96-year-old without photo ID denied new health card

A 96-year-old Ottawa woman who lost her Ontario health card says she's in a "jam" and caught up in red tape trying to get a replacement because she doesn't have proper proof of identification.

Two weeks ago, Elizabeth Stead went for tests at a local clinic and discovered her health card was missing.

She was issued a 90-day temporary card, but replacing her original is proving next to impossible because she doesn't have a driver's licence or other required photo ID, according to her son, Richard Stead.

"No one ever thought through the implications when they were creating it: What to do in a case like my mothers?" Richard Stead told CBC News.

"She has lots of documents. She has her birth certificate, her marriage certificate, proof that she came to Canada. But none of its good enough now unless you have a photo ID.

"And to get a photo ID, you have to have a photo ID. Thats the paradox," he added.

Expired passport her only photo ID

Heronly photo identification isher passport, which expired in 1992. Stead stoppeddriving in the 1950s, so has no driver's licence.

"Im just wondering why this is going on," Stead said.

"Ive not done anything wrongIve never heard of anybody going through this before."

Her son, a former bureaucrat responsible for designing governmentsystemsforacquiringdocumentation, such as permits, licences and health cards, said he does not understand the hassle, either.

"I think they need to apply a test of reasonableness. We have lots of proof of who my mother is, we have lots of documents. Any reasonable person would look at that and say, 'Whats the problem?'" said Stead.

"I wouldve been ashamed if I ever designed a system that treated elderly people the way that my mothers being treated."

MPP steps in to help

David Salter, a spokesman for the MPP for her area,Bob Chiarelli, said in an email: "It's clear that [Mrs. Stead] needs and has a right to a new card. Mr. Chiarelli is aware of this case and has instructed his staff to resolve it as soon as possible ... we'll continue to work diligently to assist Richard and his mother."

Elizabeth Stead alsohopes her MPP can find a solution.

"I think he should help me to get out of this jam that I seem to be in right now. I just want to live here the rest of my life and I just need my health card," she said.