This is page numbers 1153 - 1196 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 seniors.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my request to the Minister is: I think if people hear that there are potentially 450 deaths, that statistic has numerous qualifiers and a bunch of underlying assumptions built into it. When we hear that 5 percent of people get COVID and end up in the intensive care unit, once again, there are a number of qualifiers, and that's a worst-case scenario based on all of the qualifiers you said. My request to the Minister: could we publish some sort of report or data or put this out with all of the information out? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All the information we provided is good information, and it allows the people in the Northwest Territories to see how serious this pandemic is in comparison to the flu. Our department has good data and has the figures, and we would be able to provide that data publicly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my statement, I mentioned that there is a strategic plan to create safer communities for older adults. This wasn't a government strategy, but government was at the table along with various stakeholders for the seniors community. Are the strategy's recommendations still on the government's radar? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Can the Member repeat the question? Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. In my statement today, I mentioned there is a strategic plan to create safer communities for older adults. This wasn't a government strategy, but government was at the table along with other stakeholders from the seniors community. My question for the Minister is: are the strategy's recommendations still on the government's radar?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

The NWT Network to Prevent Abuse in Older Adults that the Member is referring to is comprised of representatives from non-profit organizations, service providers, Indigenous groups, and GNWT departments. The Department of Health and Social Services provides funding to the NWT Seniors' Society to support the Network to Prevent Abuse in Older Adults, and also to promote public awareness around recognizing the abuse, preventing, support and programming.

With the funding we provided to them, the NWT Seniors' Society is making progress, so yes, we are doing the work on three strategic priorities. The public education, like the Member mentioned in her statement, public education, education and training, community responses that are all recognized in the strategy, and yes, we are continuing to do the work together.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Minister for that response. The strategy included three recommendations directed to government. The first is to implement a centralized data reporting system for all cases of abuse of older adults in the NWT. Is there such a data reporting system in place at this time?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

I am not aware. The Member did mention that this is their report and this is their progress, so I'm not sure if there is data that is related to that.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Minister for that. This recommendation was aimed at government to set up a centralized data reporting system. Another of the recommendations was to research the need for legislation which would protect older adults from abuse. Is this something that is anywhere on the government's radar?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

The GNWT is committed to supporting the ongoing work to protect seniors from abuse and providing, again, ongoing funding to support this network. We are committed to working actively as members of this NWT network so that we can continue to prevent the abuse of elders, and also looking to explore the renewal of this network strategy.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that. The Minister said that there was a possibility that this strategy would be renewed. Now is certainly the time. It was a 2015 to 2020 strategy. Can the Minister tell us what steps she is planning to take with stakeholders to renew this focus on elder abuse? Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

In addition to the work that is specific to seniors, the department is also taking steps to address and reduce the family violence in general. The department has looked at the strategy. It is coming up for expiry, and I did mention that we are looking to work together, and that is something we will look at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. One of the most common questions that I get from constituents right now is in regards to family unification and being able to visit with family in the Northwest Territories. I am wondering if the Minister of Health and Social Services can speak to instances where family is allowed to come to the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the COVID virus came, when it started happening all over the world, the GNWT took extreme measures to ensure that we restricted a lot of things, and that meant closing down some of our long-term care centres, and that meant putting restrictions in place. I look back, and a lot of family were not able to visit, and that was hard for a lot of families because we weren't allowing them into the long-term care centres. You look at some of the places now, and there are innovative ways where we can allow visits that are safe to our elders and seniors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

One of the most common reasons that people reach out for wanting family members to come north is because of compassionate exemptions for childcare. A lot of people are still working, schools are closed, and childcare is very expensive in the Northwest Territories, and so they are looking to have family members come north to provide childcare assistance. I'm just wondering, what is the proper way for people to request these exemptions through the Department of Health and Social Services?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

There are two public health officers to put orders in place, however, within the orders, there are exemptions. One of the exemptions is to make an application to Protect NWT or call 8-1-1 and request the exemption for families to be able to reunite, especially in the situation of childcare.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

What is the anticipated wait time that somebody should expect to hear back from Protect NWT?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

It varies. I talked in the House this week about how busy our Protect NWT is, and how busy our 8-1-1 is. We are getting to the tune of 1,600. I can't remember, but we are getting a lot of requests for exemptions, for complaints, for enforcement, border control. Our Chief Public Health Officer mentioned that it would take anywhere between five to 10 days for a response. With that, I ask residents and people who are coming to the Northwest Territories to plan ahead. You can't expect to just file your self-isolation plan and expect to know in a day or two. It does take time. If people are travelling around, you should file your plan as soon as you know. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.