Working Together to Help Couples Growing Old Apart

Many couples expect to spend the rest of their lives together, even as they age. However, when one partner is ill or disabled and the other is no longer able to care for them safely, one partner may need to transition to a long-term care setting. While painful, this separation may be necessary. Physicians and other team members in post-acute and long-term care facilities can make this difficult situation easier to navigate. As Aval-Na’Ree Green, MD, CMD, MHA, said in “Growing Old Apart: Understanding the Experiences and Needs of Separated Older Couples,” a session at PALTC25, the Annual Conference of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed), “People want to find their person and grow old together.