Evidence of meeting #109 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was terms.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
I need to move on with the questioning so that it's fair.
Questioning now goes to MP Anandasangaree.
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Dan, maybe they could finish answering that question first.
Liberal
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
To MP Waugh's comment on the challenge in the north in terms of the Inuit communities and of course Nunavut and the territorial governments, we've transferred all the resources and funding for home care. They partner with communities and the various service delivery organizations to ensure that they have a culturally competent workforce. That's their area of interest. I know they're doing a lot of progressive work there with lay people in the community who could be part of the home care team. It's not always just the home care nurse.
There are some interesting innovations happening there, and I just wanted to touch on that.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
I have a general question. All three of you have been doing your jobs for a few years, I imagine.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I'm acting for one year, apparently.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Just as a general question, what's the greatest need out there? If we could make a recommendation to improve the system, what would you suggest?
That's an open question.
Executive Director, Office of Primary Health Care, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
For us, I would say, looking at the issue of long-term care, we're really trying to make sure that we don't determine the solution before we've really assessed the problem. Again, I would look at the importance of working with partners and thinking about that continuum of care. Long-term care isn't necessarily the solution for everybody. We're looking across the continuum at options for everybody that would work for everybody as individuals and communities.
That's certainly the focus we've been taking.
Senior Director, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Education and Social Development Programs and Partnerships Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I would agree that looking at a continuum of services will be really very important, because the needs of each community will be very different. The needs of people are very different even within communities. We need to have an approach that is flexible and that allows services to be delivered as they are needed.
I think partnerships will also be very important. As people around the table have pointed out, economies of scale remain an important consideration in terms of looking at how we can build partnerships to ensure that services can be delivered when they're needed.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
My little two cents is that your committee researchers will no doubt find some interesting environmental scans, research documents, and discussion documents to kind of drill down and do a deep dive on that very question around what's needed, the variations of needs, and how to look at this holistically from a continuum perspective in terms of analysis. It's out there. Some of it's dated but still current and relevant to today's reality.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Obviously, you can look at the social determinants of health. If you improve those, you are doing a lot.
I don't have any more, Chair.
NDP
Romeo Saganash NDP Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to get back to those barriers you spoke about in the presentation. It was fascinating to hear you say, and to read in your document, that the continuing care working group study in 2006-08 “revealed gaps that are still relevant today”. You then go through the barriers. One of them is related to long waiting lists for provincial and territorial facilities.
What kind of data do we possess in that regard? For instance, do we have data with respect to first nation and Inuit occupancy in those provincial and territorial facilities?
Executive Director, Office of Primary Health Care, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I do think we have that information available. I don't have it at my fingertips, but I think we certainly could pull that together for the committee. The wait times are long.
NDP
Romeo Saganash NDP Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
Yes, the waiting lists are long, but I imagine it might also be difficult for first nations or Inuit to access those facilities at times. I was in not Nunavut but the Yukon not too long ago, speaking with the indigenous leaders there, and they mentioned that it was difficult for their own people to access those facilities. There might be some challenges in that respect as well. Is that possible?
Executive Director, Office of Primary Health Care, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
For sure. The other point that I think is worthwhile pointing out is the fact that the wait times are long, but is the care that's received in the long-term care facilities culturally appropriate? Too, is it culturally safe? I think that's another thing that's important to take into consideration—long wait times, and then making sure that people delivering care in the long-term care facilities have the cultural competencies required to deliver the appropriate services.
NDP
Romeo Saganash NDP Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
Does your department plan to revisit the study that was done in 2006-08 and to address those barriers?
Executive Director, Office of Primary Health Care, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
We are. We've been asked to look at the issue of long-term care and explore what the policy options are. We actually have CIHR, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, working with us to put on a “best brains exchange”, a knowledge-sharing event, in June. That will look at the issue of long-term care and the potential models. What are the innovative models that can be drawn upon to be able to meet the needs of indigenous people in Canada? Hopefully, from that we'll go on to further develop our thoughts in terms of how to meet those needs.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
Thank you.
We've run out of time. I want to thank you for coming out. We appreciate your comments. Thank you for participating.
We'll now be moving in camera. I want to thank everyone who attended. I wish you well. Have a great weekend. Adios.
Gary.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Before we move in camera, I have a summer intern. I just want to make sure the committee is okay with....