NDP health critic Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas is calling on Minister of Health Eric Hoskins to prioritize the reunification of 91-year-old Gottfried Adler and his 88-year-old wife Hildegard.
The Sudburians have been separated for more than six months after 67 years of marriage, said a press release issued by the NDP.
Gottfried was placed at Finlandia in September, while Hildegard, who broke her pelvis, is an ALC patient at Health Sciences North while she awaits placement at Finlandia.
“Hildegard and Gottfried miss each other every day,” said Gélinas on Tuesday during the first question period of the year.
“Last week was the only Valentine’s Day that the couple has ever spent apart; their daughters told me that both Hildegard and Gottfried have declining mental and physical health – they lay awake at night and cry for each other’s company. It’s absolutely heartbreaking – and it must be fixed.”
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has been pushing for over a year to get the Wynne Liberals to expand the scope of the Wettlaufer inquiry into long-term care to take a look at the system, and launch a find-and-fix public inquiry to tackle the issues that are identified.
Gélinas said that spousal reunification is a piece of the current system that needs to be fixed.
“More and more seniors in Ontario will need long-term care in the next decade, but we have a system right now that isn’t working the way it should,” said Gélinas.
“We need this a broad 'find-and-fix' public inquiry. The Adlers should be together – it should be a priority, but right now, it doesn’t even seem to be on the government’s radar.”
The broad public inquiry would look at systemic issues in long-term care like chronic understaffing, inconsistency in the people delivering care to our parents and grandparents, the number of hours of individual care that people receive each day, couple reunification processes and many more.
“We can stop choosing between a Liberal government that ignores the issues in our long-term care system, and a Conservative government that plans $6.1 billion in further cuts to our public services,” said Gélinas.
“We can choose to make change for the better – when it comes to long-term care that means a proper, system-wide, find-and-fix public inquiry. An NDP government will do this, starting on day one.”
