Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to take a moment to recognize the NWT Seniors Society. These are the people who built the North and I have huge respect for them. I’d also like to point out Merlyn Williams, who is a personal friend of my father, my late father and it’s always an honour to hear him tell stories, especially when he talks about the UFOs and the encounters with my father. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize an advocate for NWT seniors, Ms. Ann Firth-Jones from Hay River, originally from Fort McPherson. Also, Florence Barnaby and also Wade Blake who I’m convinced is my long-lost relative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. I’d also like to welcome all the seniors that are here with us and also we have in the gallery, Chief Superintendent. He’s been here for some time and leaving us, but it’s been great working with you, Mr. Smith. Also Wade Blake is here with us. He’s the director of Community Justice and Community Policing, previous Chief Superintendent as well, I worked closely with. So I’d like to welcome you as well. Those that we may have missed, welcome to the Chamber and welcome to the gallery. It’s always nice to have an audience. Masi.

Masi. Acknowledgements. Member for Sahtu.

Masi. That was a recognition of visitors in the gallery, I believe. So acknowledgements. Member for Sahtu.

Okay. I’ll get it right this time.

---laughter

I’m killing two birds with one stone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier, the Premier’s Award when to a recipient of mine, a constituent in Deline. Her name is Ms. Brenda Baton. So thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to acknowledge Ms. Brenda Baton from Deline, who just arrived or just received the 2016 Premier’s Award for the NWT Assets Aurora College Partnership. The Premier’s Award is to recognize outstanding individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond. Brenda works hard and is dedicated to the work she does in her community and for the delivery of that program in the whole Sahtu Region. On behalf of the Sahtu Region, I would like to congratulate Ms. Baton. Continue with the great work for the Sahtu Region, Brenda. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier on, I spoke about Elder Awareness Abuse Day and today I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, my first question is, how does “Our Elders Our Communities Framework support elders in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure there’s enough time on the clock. Our Elders, our Communities Framework outlines seven priorities that will be used to guide the future program design for older adults to assist them to remain in their communities, as long as possible. That’s the ultimate goal as aging in place.

The seven priorities include:

1. Healthy and active aging;

2. Home and community care services;

3. Integrated and coordinated services across the continuum;

4. Caregiver supports;

5. Elder responsive communities;

6. Accessible and current information, making sure it’s available; as well as

7. Sustainable best practices.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier today, Our Elders, our Communities, is a holistic document. It’s not a narrow document. It is focused on trying to improve resident’s experiences with aging and as I said, particularly, aging in place. We work closely with the NWT Seniors Society as well as trying to ensure that our residents have access to a wide range of programs and services to ensure that they can stay in their home for as long as possible and that they can stay in their communities as long as they can. We’re also developing specific action plans, so the Action Plan on Community Care Services that is built around the top priority of areas of planning for long-term care. The Our Elders, our Communities is a holistic document, touching on many areas across the Northwest Territories for seniors in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the answer from the Minister of Health and Social Services. Seeing how all these services are available to elders, I think moving ahead, we should make these services mobile so that the workers can actually come to the elder’s home and offer these rather than the elders having to leave their homes many times of the day when some of them need wheelchair access. My second question, Mr. Speaker, is: what is being done in the NWT to address abuse of our elders?

Mr. Speaker, the department has been collaborating with the NWT Seniors Society’s network for the prevention of abuse of older adults. A key action in the strategy is related to training for frontline providers and screening, assessment and support of older adults who actually are undergoing abuse. Older adult abuse screening tools are designed to gather information about older adults and their circumstances in order to evaluate the possibility of abuse occurrence. Screening tools offer a framework for deciding what strategies may be the most appropriate, if problems are identified based on the individuals situations.

The department has been working with the NWT Seniors Society to develop these screening tools for Health and Social Services providers, going to the members comment, so that they can identify elders who may be at risk of abuse and family caregivers at risk of burnout. The tools were focus tested by seniors in December 2015 and these tools will be trialed in practice setting during this fiscal year. We’re collaborating with the authorities on policies to support implementation of the new continuing care standards. So those are a number of the things that we are doing, but it’s all about partnerships, Mr. Speaker and working closely with the NWT Seniors Society and other groups throughout the Northwest Territories.

Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity for the Minister to answer that. Mr. Speaker, my final question to the Minister of Health and Social Services is: what can a person do if they have concerns about the wellbeing of an elder? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, during my Minister’s statement today, I did provide a couple of numbers that individuals could call. But if you are, if an individual sees or witnesses abuse, I think one of the important things that a person can do is start developing a relationship with that elder and learning about the elder, to identify, help him identify the abuse that might be taking place. They can go to the elder’s home and invite them to engage with other local seniors who may be participants in the society that is visiting us here today.

I would encourage communication using the 1-800 numbers, getting in touch with other seniors and if the abuse continues and it escalates, they may well also want to get in touch with the RCMP. But definitely getting to know the elders and learning about them and finding out what’s going on in their lives is going to be critical and important.

Masi. Oral Questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the theme for today is about elders and seniors, I have some questions for the Minister of Housing. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Housing please advise the House how many public housing units have seniors in them in Nahendeh. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently there’s 37 public housing units with seniors residing in them in the Nahendeh communities. Of those 37 units, 29 of them are actually senior-designated, meaning that they are specifically designed with accessibility features and these include the eight new units in the Seniors Independent Housing complex that was just recently completed in Fort Liard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for her answer. It’s very encouraging. What is the Minister prepared to do to ensure our seniors are able to age in place and live in their communities in the Nahendeh Region?

The increase in senior’s population is really concerning to the Housing Corporation. We recognize that within the next five years, as much as 25 per cent increase in senior’s population within our territory. So in response to that, we’re really focusing on building senior’s independent living complexes within the communities and we’ve collaborated with Health and Social Services Department on the design of these complexes to make sure that they’re the most appropriate we can for our aging population.

The most recently completed facility, like I said, was in Fort Liard and that will be fully operational very soon. Of those facilities that we’re looking at building, they’ll house eight seniors in each unit and then they’ll also have a place for a caregiver within that just to make sure that the wellness of seniors is maintained as well.