Glen Abernethy

We only have only one dementia facility in the Northwest Territories, and that is the facility in Yellowknife. Individuals with dementia have a higher need and a higher requirement for support than individuals in long-term care who may have early-onset Alzheimer's or some level of minor dementia but not extreme dementia. Individuals with dementia, we try to get into the long-term or the dementia facility here in Yellowknife, but as the Member knows, as all Members know, we have a shortage of beds in the Northwest Territories. We are trying to come up with a plan to increase the number of beds...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated previously, when an incident does occur within any of our long-term care facilities, the immediate measures are taken to ensure the residents and staff are safe, such as separating the residents and removing other residents and staff from the area where the incident might be taking place, and doing what we can with the residents themselves to make sure that the altercation is ended as quickly as possible.

Currently, all of our new longterm care facilities are designed with cameras in public spaces, not in individual rooms as that would be seen as a breach of individuals' privacy. There is no current plan to put cameras in existing facilities, but, if the facilities were to approach us and wish to do that, we're certainly supportive of finding a way to make that happen within some of our existing facilities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of Minister Sebert, I wish to table the following seven documents entitled "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 15-18(2): Yellowknife RCMP Staff Housing," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 160-18(2): Colville Lake Solar Power Pilot Project," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 221-18(2): GNWT Liabilities for Cantung Mine Site Remediation," Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 239-18(2): Environmental Remediation Sites Along Great Bear Lake," Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 279-18(2): Assessment of "A New Day" Men's Healing Program," "Follow-up Letter to Oral...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled “Patient Supports (Escorts): Stakeholder Engagement and Program Options Medical Travel Modernization Project, Public Interest Options and Recommendations Report, May 2016” and “The Results Report (2015-2016) 20/20: A Brilliant North, NWT Public Service Strategic Action Plan.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I can’t recall the exact situation in Aklavik when you go to reduced services, it might mean that we have to reduce and only provide emergency services, so accidents, injuries that need immediate response, and not deliver any of our clinics, like Well Man or Well Woman, but I will confirm. I’m pretty sure we’re going to reduce services, which means we’re providing emergency services, but no clinical services for that short period of time. I will get that detail and confirm with the Member.

Mr. Speaker, one of the ways that we obviously engage in this way is through communities and regional governments with the on-the-land programming and things like that. Specifically in-house, the Community Counselling Program is a community-based service that is made up of counsellors as well as wellness workers. Having counsellors based in the communities means that they have the opportunity to engage and become more immersed in the culture of the communities where they happen to be living. In the Department of Health and Social Services we are also working on cultural competencies that all...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member in his statement actually identified a significant amount of the work that’s actually taking place in the communities. We do have the NWT Help Line which is available free of charge to all NWT residents, and, as the Member said, it is confidential and anonymous and is available 24/7. The department continues to support health and social services authorities to offer different courses and different services in the community such as the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training which is often referred to as ASIST, and the Mental Health First Aid...

No, Mr. Speaker. Any services that the clients or the residents in Aklavik have, that they require to leave the community to go to either Inuvik, Yellowknife, or Edmonton, those things are still scheduled, still appropriate and medical travel will still occur.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member’s nailed it exactly on the head. It’s as a result of holidays and some staff changes and turnover. We will do our best to have some locums come in to fill over these transition periods, some locums will be coming in this summer. Unfortunately, the timing hasn’t lined up, so we do have to go to reduced services for a short period of time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.