Couples will now be able to stay together in long-term care, even if they require varying levels of care and even if one is admitted into a veterans’ facility.
The Life-Partners in Long-Term Care Act takes effect Monday, after it was proclaimed by Nova Scotia’s Liberal government in early February.
“I am so thankful of this law, that it came into effect,” said Linda Rogers, who says her parents were heartbroken when they were separated after 70 years of marriage.
“It was very sad to see the two of them separated because they lived for each other.”
The law comes into effect too late for her parents.
David Vaughan passed away at the age of 98, on Jan. 19, 2020 at Camp Hill Hospital, where he spent his last couple of years. Rogers’ mother is now in long-term care herself, suffering from dementia.
But Rogers says before all of that, her parents were a happy, adventurous couple. They liked to travel and loved to dance. Even as they grew old and couldn’t do all the activities they once did, they still enjoyed spending every moment together.
“They’d go walking down the street, Mom with her cane, Dad with his walker. It was cute to see,” said Rogers.
“They were so much in love it was ridiculous. Dad used to always say Mom was the love of his life.”
When Vaughan’s health began deteriorating when he was in his late 90s, he was taken to Camp Hill. At first, the family thought he would be able to return home, but when they realized it would have to be permanent, they tried to get a space for David’s wife but Camp Hill would not accept civilians.
“It was heartbreaking because Dad would say, ‘I don’t want to be in here alone,'” said Rogers.
The policy has now changed and under the new act, couples will now be placed together — even in veterans’ facilities.
“I think it will be wonderful. My heavens, I get cold chills thinking about it,” said Rogers.
The province does not have statistics on how many couples are looking to be paired together or how many couples currently reside together in long-term care but says it will begin tracking this information.
As of Feb. 3, there were 1,489 individuals on the long-term care wait-list and the province says placements will continue to be based on priority level, bed availability, the facility’s wait-list and when a person’s name was added to the wait-list.
This means that while couples may not be placed at the same time, every effort will be made to ensure that both end up at the same facility as soon as possible.
In 2019-20, 3,200 Nova Scotians were placed in long-term care.
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