Through the VON, we established contact with the Canadian Caregiver Coalition. When we spoke with the representatives of that coalition, we mentioned the need for francophone employees both in the agencies and among the volunteers who help people with cancer or any other kind of illness and who need care. That's why we are working with them, so they are increasingly aware that they are not always able to provide services in the language chosen. So we also want to try to make the VON aware of the importance of having employees who speak French to respond to the needs of these francophone individuals who need nursing care at home.
I lived in a rural community where there are couples who are basically separated because the person who is ill can no longer receive care at home. Patients must move to another community 15 or 20 miles away from their homes. It may not seem far to us, but for elderly people who need to take their car and do the trip in the winter, on the roads in Manitoba, it doesn't work. We need to provide better services at home.