This is page numbers 6621 – 6658 of the Hansard for the 17th 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 services.

Topics

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 Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Abernethy.

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

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am happy to do so. Extended care facilities are what we refer to as level 5 and provides services to residents with complex medical needs who require 24-hour nursing care and a range of supports from other health care professionals. An example of this would be a resident who is on a ventilator who requires care from a registered nurse and a respiratory therapist. These residents’ medical needs may become quickly unstable.

Long-term care facilities, which we refer to as level 3 and 4, provide services to residents with more stable medical needs that require access to 24-hour nursing and health care professionals to assist with personal care and daily activities. An example would be residents with dementia who require a safe and secure environment 24/7.

Within completion of the operational plan and functional program, it was determined that 18 beds is the optimum level for staffing level of level 5. So that would be 16 extended care beds, one palliative bed and one respite bed in the extended care facility that we’re talking about today. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Could I get an inventory by those categories for, say, existing ones for Yellowknife, Hay River and Fort Smith?

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

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

We have the 10 extended care beds at Stanton currently, and other than the Dementia Facility… Sorry, that’s it for extended care. So, 10 extended care in the Northwest Territories at this point in time.

For long-term care beds, we have eight in the Tlicho, 22 in the Beaufort-Delta in the Inuvik Hospital, none in Norman Wells at this point in time, 26 in Fort Smith, 25 in Hay River, 17 in Fort Simpson, 28 in Aven Manor and 28 in the Dementia Facility. Then at the hospital we have 10 extended care. So there are 151 long-term care beds and then 10 extended care beds. With the construction of the facility in Behchoko, there will be 18 long- term care beds and we will have 18 long-term care beds in Norman Wells, so we are moving those numbers up as we speak.

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

I think the Minister can see that there is a huge gap in the capital, where we’ve known for years that the rate of increase is much higher than anywhere else in the Northwest Territories. I appreciate the commitments I am hearing him make to the extent that he can for trying to get after those, but even this 18-bed facility on anywhere near a comparative basis leaves Yellowknife in the dust. I would recommend that the department sit down and start bringing some fairness to this equation and start thinking on the scale that the data clearly shows is required. That’s a comment.

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

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I agree with the Member; we need to make sure we are getting in front of this and we are working very closely with Avens to find some solutions. We are exploring a number of different financing options that are available. They have expressed an interest in a partnership opportunity in the extended care, which would help leverage moving forward with the 60 beds they want to provide here in Yellowknife. I know they’re working with the Housing Corp to talk about the renovations of the existing facility once they have a facility to move people in.

This isn’t just a Yellowknife problem, I’m sure the Member will acknowledge. The Beaufort-Delta, by way of an example, is incredibly tight as well. We are actually out for RFP right now. I think it’s going to close next week, looking for someone to help us do the facilities planned for the Northwest Territories to help us figure out where we need facilities and how to move forward.

Having said that, I acknowledge that there is an immediate need in Yellowknife and I am working with Avens right now to get them into the capital planning process. We need a business plan; we need some cost estimates; we need to understand the O and M costs; and we are hoping, assuming that none of these other options like the extended care work out, to still work closely with them to get them into the capital planning process as quickly as possible.

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thanks to the Minister for those comments. The other gap that is out there is that there are many seniors, because of their income

levels, who would never be able to get into these facilities that we are imagining.

What role does the Minister see government playing in the small Northwest Territories economy at working to provide private facilities or encouraging private facilities? Those who have the financial resources, families who have financial resources can have an option to support their elders with the care that they need, but they are unlikely to get the same support from a government institution. Thank you.

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

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

A couple of things. Your income doesn’t really affect your ability to access government funded long-term care facilities in the Northwest Territories, or extended care. So it doesn’t matter if you make a ton of money or have no money, it’s based on need. So I’m not sure I understand that particular question. Hopefully the Member will be able to help me understand where he’s going with that.

On the other side, there is nothing stopping a private business from opening up a long-term care facility and charging whatever they feel an appropriate market rent or market fee would be to do that. There’s nothing stopping anybody from doing that. Having said that, I absolutely acknowledge that there aren’t any, which means there may be some barrier out there to dissuade some individuals who are interested in opening a privately run long-term care facility with no government money.

As part

of the review that I’ve asked to be done, I’ve

asked them to do some analysis around that component, as well, to see whether or not some policy changes are required to help create some incentive or remove potential restrictions or barriers that private enterprise might see for opening up and running their own private long-term care facilities and charging whatever they feel is a reasonable market price. So, that is to be included in the review so that if there are barriers, we can find a way to work with private enterprise to create some economic opportunities and see some additional non-government funded beds here in the Northwest Territories.

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

October 1st, 2015

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

That sounds good, Madam Chair. I would be happy to provide the Minister with some examples. I’m sure he’s aware of them, but I’ll refresh his memory for people who are not able to get into facilities because of an income barrier. I will leave it at that. Thank you.

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 Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Anything to respond, Mr. Abernethy?

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

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Pardon?

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 Jane Groenewegen

Do you have a response to that? Okay, thank you. Health

and Social Services, community health programs, infrastructure investments, $16.343 million.

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 Jane Groenewegen

Thank you. Now we’ll turn to page 37, total infrastructure investments, Health and Social Services, $60.477 million.

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 Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Thank you, Mr. Elkin and Ms

. DeLancey. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to

please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

Does committee agree that we’ve concluded the Department of Health and Social Services?

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 Jane Groenewegen

Thank you. If we could turn to page 9, we’ll deal with the Legislative Assembly budget next. Is everyone 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 Jane Groenewegen

Thank you. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms if he could please escort the witnesses and the Speaker to the table.

Welcome, Mr. Speaker. For the record, could you please acknowledge your witnesses today.

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

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Chair. To my right I have Mr. Darren Ouellette, director of corporate services. To my other left I have Mr. Tim Mercer, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.

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 Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Speaker Jacobson. If I could direct Members’ attention, then, to… We’ll defer page 9 and we will go to page 10, Office of the Clerk, infrastructure investments, $200,000. Mr. Bouchard.

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

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you. I see this item on here and I’m just wondering if we have some other capital expenditures. I know we’ve talked, the Board of Management, about doing some upgrades to the building. Have we completed all those upgrades for access? I know we’ve had people with disabilities come through, CNIB come through and stuff like that. Are there any other building upgrades that we’re looking at doing in this upcoming year? Thank you.

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 Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Mr. Ouellette.

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

Ouellette

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, the building accessibility betterments are underway. We’re in phase two right now. We’ve completed phase one last year and that was primarily all of the work that was being done on the main floor area and now we’re just looking at a second floor area where some of the doorways have been widened and the committee rooms and access into the

Members’ and executive areas and looking at the installation of automatic door openers and whatnot. We’re scheduled to complete that work by the end of this fiscal year.