Deh Cho MLA envisions 'homecare units' for isolated seniors

The MLA for the Deh Cho region of the Northwest Territoriessays he would like to see an expansion of homecare services to accommodate isolated communities such as Kakisa, where elders are pleading for such help.

Many seniors in the territory would rather stay in their communities than go to long-term care facilities, Michael Nadli told CBC News, and one possible solution would be "homecare units" that could visit the communities.

"A unit, if I could be more clear, is a team of homecare workers with a designated registered nurse that could go out into the community," he said.

• Kakisa elders 'left to fend for themselves' without homecare, residence

"With with an increased interest of senior people to live in their own homes as long as possibleand with an aging population, it just makes practical sense for us to revisit the whole concept of the homecare programs."

A benefit to elders staying in their communities,Nadli said, is they are more active because they do things such as chopping their own wood. However, he added, it becomes a health concern when the homes are unsafe due to overcrowding and poor sanitation.

Lloyd Chicot,chief ofKakisa, says a public health nurse is supposed to visit once a month, but consistency has been a problem.

The CBC is waiting for a response from the department of health.