PEIThe daughter of a 105-year-old P.E.I. woman living in long-term care is speaking out after her mother stopped qualifying for provincial financial support — all because she missed the subsidy threshold by about $75.She used to pay about $4,600 a month. She now faces paying about $2,000 moreThinh Nguyen · CBC News · Posted: Oct 06, 2025 3:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 6Daughter of 105-year-old P.E.I. woman frustrated after mom loses long-term care subsidyThe daughter of a 105-year-old P.E.I. woman living in long-term care is speaking out after her mother stopped qualifying for provincial financial support. She will now have to pay thousands of dollars more a month to stay in her nursing home. Sheehan Desjardins reports.The daughter of a 105-year-old P.E.I. woman living in long-term care is speaking out after her mother stopped qualifying for provincial financial support — all because she missed the subsidy threshold by about $75.June Rigden’s mother, Verna Phillips, has lived in long-term care for about two and a half years. Phillips used to pay about $4,600 a month, but Rigden said she now faces paying about $2,000 more each month to keep her mom in the same home because her mom no longer qualifies for government assistance.”I just thought, how can they do that to someone who is 105… to try to even change rooms would be hard, let alone homes,” Rigden told CBC News. “I won’t let that happen.”The province has a subsidy program to help some residents pay for nursing home accommodations.Rigden said her mother has always qualified but this year, Phillips received slightly more income through her pensions, putting her just above the government’s support threshold.”Digging into the figures, she missed the qualification legitimately by $75 and she was taken off that subsidy and it… is going to cost her $24,000 a year more just to be in the same room, same care,” Rigden said.Verna Phillips is pictured with her daughter, June Rigden, at her 105th birthday party. (Submitted by June Rigden)In a statement to CBC News, the Department of Health and Wellness and Health P.E.I. said 85 per cent of people in its long-term care homes are covered by the program.But people can lose the subsidy if their income changes.”We cannot comment specifically on the experience of any individual resident, but we acknowledge the stress and hardship that comes with losing financial assistance while in long-term care,” the statement said.Appeal rejected, but eligibility rules changePhillips was born in 1920 and worked for years as a school teacher. She has lived in Summerside for much of her life.”I was doing the math — I think Mom has paid taxes for like 85 years, maybe more,” Rigden said. “They’ve given their share.”Rigden appealed the subsidy decision in late August, arguing the cost was too high and moving her mother would not be ideal. The appeal was unsuccessful.The following month, however, the province raised the income threshold. I just thought how can they do that to someone who is 105… to try to even change rooms would be hard, let alone homes.— June RigdenAccording to the P.E.I. government’s website, people with a net annual income of less than $44,250.40 may now qualify for a nursing home subsidy. Rigden says her mother now falls within that limit.”I hope definitely they fix it for mom, but also maybe really look inward and… pass something that allows for a sliding scale, so this sudden drop-off doesn’t happen to any other seniors — especially those over 100,” Rigden said.She has been in contact with Health P.E.I. and is hoping her mother’s case will be reassessed.Rigden says she’s hopeful not only for her mother, but also for other seniors who may find themselves in the same situation.With files from Sheehan Desjardins
105-year-old P.E.I. woman loses nursing home subsidy after missing threshold by $75
