The family of a Kemptville senior who made national headlines after being forced to live in a care home 45 minutes away from his wife is getting ready to say goodbye.
Ken Burnett passed away on Thanksgiving Monday.
His wife of more than 60 years, Joan Burnett continues to express her frustration with the system that didn't allow them to live in the same facility in his last months of life.
Late this summer, the Burnett family was pleading with the Ontario government to move Ken to the same facility as his wife, saying they could see the negative impact the separation placed on his mental health.
Time and again the family encountered what they describe as cold, impersonal communications from the Community Care Access Centre, and their wishes were never granted.
Mrs. Burnett says Ken is finally at peace, but they hope the system will change so that others do not have to suffer the same hardship in their final years.
Ken was living at a care home in Ottawa, 45 minutes away from the Kemptville facility where his wife has been staying.
He had been put on medication for insomnia and was often heard calling out for Joan in the middle of the night.
With files from CTV Ottawa