An elderly New Brunswick couple has been forced into separate long-term care facilities just a week before Christmas.
Herbert Goodine, 91, and Audrey Goodine, 89, have been living at the Victoria Villa Special Care Home in Perth Andover, N.B., for almost four years. Their daughter, Dianne Goodine Phillips, says her father's health has been deteriorating, and she was told Friday morning by social development he would have to be moved.
“My parents have been together for a total of 73 years and still sleep in the same bed,” Phillips posted on Facebook a day before her parents were divided. “I feel people need to know what a flawed system we have in place. Two words describe it: unethical and cruel.”
Dianne’s post has since been shared thousands of times.
According to the Facebook post, the couple was given three options: two of which would have seen them stay together at nursing homes more than two hours away from their friends and family and a third option in which Herbert would be moved alone to a facility some 30 minutes away in Plaster Rock, N.B.
But Phillips was hoping to extend her father's residency until next week, after Christmas is over. She says she was told she had to make a decision by the end of the day Friday. When she couldn't, she says social development approached her parents and forced them to make a decision.
Herbert was moved to the nursing home in Plaster Rock Monday morning. Phillips says she has tried to reach out to the Department of Social Development, but claims she hasn't received a response.
Dianne says the refusal to allow her parents to be together for Christmas is nonsensical.
“My request during the day Friday was to simply extend my father's residency until the end of this week,” she wrote. “However, my repeated request was ignored.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mary Cranston.
