After 71 Years Together, Senior Couple Suffers From Being Forced To Live Apart, As Care Unit Doesn't Let Them Both Stay

May 06, 2019 by apost team

Numerous studies have found that happy couples tend to live longer than their less-than-satisfied counterparts. It's difficult to imagine the bond that develops after 30, 40, 50, or even 70 years of marriage. This is why most people fear to be alone in their 90s.

After over seven decades of marriage, a senior couple is being forced to live apart. Allan and Dorothy Smith can no longer live under the same roof despite their 71 years of marriage. This couple from Manitoba, Canada is one example, among many, of happy marriages that are being forced apart.

Due to Dorothy's declining health, she has been moved into a local nursing home. Allan is heartbroken to remain in their apartment alone. After suffering a stroke, Dorothy isn't able to communicate with her husband. Before moving into the nursing home, Dorothy was cared for by her beloved husband for 24 hours each day.

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Although Dorothy has been moved to the care facility, Allan still visits his wife every day. He sits with his wife in her silent room with her hands clasped in his. In an interview with CBC News, Allan revealed his disdain for the new living situation.

After having lived together for decades, he feels as though something is missing when his wife isn't there.

Allan isn't allowed to live in the same care facility as Dorothy because she is sicker than him. The loving husband is heartbroken by the separation. Allan doesn't understand why anyone would separate the couple. He is confused and simply wants an explanation for the separation. He has mentioned that a justification may make the situation a little easier.

Unfortunately, Dorothy and Allan aren't experiencing an uncommon situation. Another couple in the province of Manitoba has also been through a similar ordeal. After Ruth Wyatt was taken away from her husband to a care facility for a few weeks, she decided to forgo further attention from the clinic. This was the only way the couple could remain together.

With the help of close family members, both couples have taken their qualms to the federal government. Their goal is to receive proper medical treatment without being forced to leave their partners.

The loneliness and anxiety experienced after the loss of a loved one can cause an elderly person significant physical and mental complications. While some older individuals experience natural losses, these couples are being ripped apart because of unfair legal restrictions.

It may sound cliche, but a broken heart can certainly cost a person their life. The loss of a loved one can also cause dementia, depression and other serious illnesses. Individuals who are forced to live apart from their spouse have a much higher risk of mortality than couples that stay together.

Couples who reside together in nursing homes are still a small minority. A vast majority of elderly couples are separated due to their different health concerns. In reality, people don't do well in isolation. Humans are social creatures. This is especially true for the elderly. No one should have to suffer from this separation.

What do you think of this couple being forced to be separated? Let us know in the comments! If you found this article interesting, pass it along to a family member or friend.