Ont. seniors separated in long-term care reunited after nearly 8 years
An elderly couple from Cambridge, Ont. has been living separately in the same city since 2017 – but not by choice.
Jim McLeod has been trying to reunite with his 86-year-old wife Joan, who requires long-term care, for nearly eight years.
'I've made over 2,600 trips from here down to Hilltop, the south end of Cambridge,' said Jim.
He has been living independently at Fairview Mennonite Home, which has long-term care facilities on-site.
Joan was sent to Hilltop Manor due to health complications, which is a 25-minute drive away. Jim lobbied to have her moved to Fairview, but Ontario's long-term care system doesn't prioritize keeping married couples together.
Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife joined the fight in 2019 by introducing the Till Death Do Us Part Act.
'Jim and I have been walking this road, which has been very painful, for a number of years now,' said Fife.
The proposed law to reunite married couples who are separated when they enter institutional care for seniors died before it could go into effect.
It didn't pass on several occasions due to varying factors, but the last time was because a snap election was called, which meant any legislation yet to pass at that point was wiped from the docket.
'So technically, all of the bills for the spousal reunification are no longer valid,' said Jim.
But as Joan's condition began to worsen, medical staff at Hilltop Manor wrote to the province and requested that she be transferred to Fairview for proper care and to be closer with Jim.
She moved into Fairview's long-term care facilities on June 11.
'It's nice to know we're that much closer,' said Joan, from her new room at Fairview. Jim is now able to visit her without having to leave the building.
While Joan and Jim are back under the same roof together, the fight isn't over.
The pair have friends in the building who are separated from their spouses. They want to see the Till Death Do Us Part Act become law so other couples don't lose valuable time together.
'Unfortunately, we have seen some spouses pass away and never be unified again,' said Fife.
So as Jim continues to push the province, Joan's advice reflected the same words of wisdom she had when they were trying to reunite:
'Don't give up.'
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