Nunavut voters want to bring their elders home, is anyone listening? – CBC
Lack of regional elder care facilities leave residents in Rankin Inlet wondering when the government will act
October 24, 2017
It’s a common theme for MLA candidates across Nunavut in this year’s territorial election: build facilities to keep elders in Nunavut when they are no longer able to care for themselves — or be cared for — at home.
In Rankin Inlet the issue is close to heart. The community of 2,840 people has no long-term elder care facilities. This means elders there or in nearby communities of Whale Cove and Chesterfield Inlet — each with a population of 435 — face the prospect of either having to leave the region, or leave Nunavut entirely, to find room in an elder care home.
According to the most recent statistics, there are more than 1,400 people aged over 65 in Nunavut. Between Rankin Inlet, Whale Cove and Chesterfield Inlet, there are 126 people aged 65 or older.
As it stands now, across Nunavut there are just 27 long-term care beds split between Igloolik, Gjoa Haven and Cambridge Bay. There are additional assisted living facilities in Iqaluit, Baker Lake and Arviat.
Read More: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/elders-facilities-nunavut-election-issue-1.4368219
