The need for improvements to the provincial self-managed home care program

Monday April 12, I called in Question Period for the government to better organize and deliver the provincial self-managed care program so it is easier to access. My question and the Minister's response are below

Home-Care Services
Self-Managed Care Program

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Home care should be the first option for seniors who need it. Important steps to facilitate it–facilitate this are, first, to ensure shut-in seniors can receive the vaccine in their home and, second, to improve access to self-managed care.

Right now, the self-managed care program is confusing and too many seniors are being treated with hostility and resentment for wanting to use it, and they are being deterred from using it.

When will the Minister of Health act to make sure that the self-managed care program is working more smoothly and is adequately resourced to ensure more seniors can continue to live in their own home instead of having to move to a long-term-care home?

Hon. Heather Stefanson (Minister of Health and Seniors Care): Well, Madam Speaker, we certainly agree with that approach. We want to ensure that we find ways for seniors to remain in their homes as long as possible with their loved ones.

And certainly we recognize that and we are working with Shared Health, with the regional health authorities, to ensure that we put together a plan to ensure that that takes place, Madam Speaker.

With respect, the member opposite mentioned the COVID vaccine, getting it out to as many communities as possible. That's what we have been doing, with respect to our pop-up clinics, as well as our FIT teams, Madam Speaker.

We'll continue to work with those to ensure that we have greater access to all Manitobans, who need, want and deserve the vaccine.

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Comparison between Manitoba and South Dakota shows dramatic impact of Physical Distancing

Manitoba implemented physical distancing measures in mid-March. South Dakota has still not made physical distancing mandatory. The result is a dramatic difference in the incidence of covid-19 viral infections between the two jurisdictions. This graph shows the number of people with Covid-19 infections from March 27 to April 14. Manitoba ( red line ) started leveling off about April 4 and has seen only a small increase in Covid-19 infections since then. South Dakota ( blue line ) has seen a dramatic increase in Covid-19 infections since April 4. Those who are skeptical of the impact of physical distancing in Manitoba should look at this graph! Data are from the Johns Hopkins daily tabulations

Pushing for safe consumption sites and safe supply to reduce overdose deaths

On Monday June 20th, Thomas Linner of the Manitoba Health Coalition, Arlene Last-Kolb Regional Director of Moms Stop the Harm and Winnipeg City Councillor Sherri Rollins were at the Manitoba Legislature to advocate for better measures to reduce deaths from drug overdoses, most particularly for safe consumption sites and for a safe supply, measures which can reduce overdose deaths.

There is an imperative to have a provincial plan to ensure every child learns to read

Too many Manitoba children with learning disabilities like dyslexia are not being identified and helped early on starting in Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2. The Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that it is the provinces responsibility to ensure that every child learns to read, and even when, in the case of a child with dyslexia intensive intervention is needed. In 12 years Manitoba has failed to produce a provincial plan to address this issue. We are holding a Forum (see below) on this subject. Please come out to the Forum. There is no cost. Everyone is welcome. To learn more about the need to do better helping children, youth and adults with a learning disability click on this link

The Gerrard Report

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