Care home residents have shared their love stories with leading care home reviews website carehome.co.uk in honour of Valentine’s Day – from meeting new partners in their care homes to celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries.
Falling in love at 90
Proving that it is never too late to fall in love, Ken Brown (90) and Joyce Hulks (95) both separately moved into Corton House care home in Norwich after they were feeling lonely at home. Soon after starting to talk to each other in the care home’s lounge, they “gradually got more friendly,” Joyce recalls.
Now, Ken and Joyce like to take their meals together, and they also enjoy Joyce’s extensive collection of 1940s music. “He comes to my room, and I put the tapes on, and we listen to them,” Joyce says.
Speaking about Ken after meeting Joyce, his daughter notes “My dad is a totally different man since coming to Corton House. He was lonely. Now he is really happy and content.”
The two have no plans for marriage and want to continue their happy relationship within their care home.
Celebrating “love at first sight” 60 years on
With data from carehome.co.uk revealing that almost a quarter (24%) of care homes – 4,083 out of 16,741 homes listed on the website – provide rooms for couples, many couples are now happily continuing their lives together even after they move into a care home.
Julie (82) and Don (86) Stubbs have recently celebrated their Diamond anniversary with cake and a visit from their two children and family at Care UK’s Sandfields care home.
It was “love at first sight” for Julie and Don who met when they were 21 and 25 on an outing at Cheltenham Ramblers Club – and were married just over a year later in Bedfordshire. 60 years later, the couple shares their advice for a successful marriage: Julie says that the key is to “not push your luck,” while Don has learnt that “‘yes, dear’ is usually the right answer to everything.”
At Royal Star & Garter Surbiton care home, Jack (91) and June (94) Keith celebrated their Platinum anniversary which also saw them receive a card from His Majesty King Charles III wishing them “warmest congratulations and heartfelt good wishes.”
The couple met at a dance in Scotland when they were both serving in the army. Recalling how they met, Jack said: “June’s unit wanted to use our gym for a dance, and because it was our gym, we were allowed to attend too. I saw this beautiful woman walk in and thought ‘Oh God, I’m going to marry her!’. Luckily for me, the fellow she was with had to go early, so I went up to her, and that was it!”
Reflecting on their marriage, Jack said “It’s been a wonderful 70 years. I have a good wife and I can’t fault her. I’ve been very lucky.”
Sue Learner, editor of carehome.co.uk, the UK’s leading reviews site for care homes, said:
“An increasing number of care homes are recognising it is essential for the emotional and physical health of many couples to stay together. Many individuals who move into a care home are part of a couple, some of whom have been together for over half a century and never been apart before.
“For some the idea of living separately is too painful and distressing and if they are paying for their own care we have found they will opt for a care home with rooms for couples. Often a couple will have different care needs so it is worth speaking to the care home to find out how it will meet both their needs, especially if one has a dementia diagnosis.
“There have been very sad cases of couples funded by their local authority who have been torn apart and placed in different care homes. It is vital that councils always prioritise a couple’s dignity and human rights and put humanity above the monetary obligations of their caseloads.”
