Life Partners in Long-Term Care Act Proclaimed, Takes Effect March 1

The Life Partners in Long-Term Care Act has now been proclaimed and will take effect March 1.

“Couples who have loved and supported each other should not have to face being separated when they enter long-term care,” said Premier Stephen McNeil. “This legislation helps ensure life partners can stay together as they age, even if one person may need a different level of long-term care.”

The act will allow spouses, common-law and domestic partners to be placed together at the highest care level required. For example, if one spouse requires nursing-home care and one requires residential care, the couple would be placed in a nursing home. Government will also ensure this right applies to life partners of veterans who reside in facilities where veterans’ units are located.

This will apply to couples as defined in the act for admission to one of the 133 long-term care homes licensed and funded by the province.

Quick Facts:

• government recently announced 236 new beds in Central Zone and the replacement or significant renovation of seven nursing homes across the province
• in 2019-20, the province announced 197 new nursing home beds for New Waterford (36), North Sydney (38), Eskasoni (48), Meteghan (10), Mahone Bay (35) and Halifax (30)
• 3,201 Nova Scotians entered long-term care in 2019-20 – 2,936 to nursing homes and 265 to residential care facilities

Additional Resources:

Life Partners in Long-Term Care Act: https://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/63rd_2nd/3rd_read/b240.htm

Information about continuing care in Nova Scotia: https://novascotia.ca/dhw/ccs