Tom Beaulieu

I'd like to ask the Minister if there will be more education and training for homecare workers in the NWT, should the money roll out? I don't want to make it a hypothetical question. I want to ask the Minister if there will be more education and training for future homecare workers in the NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. In the planned mandate for this government, we plan to have seniors age in place. I'd like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if he has begun any sort of planning at all with his staff on increased spending and homecare to accommodate aging in place? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There was going to be a question of mine on the federal commitment. However, after March 10th, after the Minister meets with her federal counterpart, what type of plan is there in place to roll up the communications for people, so people understand what is available from the Housing Corporation in the area of aging in place?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As is in our mandate, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation if she has had any discussions about changing housing repair programs to accommodate aging in place with her staff. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I guess firstly, in my language, just briefly. [English translation not provided]

Mr. Chair, I look at this mandate as a guiding document for the government as we move to try to improve the lives of our people in the Northwest Territories. I think the intention of all of us in the room is for that to happen. I think that we have the government, the people, to do that. We're able to look at the more serious areas of government, the more high-cost areas of government -- for example, health costs -- and I think we're doing things in here that will lower...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm trying to avoid a hypothetical question. Has the Minister and the department talked about the use of homecare nurses? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'd like to ask if the Minister has had any discussion with federal counterparts in the area of increased homecare support from the federal government.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure that we had ruled out our mandate relying on federal commitments on social infrastructure in order to move forward with our mandate. In our mandate, we say aging in place is a priority. I gave some of the numbers here on why it should be a priority, the amount of money we would save even in the capital construction or just in the people who are in long-term care now versus what it would cost to keep people at home, the health of the individuals, the elders that remain in their own homes, and so on. I am interested in that. Have there been discussions on...

I'm interested in aging in place as a concept or idea. So, specific to that, I recognize that there may be a need to change many of the housing programs. However, I was particularly interested if there have been any discussions beyond just conceptual, but discussions to a point maybe the staff are looking at some money that may be put into aging in place. Has the Minister had any discussions monetarily about how much money could be put in the budget for aging in place?

[English translation not provided.] Mr. Speaker, today I will be making a Member's statement on aging in place. Aging in place will keep seniors in their own homes and their own communities for as long as possible. In order to do this, the NWT Housing Corporation will have to make adjustments and changes to their repair programs. Mr. Speaker, aging in place, when the NWT Housing Corporation works with the Department of Health and Social Services' homecare program, can defer $125,000 per year per senior. That, Mr. Speaker, is the current cost of having one senior in long-term care for one year...