Couples Reunite In Aged Care Facility

Joan and Ron Wellington have been married for 74 years and are just as happy today as the day they met. They are one of four couples now living in Amana Living’s Lesmurdie care facility.

As longevity increases, and with it the health and mobility issues associated with ageing, more couples are being forced to live apart when one of them moves into residential care. Often, it is the first time they have been separated, which can be quite devastating after a long life together.

Seeing Joan and Ron together leaves staff in no doubt that being in the same facility is vital to their happiness. The couple were living independently, with the support of home care (HACC) services. However, after a few periods in residential respite, they realised that they needed full-time residential care.

Ron was the first to move into Amana Living Lesmurdie (Parry Hostel), and Joan stayed with her daughter while she waited for a place to become available.

“Whenever possible, we will help couples to live together again,” said Amana Living GM Residential Care, Zenith Zeeman. “It is too easy for aged care organisations to focus on the physical needs of residents, and overlook the essential emotional needs. Keeping loving couples together can have a huge positive impact on their emotional and mental wellbeing.”

The Lesmurdie units consist of a bedroom and sitting room, so couples are able to spend time together in their own space. Amana Living Service Manager Mark Backhouse says he will do his best to move couples into adjacent units if that is what they want, while considering individual care needs and respecting the security of tenure of all residents in the facility.

One of the first couples to be brought back together in Parry Hostel was John and Phyllis Hodges, who celebrated their 70^th wedding anniversary there in 2013. Although Phyllis’ care needs were low, she was able to join John, who lives with dementia, which had a significant impact on her emotional wellbeing.

The same year, Ivy Drinkwater moved into Parry Hostel, followed by husband Basil a few months later. Ivy and Basil had been living in separate care homes, and moved one at a time into Parry Hostel as suitable places became available. They have now been married for 66 years.

Francis and John Walter are the fourth couple living at Parry together. When Mark Backhouse discovered that John was living in the hostel and Francis in the Parry Village retirement community next door, he was delighted when Francis transferred into the hostel.

“John was desperate to be with his wife, and was overjoyed at the thought of her moving into the facility. I’ll never forget the tears of happiness the day they were reunited,” he said.