Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 29/99) - Ten years ago the personal care facility of Aven Manor opened.

Five years later came the surrounding independent housing units in Aven Court.

The future could see the need for an on-site facility for seniors with dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.

"It would make sense to have it (on-site,)" said the outgoing president of the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors (YACCS) Al Falconer.

"But if it was found out that it was more suitable to have it somewhere else then so be it."

Falconer has been active in YACCS since the early 1980s and was president until the association's annual general meeting Sept. 22.

He said one of the assoiciation's goals is to have a home for seniors with cognitive impairment.

During the past year, YACCS made a presentation to the Stanton Regional Health Board and found out that the GNWT already has a needs assessment study underway focused on those with disabilities.

"We're going to wait and see if their study gives us the answers we want. If not, we're going to have to go out and do our own."

Housing is the major issue for area seniors, he said, and waiting lists exist for both Aven Court and Aven Manor.

The problem is that increasingly those with dementia are housed at Aven Manor.

"People who need Aven Manor for personal long term care are finding a bottleneck because there's people there who need to be moved to another facility properly designed for those with Alzheimer's or dementia," he said during a speech to the YACCS AGM.

"What's happening now is those people have to move to Stanton Regional Hospital.Nursing extended care is becoming custodial extended care where people have no medical reason to be in the hospital but are there because they are a security risk to themselves."

Falconer said the problem with having these people in the hospital is that it is not a cost-effective way to care for them. As such, a new facility needs to be built.

Falconer said another YACCS goal is to have more 44 units in Aven Court as originally envisioned. There are currently 24 units.

At the AGM, both Falconer and board member Steve Goudie each received pieces of art for their efforts on behalf of seniors.

Four people contested the two vacant board positions: Paul Berthelet, Dan Costache, Jacky Greene and Blake Lyons.

Berthelet won a position on the first ballot while Costache and Greene were tied.

Greene won a position on the second ballot.