Unilingual Inuit in Ottawa seniors' homes need translators, argues Nunavut MLA

Nunavut'sHealth Minister says he's exploring ways to provide full-time interpretation services for unilingual Inuit elderswho move to Ottawa for long-term care because there aren't enough facilities within the territory.

"A number of Nunavut elders are currently receiving care in Ottawa seniors' [residences] with very little access to Inuktitut language services," MLA David Joanasie said in the Nunavut Legislative Assembly on Friday.

"Nunavummiut go outside of the territory, out of not their own doing, but because the care's not available."

Earlier this year, the government tabled a 20-year strategy for improving continuing care in the territory which stated that at any given time 30 people are on the wait list for long-term care beds in Nunavut. At the end of February then-healthminister Paul Okalik said 44 people were on the list.

But what is perhapsmore troubling to families is the amountof time people spend on those lists.

"Some Nunavummiut have been on the waiting list for over 1,000 days," said the report. "Average wait times in Canadian jurisdictions vary from 34 days in Saskatchewan to 150 days in Nova Scotia."

'A guessing game' for elders

Joanasie says he was prompted to bring up the issue in the legislature afterseveral people in his constituency raised their concerns.

"I want to make sure that unilingual elders are represented when they need it," Joanasie said in an Inuktitut interview with CBC News.

"They have problems getting around or getting help when they need it."

Earlier this year, Nicholas Irkoktee told CBC he was worried about his unlingual grandmother, Bernadette, who was flown 2,000kilometres from her home in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, for a placement in an Ottawa retirement home.

"It was like kind of a guessing game for translation, charades, for my granny to try and talk to the nurses," he said.

"I wasn't just abandoning her on the street, but I still felt a sense of guilt, like there's something more I could have done instead of resorting to this."

A 'short-term' fix to a complex problem

When Nunavut residents are sent to Ottawa for medical care, Ottawa Health Services Network Inc. provides a number ofservicesfor patients througha territorial contract.

But not all elders qualify for a full-time translatorunder that agreement.

• For unilingual Nunavut elder, the nearest long-term care bed is 2,000 km away
• MLA outlines 'ludicrous' medical travel situation, as Nunavut contracts set to expire

As a temporary fix, NunavutHealth Minister George Hickes says he negotiated an arrangement with OHSNI to provide translation on an "as-needed"basis.

"We're currently exploring options and opportunities to put longer-term, full-time interpretation services available to residents that are in long-term care facilities," said Hickes.

We are forced right now to send people to outside of territory care.- Health Minister GeorgeHickes

"It's difficult to weigh the balance on making sure we're getting cost-effective care for our residents in those facilities and making sure that their needs are being met from a language and cultural component."

Hickes says his work to provide alternatives is "very preliminary" and, while past health ministers have looked into providing more and better care in the territory he has "revitalized" the topic.

Ultimate goal is for more care in Nunavut

Nunavuthas 25 communities, but only two Continuing Care Centres and three Elders Homes, said the report. There are also several long-term care beds at the territory's only hospital and the government is in the process of repurposing a section of the Kitikmeot Regional Health Centre in Cambridge Bay to provide residential long-term care.

Hickes says the territory's ultimate goal is to allow Nunavummiut to stay at home by providing "care in territory, by caregivers from Nunavut."

"Unfortunately, due to the high-level needs patients, that's a challenge for us, infrastructure-wise and capacity-wise. So we are forced right now to send people to outside-of-territory care."

The minister did not provide any specific numbers on how many elders are being cared for outside of Nunavut, but the government'scontinuing care strategy says the territory pays from$3,900 to $5,900 per month for each out-of-territory, long-term-care resident.

While the government struggles to find long-term solutions, families across the territory struggle with a difficult choice.

Should they carefor their loved one, who may be chronically ill, in ahomethat may beover-crowded or ill-equipped?Or should their sendtheir elderly relativethousands of kilometres for treatment in a foreign language?

"At some point, it may no longer be feasible to provide care at home," the continuing care report succinctly states.

"Increasingly, the person is sent to the Qikiqtani General Hospital [in Iqaluit] or out of territory."