Elders and Separation

With an aging population, and much like everything else that is healthcare related, there is a shortage of care facilities for seniors. Especially facilities where couples can live out their lives together no matter what level of care is needed. The government seems to think that having people stay in their own home is the answer. This is great for people or couples that need minimal care, where a daily visit from a home care nurse is all that is needed, or who can afford to hire a full time nurse. There also needs to be the support of family too. But what about couples where one needs extended care and can not remain at home and the other just needs minimal care but relies on others for transportation. Can they stay in there own home? No, they must find a care facility and be put on a waiting list.

The only available solution today is that one spouse goes into a care facility and the other either remains in their home or goes to a lodge. This is what I am facing as a caregiver to my parents. After almost 60 years of being together they find themselves forced into separation. There are no facilities in the area or the province for that matter, where they can share a room and each get the level of care they need. In a nursing home there are different levels of care anyway so what difference would it make if a couple shared a room where one spouse were still able to look after most of their own needs and the other might need extended care. Is it not the goal to have a good quality of life for the elderly in these facilities. I think it's outrageous that seniors are separated because one may have an illness that requires extended care yet the other spouse does not. Why can't couples who want to be together stay together in the same room and facility. Sure there are facilities where they can be in the same building but not the same room. This to me is a cruel punishment and not a life that has quality. 

What will it be like when the baby boomers come to an age where they will need care. What is really lacking in this province are facilities that allow couples to stay together. To live out their later years with dignity and together.