Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (July 28/99) - A new initiative is under way which will see a comprehensive home-care program established for Inuit across the Kivalliq Region.

The Keewatin Regional Health Board's (KRHB) director of community health programs, Marguerite Riggs, says the program addresses a great need in Kivalliq. She says there is a formal home-care program already in place across Canada, but every province or territory is different in how it delivers that program.

"The focus of our efforts is that we really want to ensure the Inuit population receives the same level of home care, that it's not second best," says Riggs. "We have been building upon our resources and analyzing our needs and we will be heavily involved in the next phase which is community consultation."

The in-home services the KRHB currently provides differ from hamlet to hamlet, such as the regular home visits provided to Whale Cove's Rosie Voisey by nurse manager Stania Jirec (front page photo).

"People need support, but we can only respond in a limited way. We work very closely with the family on how to accomplish this. We're looking very closely at who would be the people to most benefit from in-home care. All our planning will involve the communities, especially patients who received in-home care in the past. What worked for them?

"With the elderly, sometimes just a couple of hours of a person going into their home to prepare a meal, helping them bath -- that minimal support can help keep them independent for a longer period of time. We want to focus on keeping people in their homes and as independent as possible.

"We want to see them remain productive, so they still provide input and are involved in their community."

Riggs says the new program will involve special training around personal care and how to provide that service. She lists education as being the main factor in providing that type of training

and says dedicated nurses will also be included in the new program.

The new delivery will have case management included in its core services, capable of co-ordinating the entire patient case load.

"We will also have rehab programs included in our non-core services, such as occupational and physical therapy and we will be working closely with those who suffer from mental health problems.

"It won't happen overnight, but, when all the details are in place, we will have the resources in place to meet the needs of our patients. Whether they be medical, spiritual or emotional, we will strive to ensure patients have the resources they need and that they are delivered in a manner sensitive to Inuit culture and tradition."