The first northern health conference in nearly a decade is underway in Saskatchewan.
The presentations and discussions cover four health authorities in northern Saskatchewan: Athabasca, Keewatin Yatthe Regional, Mamaweetan Churchill River (MCRHA), and Northern Intertribal (NITHA).
On Wednesday afternoon, panelists on a discussion of long-term care and seniors issues brought forward some of the struggles they face.
Laurie Zarazun with MCRHA said one of the biggest voids in the north is day programming for people with special needs. She said too often children go from school to sitting in front of a television “day in and day out,” which hurts quality of life and health.
In a question and answer segment, people brought forward issues like the costs of palliative care and how to access funding for someone to be able to die at home. Another person asked if there is any help for elders with dietary needs due to diabetes, and one man bluntly stated that homecare aides in his community often don’t even show up for their appointments.
The intent of the conference is “for people to bring their, sometimes their individual stories, and tell their stories,” Ile a la Cross’s mayor Duane Favel said, “and hopefully the health districts can go back and develop a strategy to address some of the issues that are being raised here.”
Healthcare in Saskatchewan’s northern health authorities faces unique struggles. Favel says transportation is a big one.
“Distance and geography, I mean, is a huge challenge, especially when you start going further north to the far north which means the travel is expensive and extensive,” he said.
Favel says they want to let people know the struggles, but also the good things.
“Just to create awareness in terms of some of the good things that are happening throughout the north but obviously we have tremendous struggles as well when it comes to health and services in northern Saskatchewan,” he said.
Despite some negative points, one man whose brother has Alzheimer’s told the crowd of about 100 people at Prince Albert’s Ches Leach Lounge that there’s nowhere he’s rather get sick than the north.
He explained that if his brother wanders out in his home community of Buffalo Narrows, residents would be willing to take him home. But if that happened in a city, the man said it wouldn’t be the same story.
The optimistic attitude carried through as panelists describes their health care “wish list” of sorts. Faye Michayluk said having full First Nations staff in the health-care field in the north is something to strive to, even though it’s not possible at present.
She also spoke of the importance of flexibility when caring for elders, so that the comfort of their daily routine is not stripped from them.
The conference continues ends Thursday in Prince Albert. Topics include mental wellness, suicide, HIV, and addictions.