When Should Married Couples Be Separated in Assisted Living Facilities?

Married couples should only be separated in assisted living facilities when they require different levels of care. Many of the 30,600 assisted living facilities in the U.S. cater to couples, letting spouses stay together in their retirement.

Even when one partner needs slightly more assistance with daily tasks than the other, these communities have the support structure in place to handle differing care requirements.

More than 60% of adults aged 65 and older live with a spouse or partner. With an aging population and an increase in the rates of remarriage, the need for assisted living that caters to elderly couples has never been greater.

Couples who have spent many years together often rely on each other for companionship and support. Many assisted living communities realize this and offer companion suites and apartments to allow married couples to continue their journey together.

Individualized support services ensure each individual receives the help they require, and the majority of facilities have flexible payment plans so residents only pay for the services they need. This means that if a wife requires assistance with the activities of daily living but the husband doesn’t, the couple will only pay for the services for the wife.

Everyone ages differently and there may come a time when one spouse faces long-term health problems, most commonly Alzheimer’s or dementia, and requires a different level of care from their partner.

Luckily, around 19.4% of assisted living facilities have a memory care unit within the community, often within a separate wing or campus. These areas provide specialized dementia programming and feature secured communal areas to ensure the safety of residents.

Policies on the living arrangements for couples differ by facility. In some instances, the differing care needs of spouses may require them to live apart, especially when the memory care neighborhood is located in a separate part of the community. However, the partner remaining in assisted living is still permitted and encouraged to visit their spouse frequently.

Some continuing care communities feature companion suites within the memory care neighborhood. These allow married couples to live under one roof and still enjoy meals, watch TV and spend quality time together while one receives the specialized care they need.