Second Session - Thirty-Fifth Leglslature oflhe Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS (HANSARD) 40 Elizabeth II Publ/shedunder the authority of The Honourable DenisC.Rocsn Speaker VOL XL No. 768. 7 p.m., TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1991 MG-8048 ISSN 0542-5492 Printedthe by Office of theQueens Printer. Provinceof Manitoba MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Fifth Legislature LIB - Liberal; ND - New Democrat; PC - Progressive Conservative NAME CONSTITUENCY PARTY. ALCOCK, Reg Osborne LIB ASHTON, Steve Thompson ND BARRETT, Becky Wellington ND CARR, James Crescentwood LIB CARSTAIRS, Sharon River Heights LIB CERILLI, Marianne Radisson ND CHEEMA, Guizar The Maples LIB CHOMIAK, Dave Kildonan ND CONNERY, Edward Portage la Prairie PC CUMMINGS, Glen, Hon. Ste. Rose PC DACQUAY, Louise Seine River PC DERKACH, Leonard, Hon. Roblin-Russell PC DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk ND DOER, Gary Concordia ND DOWNEY, James, Hon. Arthur-Virden PC DRIEDGER, Albert, Hon. Steinbach PC DUCHARME, Gerry, Hon. Riel PC EDWARDS, Paul St. James LIB ENNS, Harry, Hon. Lakeside PC ERNST, Jim, Hon. Charleswood PC EVANS, Clif Interlake ND EVANS, Leonard S. Brandon East ND FILMON, Gary, Hon. Tuxedo PC FINDLAY, Glen, Hon. Springfield PC FRIESEN, Jean Wolseley ND GAUDRY, Neil St. Boniface LIB GILLESHAMMER, Harold, Hon. Minnedosa PC HARPER, Elijah Rupertsland ND HELWER, Edward R. Gimli PC HICKES, George Point Douglas ND LAMOUREUX, Kevin lnkster LIB LATHLIN, Oscar The Pas ND LAURENDEAU, Marcel St. Norbert PC MALOWAY, Jim Elm wood ND MANNESS, Clayton, Hon. Morris PC MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows ND McALPINE, Gerry Sturgeon Creek PC McCRAE, James, Hon. Brandon West PC MclNTOSH, Linda, Hon. Assiniboia PC MITCHELSON, Bonnie, Hon. River East PC NEUFELD, Harold, Hon. Rossmere PC ORCHARD, Donald, Hon. Pembina PC PENNER, Jack Emerson PC PLOHMAN, John Dauphin ND PRAZNIK, Darren, Hon. Lac du Bonnet PC REID, Daryl Transcona ND REIMER, Jack Niakwa PC RENDER, Shirley St. Vital PC ROGAN, Denis, Hon. Gladstone PC ROSE, Bob Turtle Mountain PC SANTOS, Conrad Broadway ND STEFANSON, Eric, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC STORIE, Jerry Flin Flon ND SVEINSON, Ben La Verendrye PC VODREY, Rosemary Fort Garry PC WASYLYCIA -LEIS, Judy St. Johns ND WOWCHUK, Rosann Swan River ND 4119 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, July 2, 1991 The House met at 7 p.m. As a government, two initiatives that I would like to basically discuss with my honourable friend: First CONCURRENT COMMITTEES OF SUPPLY of all, ongoing development of the role of the ministry of Seniors-I think those Estimates have passed. I SUPPLY-HEALTH am not sure. I think they have been dealt with. There is an overall role of the ministry of Seniors that Mr. Deputy Chairman (Marcel Laurendeau): is maturing, not the least of which is lead Order, please. The committee will be continuing. responsibility on the issue of elder abuse as one of We will now start on Appropriation 3. Continuing the initiatives. Then within the Healthy Public Policy Care Programs (a) Administration: (1) Salaries general policy direction-I guess it would be the $95,200. Shall the item pass? safest terminology to use-we are attempting to Ms. Judy Wasylycla-Lels (St. Johns): Just by further co-ordinate and initiate service delivery as way of moving on this whole area of continuing care government so that in around Healthy Public Policy, and seniors, let me just ask a couple of general depending on the issue, you can have Family questions in terms of some commitments previously Services,Educati on, Health, Justice, Housing. It is made. I note that during thepast election a number part of those discussions which are government's of promises were made. One was an overall response, so there are twoline ministries and then, strategy for seniors. I am wondering if the minister under Healthy Public Policy, government's could comment at this time in terms of progress on response. meeting that promise. What I think is fair to say is that we are building Hon. Donald Orchard (Minister of Health): Mr. on and certainly maturing a number of initiatives that Deputy Chairman, let me deal first of all with the have been startedover the past 20 years in trying ministry's strategy. -(interjection)-That is advice that to maintain, and I think successfully trying to I will take from my honourable friend the member for maintain, our leadership in Canada in terms of St. Johns. services and opportunities for seniors in the Let me deal first off with the ministry's response. province of Manitoba. As we discussed earlier on in the reorganization of Ms. Wasylycla-Lels: I take it that the promise to the ministry, we