communities that they can look after their elders close to home. For that reason, I encourage the Minister of Health and Social Services to come

forward with supports to increase the long-term care beds available. This is urgent and this is a priority for our smaller communities. Mahsi cho.