A 105-year-old woman residing in long-term care in Prince Edward Island has had her provincial financial assistance reinstated and is set to be reimbursed for overpaying for her room, according to her daughter. Verna Phillips has been living in a semi-private room in Summerside for approximately two and a half years, paying around $4,600 monthly for her accommodations. However, a recent discovery by her daughter, June Rigden, revealed that Phillips had been paying an extra $2,000 per month for the past three months due to a slight increase in her pension income, causing her to exceed the eligibility threshold for provincial aid by just $75.
Rigden confirmed to CBC News that her mother’s situation has been resolved satisfactorily, expressing gratitude for the assistance received in rectifying the issue. The family had initially appealed the subsidy decision in August, citing the high cost and the inconvenience of relocating Phillips, but the appeal was unsuccessful. Subsequently, the province adjusted the income threshold the following month, allowing individuals with a net annual income below $44,250.40 to qualify for nursing home subsidies, a threshold now met by Phillips.
Health officials attributed Phillips’s overpayments to an “administrative discrepancy” concerning the timing of recent accommodation rate changes. Rigden mentioned that the province has reinstated her mother’s subsidy and will compensate for the three months of missed support. She expressed hope that the resolution would bring clarity not only to her family but also to others in similar situations, providing a sense of relief and optimism for the future.
