This is page numbers 5061 - 5094 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was communities.

Topics

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

My understanding is there are a couple of outfits here in Yellowknife that provide this service. I would have to confirm. There may be a couple more out in the larger communities, but I will confirm that information and I will share it with the Member. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions today for the Minister of Health and Social Services with regard to the Territorial Admissions Committee. This committee was established about a year or so ago. From a press release last September, it states: “A new Territorial Admissions Committee (TAC) has been established to streamline the application process for long-term care into the NWT’s 10 long-term care facilities.” So the committee has been in place for a year or more and I would like to ask the Minister at this point how successful this program has been and how many people have been placed. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister of Health and Social Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have a number on me as to how many people were processed through that, but I can tell the Member that anybody in the Territories who is being considered for a placement into a long-term care would have had to have gone through TAC. So I will get back to the Member on the exact number. Thank you.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister for that commitment. I do have some concerns about the operation of the TAC, particularly around travel. There are a number of our residents who are either in their home community or perhaps who have been placed in a facility outside of the NWT. I’ve read the policy that’s on the department’s website. I don’t see anything in there about travel and how people are moved from one place to another. So I’d like to ask the Minister, since the policy doesn’t help me out here, do we repatriate residents who have been placed in a facility outside of the NWT? Do we repatriate them into the NWT, assuming, of course, that our facilities have space? Thank you.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister of Health and Social Services

Yes, we do, especially with the opening of the Territorial Dementia Centre and

the Hay River Assisted Living Facility. We did review clients outside of the jurisdiction, our clients in other jurisdictions, to see if they can be moved.

Territorial Admissions Committee are administrators who review the files to see where our clients should be best placed within the Territory. Questions about how do they get paid to be moved would be on a case-by-case basis. Thank you.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister. It’s my understanding that when residents are moved from an outside facility back into the Territory’s, that the department will cover their costs. If we, for instance, move somebody from a small community outside of Yellowknife to, say, the Territorial Dementia Centre to Aven Cottage because they happen to have dementia or Alzheimer’s, it’s my understanding that that travel is not paid for by the Department of Health and Social Services. So I’d like to ask the Minister why we would cover costs to bring somebody from outside the NWT in, but yet we won’t cover the costs to bring somebody from within the NWT to a facility that they need. Thank you.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister of Health and Social Services

That would not be based on the regions or the facilities. It wouldn’t be because they’re being moved from out of Territories or something like that. I would think that’s a question of insured services versus uninsured services, something that we hear all the time. Hospital-to-hospital transportation, that would be considered insured services and that’s covered under Medicare, medical travel. Long-term care is not considered insured services, so for some residents those are not covered. How the authorities deal with that is often they try to look to see if they need to go anywhere for medical travel, they will try to combine them. Authorities work hard to observe the cost as much as possible, but transfer from a long-term care to long-term care is not considered an insured service. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m a little confused by that answer. If we cover travel costs to bring somebody from outside the NWT to a facility within, then I don’t understand why we wouldn’t cover them to move from within the NWT to another facility.

I’d like to ask the Minister a question as well. It’s my understanding -- and this is anecdotal evidence, I don’t have much except for what constituents have told me -- that we will cover costs for family members to visit patients who are in a long-term care facility outside the NWT, but we will not do the same for family members visiting patients within the NWT from an outside community. So can I get an answer to why there is that discrepancy? Thank you.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister of Health and Social Services

I would appreciate getting more information from the Member, perhaps, on the specific situation. It’s case by case and it’s depending on the person and what facility they are in. We pay for medical escorts, but we do not have a budget to pay for somebody to visit anybody in long-term care at any time. It’s a question that we get asked all the time, so I would need what facility they are in and what condition and under what circumstances they were asked to have support. If they’re indigent, if they’re on income security, sometimes we’ve covered those. Sometimes they’re covered under employer’s benefits. There are so many different varieties, so I’d appreciate getting more information from the Member. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The time for question period has expired. Item 8, written questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Can the Minister provide me with the core need breakdown of the following groups, by community, in both percentage and number of units:

a) seniors;

b) singles

(non-senior);

c) couples (non-senior); and

d) families (greater than two people).

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission 2009 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Pursuant to Section 21(1) of the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act and Section 11.1 of the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act, I wish to table the Annual Report of the Northwest Territories MLAs Pension Plans for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010.

Pursuant to Section 21 of the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act, I wish to table the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Fund Financial Statements for the year ending March 31, 2010.

Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Bill 12: An Act To Amend The Liquor Act
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

Thebacha

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 18, 2010, I will move that Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Bill 12: An Act To Amend The Liquor Act
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 4-16(5), Executive Summary of the Report of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project; Tabled Document 30-16(5), 2010 Review of Members’ Compensation and Benefits; Tabled Document 38-16(5), Supplementary Health Benefits – What We Heard; Tabled Document 62-16(5), Northwest Territories Water Stewardship Strategy; and Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012, with Mr. Abernethy in the chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. On our agenda today is Tabled Document 4-16(5), Tabled Document 30-16(5), Tabled Document 38-16(5), Tabled Document 62-16(5) and Tabled Document 66-16(5). What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012, for opening comments.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Is committee agreed?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Agreed. Before we proceed with Tabled Document 66-16(5) we’re going to take a short break. Thank you.

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