Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Lutsel K'e (Aug 28/00) - It's increasingly difficult to find caregivers for Lutsel K'e elders.

Rachel Abel, manager of health programs with the Lutsel K'e Health and Social Services Board, said many elders in need of 24-hour care could be forced to relocate to Yellowknife or other larger centres if a solution can't be found.

"They don't want to leave the community and go into old folks homes in different regions, they want to stay," said Abel.

It's a critical issue in the community. One home care worker is responsible for all the elders and is only able to spend six hours a week with each one, said Abel.

Without volunteer help, the oldest of the community's elders would probably have been forced to leave their home town on the east shore of Great Slave Lake.

Terry Enzo, Andy Houle and their two sons moved in with elder Marie Casaway to ensure she received adequate care.

"They're good role models in our Elder Care Program. That's the way to go in taking care of our elders, to put them first and take good care of them," said Abel.

If Enzo and Houle had not taken it upon themselves to take care of Casaway, she would have been forced to move, something she has had to do once before.

"One time (Casaway) told us that living in one of those homes is like being in a movie because nobody understands her and she can't understand them. It's just like being a prisoner so she didn't want to go at all," said Abel.

The Lutsel K'e Health and Social Services Board is taking all possible measures to keep elders in the community as they get older.

One of the board's goals for this year is to actively promote family units and the concept of keeping family members united.

"That starts from pre-natal all the way up to elder care. It takes a whole community to raise a child and it's the same with the elders too.

"We have to take really good care of them and they can't be neglected or we can't think that 'oh, they will be okay' ... the communities should be the ones that take over the care instead of relying on outside resources," said Abel.

For now, Abel is going to keep her fingers crossed and hope more community members will volunteer to help the elders before it's too late.