Inflexible regulations lack compassion

Re: After 64 years, couple forced apart — Dec. 14

My heart goes out to the Deightons. As a family, we went through a similar situation. My parents, together for 70 years, were moved into separate long-term facilities last spring. Because they were both in longterm care beds, they were on a higher priority for reconciliation, yet the process did not and does not take into account the needs of the patients. CCAC refuses to accept the argument that once in a bed it can easily be exchanged for another bed that becomes open. The rules state that spousal reconciliation is second priority to “crisis” placements. However, moving a spouse to an empty bed in another facility does not take away an empty bed, it only changes the location of the available bed for the new patient being placed.

The process for long-term care requires you choose five or more homes before they move ahead with placing your loved ones. Most people choose homes that are geographically near family and outside caregivers. Therefore, they are frequently the same homes. This means bringing spouses together creates little to no disruption to the placement process for others.

There are many homes in Kitchener and Waterloo that have both assisted and long-term care facilities on the same property. Moving Patricia Deighton to one of them does not take away a bed; it only changes the location, which allows Don Deighton to be close again to his wife.

The problem is not simply that there are too few beds; the problem is a highly regulated process that has little compassion and only inflexible regulations as its mandate. Sorry, but “I’m so sorry” doesn’t cut it with me or others who find themselves in similar circumstances. Doug Koegler Waterloo