There is no one right answer to what happens when senior couples have different care needs. It really depends on what kind of care needs each individual has, and what the individual partners want.

The Province of British Columbia has an action plan to encourage long-term care and assisted-living communities to prepare for this type of scenario. Many of these care providers can accommodate different levels of care needed by one couple, and the couple can continue to live together.

Sometimes one partner with minimal care needs prefers to stay in the family home, and the partner needing extensive care is moved into a long-term care community. This type of arrangement is possible, and what works best for a couple needs to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

If this situation applies to you, it’s a good idea to explore what different care communities have to offer, and if the community is set up to accommodate you and your partner. Very often couples want to stay together if possible, and the different health regions can help you to explore what your options are.

Call and visit different long-term care communities such as ours in the Okanagan, and see what they/we have to offer. It is much easier to make decisions once you are well informed and have visited the locations where you might live. This situation in which one partner requires more care than the other is not uncommon, and you should not feel alone. Care communities will help you to make the transition into assisted care.

The Hamlets at Penticton is a supportive, long-term care and assisted-living community in the beautiful Okanagan area of BC. In a compassionate environment based on the tenets of Christianity, The Hamlets of Penticton offers security and independence for seniors in their retirement years.