The Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia introduced a bill on Wednesday that, if passed, would guarantee couples can stay together in long-term care homes when the time comes.
“What we can only imagine is how many married couples are split up that don’t have a voice. Well, I think they should have a voice,” party leader Jamie Baillie told reporters.
He referenced one couple whose family faced having to separate them due to only one spouse being allowed to live at a federal facility; the family has since decided to focus on keeping the couple together at another facility not just for veterans.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia family wants veterans care home to allow veteran’s wife to live there
“When the day comes for [the couple] to go into a nursing home in Nova Scotia, they will go as a couple,” said Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine.
He’s dealt with five similar cases since becoming minister and the problem sometimes lies with the different levels of care needed for each spouse, he said.
The issue will be addressed in the continuing care strategy, which a department spokesperson said there is no completion date for.
“I think that with the practice that we have started, it’s very clear that [the PCs are] really adopting the direction that we’ve staked out two years ago,” said Glavine.