This is page numbers 887 - 916 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd 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 going.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just remembered something prior to the question. We are doing a supported living review so that we can be able to determine all of our patients who are having to have services outside of the territory, to do a review so that we can repatriate them eventually.

In terms of the past, sorry, Madam Chair, I'm just going to ask Deputy Minister Cooper. I don't have the numbers in front of me to be able to offhand say how many people we have actually brought back in the prior years. 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

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister, please.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Cooper

Thank you, Madam Chair. Unfortunately, I do not have the number either, but it's something we will endeavour to see if we have in the department. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Deputy Minister. We will take that as a commitment to return. Member for Hay River South.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. What is the average cost, I guess, per person per year to house them down South? 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

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. In front of me, I don't have that number, but we have to recognize that it would all depend on their level of care. The patients that we have outside of the territories, whatever services they are providing, it all would depend. I don't believe we have numbers at this time. 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

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Hay River South.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. It sounds like it's about $200,000 per person. It just seems to be a fairly hefty number. It would be nice to see, start to look at ways to bring people back here. In saying that, you mentioned a variety of issues that people have, and I am not sure if there is kind of a theme to that, if there are more in one area or not. What is it that we are short of here in the NWT that we have to send these people South? What are we short on the ground? 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

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm not aware of the specifics, and I will ask Deputy Minister Cooper to be able to dig deeper into specific care needs and costs. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Cooper

Thank you, Madam Chair. This comes down to care intensity. Often, you have individuals who require one-on-one, 24/7 care. Sometimes, you have people who have feeding tubes or special, very intense care needs. Sometimes, you have individuals who have behaviour issues which require a good workforce of people trained in different methods of behavioural modification and different tools and strategies. What it comes down to is a mixture of probably some human resource capacity issues, the ability to have to guarantee a continuous service over the life of a person inside a market that can fluctuate, expertise. Sometimes, it's actually having facility with the correct equipment and to be able to provide the level of care that's required. It really comes down to an individual-case decision about when someone would be cared for in the South. Many of these arrangements are historical. They go back quite a ways, and some of them are family-based care arrangements and where individuals with disabilities have a kinship relationship there. It's their family now, in some ways, that they're living with. There are tangibles as I've described, and there are also some intangibles for some of the people who are there now that we expect our review will show. 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

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Hay River South.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess the next question is: you said that there are some people that have been down there for quite a number of years. How many of those people have we lost to the Alberta healthcare system, if any? 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

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't know that level of detail. However, I can look to Mr. Cooper to be able to see if he's got specific numbers on how many we have lost as a result of them going to Alberta. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister, please.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Cooper

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to confess that I'm not sure what "lost to the healthcare system" means, if it means people who have died while in Alberta or if it means individuals who are now being cared for by Alberta. There would be none of those because anybody who is in Alberta in arrangement who is an NWT, was an NWT resident, is remaining in our care while in Alberta. If it's the former question about the lifespan or different health events that occur, I don't know the answer to that question.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Hay River South.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. My understanding, as well, with dementia, we have facilities here in Yellowknife to place people, but we don't really have any facilities outside Yellowknife with the proper care, and we send people to Alberta. Can you give me an indication if this government's looking to expand that type of care outside Yellowknife? An example would be Hay River. We have a building that's going to be available, and I just want to get an indication if that is something that this government would be looking at. 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

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister.

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I'm smiling at the Member. We do provide dementia care throughout the Northwest Territories in our facilities, so thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Julie Green

Thank you, Minister. Anything further? Last question, Member for Hay River South?