Editorial
Love will keep us together
Wednesday February 20, 2008
Sadie Perfitt and her husband Sam Arthur made the choice to move into Garden Terrace after 36 years of marriage. The couple says they decided when the time was right they would move into long-term care, and they couldn’t be happier with the decision.

With Canadian seniors taking more active control of their lives in recent years, it should not be surprising that elderly couples increasingly expect to have their partnership honoured after one member moves into a long-term care home.

Many couples move to long-term care residences after celebrating long marriages in their own homes; others have met later in life after losing spouses to illness, or sometimes parting as the result of divorce.

It is not uncommon for newly-single seniors to find love again after moving into care. The common denominator is that these couples find strength, love and companionship in their relationships, qualities that support them as they celebrate a new lifestyle in long-term care.

There are many benefits to residents when their spouse moves into long-term care with them. In this setting, the couple continues to share life experiences and often one spouse will continue to help play the role of caregiver. This is not only helps the resident by providing familiarity, it also eases stress on caregivers.

Staff members in OMNI homes have also found that having the spouse of a resident move in with them can increase social activity. If one half of a couple is withdrawn, their partner, in many cases, will offer support and encouragement when it comes to attending programs offered.

John Donzil, assistant director of care at Forest Hill, recalls the story of a man who moved into the Kanata long-term care home who was very withdrawn, choosing to stay in his room most of the time, rather than socializing with others or participating in activities.

And then his wife decided to move into the home to be with him. Almost immediately, the man became more active and spent more time participating in programming.

As the long-term care homes see increasing numbers of couples choosing to live together, many are looking for ways to better accommodate husbands and wives. More “couples rooms” are being built in OMNI homes to meet the demand.

Love is the fundamental bond that keeps couples together. If that love is still there, or rediscovered after people move into care, and it lights up their twilight years, then the benefits of couples living together in long-term care homes is truly enormous.