A Nunavut politician has launched a petition calling upon government officials to improve senior care in the territory.
SA国际影视传媒淚nuit Elders donSA国际影视传媒檛 have a voice SA国际影视传媒� they rely on us to speak for them,SA国际影视传媒� reads the petition. SA国际影视传媒淭hey want to stay with their families and with their community. But they are being moved SA国际影视传媒� often sent out of the territory to southern Canada SA国际影视传媒� they are being removed and isolated to live alone and never return.
SA国际影视传媒淭here should be a plan, today for each community SA国际影视传媒� not just regional centres SA国际影视传媒� to have space to care for Elders.SA国际影视传媒�
Created by former cabinet minister Manitok Thompson, and others, the petition asks the Government of Nunavut to build an Elder care home in each community and refurbish existing ones.
It is also asking the government to start building skills in communities to meet EldersSA国际影视传媒� medical needs and to draw up plans to bring Elders under care in the south back to Nunavut.
The petition comes amid criticism of the Elder care strategy in Nunavut.
As Nunavut News has previously reported, John Main, the MLA for Arviat North-Whale Cove, called-out the GNSA国际影视传媒檚 existing plan for regional long-term care centres for being too SA国际影视传媒渢op-downSA国际影视传媒�.
SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 deeply disappointed in the planning to date SA国际影视传媒� I feel that our government has built its position on a very poor foundation on Elder care,SA国际影视传媒� he said during a fall 2020 sitting of the legislative assembly. SA国际影视传媒淯nfortunately, since the development of our mandate, it appears much of the governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 work on Elder care has shifted to behind closed doors.SA国际影视传媒�
The GN plans to build a 24-bed long-term care centre in Rankin Inlet beginning in 2021. Another 24-bed facility will be built in Cambridge Bay and a 48-bed care centre will be located in Iqaluit.
However, requests for similar facilities in Kugluktuk, Pond Inlet, Baker Lake and Kinngait have been rejected.
Thompson said she hopes the petition can be tabled in the legislative assembly following the territorial election on Oct. 25.
SA国际影视传媒淚 think itSA国际影视传媒檚 the right timing before the elected members take their seats,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Repeating the past
Thompson didnSA国际影视传媒檛 mince words about the practice of sending Elders to southern facilities.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e repeating the 1960s with our Elders,SA国际影视传媒� she said, drawing a parallel between the current situation and the federal governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 forceful send-off of many Inuit tuberculosis patients during the epidemics of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
Both policies caused widespread suffering for Indigenous people in Canada and a SA国际影视传媒渓oss of languageSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渟ocial values.SA国际影视传媒�
Since 2014, a number of Nunavummiut Elders have been sent to live in long-term care facilities in the south because of a lack of capacity in the territory, according to the GNSA国际影视传媒檚 Continuing Care in Nunavut plan 2015 to 2035.
SA国际影视传媒淭he monthly cost ranges from $3,900 to $5,900 for each out-of-territory long-term care resident,SA国际影视传媒� it states. SA国际影视传媒淔amily Services is funding at least one of the out-of-territory long-term care residents.SA国际影视传媒�
Over 40 Elders are currently staying at the Embassy West Senior Living centre in Ottawa, said Thompson, who became an advocate for Elders after personally discovering that her missing friend had been living at the facility, she said.
It happened on a visit to the centre in 2016. Thompson, who lives in Ottawa, unexpectedly found her friend Tommy Partridge, a Nunavut Elder who had been missing for years.
His family was unaware he was living thousands of kilometres from his home and thought he was dead, she said.
SA国际影视传媒淚 went there because an Elder had specifically asked for me to come and visit her and to pray with her,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 walking down the hall and I saw this man that was from Rankin Inlet, Tommy Partridge. I posted (a photo of) him on Facebook. I said, SA国际影视传媒業 found Tommy Partridge, heSA国际影视传媒檚 here in Embassy West.SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒�
Thompson said some of the Elders staying at Embassy West were sent down south for tuberculosis treatment in the 1960s, SA国际影视传媒渁nd now that they are in their 70s and 80s, the government is sending them back down south with no services to make them feel comfortable. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 unacceptable in this day and age.SA国际影视传媒�
Thompson hopes the new MLAs will address the issue SA国际影视传媒渙utside the box of the usual big government bureaucracy,SA国际影视传媒� because SA国际影视传媒淚f they go through the regular government process, weSA国际影视传媒檙e not going to see Elder homes for the next 10 years.SA国际影视传媒�
She called on the GN to work with municipal governments to renovate existing buildings to find accommodations for Elders in the short-term until more permanent spaces can be found SA国际影视传媒渂ecause our Elders, these ones that are in Embassy West, they donSA国际影视传媒檛 have long to live. They are not going to wait another 10 years to go home.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淲e cannot ignore the Elders anymore. We cannot ignore them and just put them away in Ottawa,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
SA国际影视传媒淚f the government can build tourism buildings, terminal buildings, arenas, schools SA国际影视传媒� these are very important SA国际影视传媒� but if they can do that, surely, they can renovate existing buildings in the communities to address this issue as soon as possible,SA国际影视传媒� she continued.