have brought together under one develop a five-year health strategy for seniors is in ADM, Betty Havens, the responsibility for the works. Continuing Care Programs; inclusive of the Mr. Orchard: That is all part of it. Part of that Continuing Care Program, issues of PCH, personal component, of course, is the Health Advisory care home rehabilitation and support services, and Network task force on health promotion for the chronic care. That blends functions that were the elderly, services to the elderly. So that my line of reporting for which was both within the honourable friend knows, I have received that ministry through Regional Services and Continuing report. I have only got through the summary and the Care, and through the commission in terms of, for first to get through. I did instance, personal care homes. report. I have two others not get over them all over the weekend, but certainly * (1905) there are some recommendations within there in the In doing so, we are bringing together under one first report that I have read and in the overview, administrative line the major program expenditures which complement initiatives that we have already and policy areas of one ADM who continues as undertaken, as I have described already, within the Provincial Gerontologist. So, in the ministry of ministry in terms of line reportingwithin the ministry Health, we are bringing together those areas of of Health, maturing of program and policy in the responsibility toward the seniors population in the ministry of Seniors, and then the Healthy Public province of Manitoba. Policy initiative. 4120 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA July 2, 1991 Ms. Wasylycla-Lels: I take it, from that, the Mr. Orchard: In-home aid and personal care? minister has now received the final task force reports Ms. Wasylycla-Lels: That is what your Premier on health services for the elderly, and we can now (Mr. Filmon) promised. talk about them. Mr. Orchard: Again, that is part of the ongoing Mr. Orchard: Yes, I have, but you have not, so improvements to Home Care that we have maybe we cannot talk about them. I have not undertaken, some of which I hope we get to discuss released the final reports to my honourable friend, tonight in terms of service co-ordinators, et cetera. so I would not know what she was quoting from other than its being the interim reports. I simply cannot Ms.Wasylycla-L els: Could the minister indicate, tell you whether there are variations or changes give us a breakdown in terms of the increase for therefrom, so until we table a report, I would prefer Continuing Care announced in the last budget? Is to keep discussions to a generic level, if you will. it primarily in terms of volume and caseloads, or is it spread throughout this whole area? * (191 0) Mr. Orchard: There is both, Mr. Deputy Chairman, Ms. When might we expect the Wasylycla-Lels: but to answer my honourable friend on respite care, minister to table those reports? let us just go back to '87-88 when there was the Mr. Orchard: I would answer with a rhetorical change in government. question: When might we expect to finish the There were 742 admissions in '87-88. For '88-89 ministry of Health Estimates so I can get on with that had grown to 804; tor '89-90, 893 and '90-91 , reading them? 925. The number of days of care increased in the Ms.Wasylycla- Lels: It depends on the length of same year, '87-88, 10,793 to 11,395 to 13,193 to the minister's answers to usually short questions. 13,724, so we are on a constant increase. The My next question has to do with some specific number of homes offering respite care were 27 in parts to the five-point promise in the 1990 election 1987-88; to 32 in '88-89; to 34 in '89-90; to a fairly with respect to health care in seniors. Has there large increase in '90-91 to 42. The number of been a move to keep the promise to expand the individuals served were 486 in '87-88; down slightly respite care program providing additional home to 471 in '88-89; up to 534 in '89-90; and a fairly base service for families caring for elderly parents? significant increase to 640 in 1990-91 , accounting for the additional new homes. Mr. Orchard: That is ongoing and has been partof Continuing Care, as well as institutional. In terms of the Continuing Care Program, I will provide my honourable friend with statistics. We Ms. Wasylycla-Lels: Is the minister saying that was a recycled election promise and that really that are looking at an increase in Home Care from did not reflect a particular need and therefore there Adjusted Vote in '90-91 of $48,425,000 to a requested level of funding of $54,966,600 this year, is no new initiative to respond to that promise? an increase of six and a half million and of 13.5 Mr.