Wrigley (Sep 05/03) - It isn't exactly what they asked for, but Wrigley is getting some new houses that could be used by elders.

Pehdzeh Ki Chief Tim Lennie said the band had requested a seniors' complex with on-site care provided. However, the NWT Housing Corporation has allotted four two-bedroom units that could be used by elders who can still live on their own instead.

Although that wasn't the band's preference, the First Nation decided to take the offer since they got the construction contract, Lennie noted. That translates into jobs and training.

"We've overcame our differences and we've accepted those four units in the community," he said.

That doesn't mean the First Nation has lost interest in a seniors' care facility. Lennie acknowledged that budgeting through the territorial government's housing and health departments is limited.

The facility the band had in mind would also require a home care worker and a security guard.

The funding needed to build and run such a project could possibly come from industry, at least in part, he suggested.

Having elders remain in Wrigley -- rather than be sent to Fort Simpson for supervised residency -- is of great importance to local people, according to Lennie.

"(To have elders leave) takes away a lot from the community like the language, the cultures, the stories and legends. It's a sad thing to see," he said.

Kathy Tsetso, chief executive officer for Deh Cho Health and Social Services, said her department no longer funds care facilities under 10 beds.

For a smaller facility, home care support may be an option as the band is already eligible for home care funding, Tsetso said.

"It would be no different than the clusters (elders' residences in Fort Simpson). Some of the clientele get supported through home care, not nursing care, per se," she said.

The Pehdzeh Ki First Nation will hold a meeting within a week or two to decide who will occupy the four new housing units, Lennie said.

"Whether it's specifically for the elders, that will be up to the community itself," he said, noting that monthly rental may be an issue for elders on limited incomes.

He added that there is ample demand for housing from other residents in the community of 160 people.