New seniors home opens in Behchoko
Language, culture at forefront as Tlicho members care for elders in newly built facility
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Monday, April 17, 2017
BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO
With emphasis on culture, traditional language and way of life, the new Jimmy Erasmus Seniors Home in Behchoko isn't your average longterm care facility.
MLA Jackson Lafferty, seated with microphone, welcomes guests to the grand opening ceremony of the Jimmy Erasmus Seniors Home in Behchoko on April 12. - photo courtesy GNWT via Twitter |
The building, which houses 18 elders, had its grand opening on April 12.
Tlicho Grand Chief Eddie Erasmus, who attended the grand opening, says one of the wonderful parts of the afternoon opening was seeing how many people from the community packed in to see the new building.
The facility holds eight more elders than its predecessor and stands at 1,935 square-metres in size.
It includes spaces for programming, social gatherings and a community hall.
"We are so pleased that so many of our people are able to work in that facility, taking care of our elders," Erasmus said.
He added more than 20 Tlicho members are responsible for caring for the elders there.
"Our Tlicho culture, language and way of life is so important, and it is especially important that at the end of their lives, our elders are able to be in a home with special care where they can speak their language, eat their traditional food and still remain a part of the community."
With a budget of $14.2 million, the building has been in construction over the past five years, beginning in April 2012.
The Department of Health and Social Services stated in an April 11 news release that the new facility has wider hallways and accessibility ramps for elders who have mobility challenges. There are also gardens, space for traditional and cultural gatherings and natural lighting.
Erasmus says he has been told the facility is already full. Although it serves all of the communities in the territory, he said it is especially a relief to Behchoko families that their elders won't be sent to facilities elsewhere.
"At first, there were concerns with the government of the Northwest Territories that the old longterm care facility would be closed and our elders would be placed in other facilities around the North," Erasmus said.
"The original Jimmy Erasmus Senior Home had outlived its useful life. It had many mechanical and maintenance problems, which were estimated to be very, very expensive to repair. So this building was necessary."
He attributes its successful completion to a close collaboration between the GNWT, the Tlicho government and the Tlicho Community Services Agency.
"It took people working together to get it done," he said.
"We see the value of these partnerships."
The structure was built by Tlicho Construction, said Erasmus, with funds from the GNWT. The Tlicho government paid for training so Tlicho members could work at the facility.
In the Health and Social Services news release, Minister Glen Abernethy stated the building will help to sate a growing need in the territory for assisted living and longterm care facilities.
"Investing in health infrastructure and ensuring we have effective homecare services in place will help meet this need," he stated.
According to the territorial government, a tipi will be erected on site for cultural activities.
Erasmus said he expects that structure to go up in the summer.
"It's a really wonderful facility for our community and our region," he said of the entire project.
"We've waiting a long time for this."
