'Till long-term care do we part': Exploring the impacts of separating married couples on couplehood and well-being

This capstone project explores the impact of separating married couples when one spouse has dementia in long-term care settings. In particular, on couples' abilities to maintain a sense of couplehood within the socio-physical environment of long-term care and its impacts on each spouse's health and wellbeing. The theoretical perspectives of attachment theory and person-environment exchange are utilized to guide this project, providing a holistic and insightful approach to investigating spousal relationships in long-term care. The goals of this project are two-fold. First, a scoping review of the limited literature will be presented. Second, based on the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant guidelines, a mock grant proposal was developed. The purpose of the grant is to critically examine the institutional practice of separating married couples in LTC settings in British Columbia when one spouse lives with dementia and requires more complex care and support. The proposed study will focus on couples' abilities and challenges in maintaining their relationship within the LTC environment and the effects of separation on their health and wellbeing. Overall, this capstone project will help guide future research, practice, and policy in this important yet understudied topic in gerontology.