N.B. couple separates to lower nursing-care costs

A New Brunswick woman says she has no choice but to legally separate from her husband because she can't afford to pay for his nursing home care.

Judy MacKenzie, 66, says leaving her husband, Alton, just so he can qualify for lower care costs is not what she envisioned after 45 years of marriage.

'I think it's devastating that I have to, but there's no other way.'—Judy MacKenzie

But the Department of Social Development decides how much clients pay for care based on their combined family income. And for MacKenzie, the cost is simply too high.

"I think it's devastating that I have to, but there's no other way," she said about separating from her husband, Alton.

In 2003, he had at least two strokes and has had to be cared for in a Miramichi nursing home ever since.

Judy MacKenzie, who now lives in Fredericton, says the bill for his care is about $2,500 a month and the government wants her to pay about $700 of that.

"It's just not realistic," she said. "It's just too much. I couldn't live the way I am living now, which is just ordinary living. I don't do anything special or anything."

After paying her rent, car payment and power bill, MacKenzie said she's left with less than $500 a month to cover groceries, prescriptions, gas and insurance.

The only way to pay less for her husband's care is to get a legal separation, she said.

So on Friday, he signed the papers to begin the process. Once it goes through, the cost of his care will be based solely on his income.

MacKenzie says it's not the best solution, but believes it's the only one now that she's living paycheque to paycheque.

"Alton's good about it," she says. "He knows it's not going to change anything about me visiting him or anything like that — I'm not that type of person.

"But you know it is quite a sad thing…. The lawyer even thought it was. She even teared up, you know, to think." 

The Department of Social Development won't comment on individual cases, but a spokesperson said the government offers financial assistance to clients who struggle to pay for care.