Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you. I'd like to ask the deputy minister if he can provide anything on that. Thank you.

Thank you. Deputy minister Cooper.

Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I see that the respite fund here has a consistency number of $475,000, and I just want to get a sense of if that's enough for the territory and for the respite needs across the territory. Does the Minister know how many clients that serves and the average number of hours of respite that that provides? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Yes, thank you. I -- I am not clear about the demand for the respite fund and whether this is -- this is spaces inside long-term care where respite beds are available for people, or whether this is for use in their homes. I'll ask the deputy minister if he has any information on this.

Thank you. Deputy minister Cooper.

Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

No. Thank you, Madam Chair. No, I'm not sure why that figure went down. I wonder if Mr. Elkin might know that. Thank you.

All right. Mr. Elkin.

Yes. Yes.

Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.

Yeah, thank you very much, Madam Chair. No, I was just curious because I think anywhere that shows how we've spent less money in healthcare is a good learning opportunity, and maybe it just means we need more money from the feds at the end of the day. But thank you. No more questions.

Thank you. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I -- I'm looking on page 196, long-term care -- sorry, long term and continuing care services.

I just want to mention that we -- in our community of N'dilo and Dettah and Lutselk'e, we have a senior home that's basically a five-plex in our community, and I guess -- when I was listening to the Chief talk about bringing nurses out there to look at providing some services and sit down with the elders in the old folks home and have that relationship, whether it be providing services like your medical, pills, and all that stuff I guess, they -- they want to see the nurse come to these facilities and have their relationship with the elders as well. So I'm wondering maybe to the Minister I'd like to extend that invitation too as well to you to come to the community of N'dilo, Dettah, Lutselk'e, and also Fort Resolution and meet with the Chief and council and the Metis council and see what the issues are and concerns and perhaps next year this time, we could start building a budget to address some of the issues and concerns in those communities. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Yes, thank you. Home and community care includes nursing care but it also includes personal support workers. And so as far as I know, both are available in the communities. That's part of our commitment to helping people to age in place. But I certainly am happy to hear more specific questions from the leadership in those communities and ideas about what kinds of services they think people need. Again, there was a home and community care review done a number of years ago in 2019, and it provided us with gaps and ideas about how to fill them.

One of the -- one of the main areas was standardizing what it is that nurses provide versus personal support workers or licensed practical nurses, and so we're still in the process of implementing the changes that were outlined in the home and community care section.

So I can, when I come to your communities, bring with me more specific information about what we're providing. And you're right, I mean this -- the point of reviewing the budget now, of course, is for the next fiscal year but you'd be surprised how quickly we start talking about fiscal year after that and start planning for the things that communities want and need. Thank you.