A couple who’ve been married for almost 60 years have been able to spend Valentine’s Day together at our home thanks to our dedicated team.

Mr and Mrs Bridges, aka David, 87 and Helena, 84, have been married for 58 years. Last year, their daughter Kara Bridges struggled to find a suitable home for her parents and was desperate to find one which would accommodate them both and allow them to stay together.

After four months of searching,  she found Barrowhill Hall, our 74-bedroom residential and nursing home in Rocester, which specialises in caring for those living with dementia and memory loss, on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border. Her parents moved into our home in November 2023, on the week of their 58^th wedding anniversary.

“It means so much to me that Mum and Dad can be together at the same home and that they are so well cared for,” says Kara.

“We’d been looking since July and after two failed placements we were so happy to find a home as lovely as Barrowhill Hall. The home was able to accommodate them both together and the team were able to care for their very different dementia needs.

“They settled in straight away as the home really understand dementia and they got to know them as individuals – right from the beginning,” Kara says. “That first week they even received an anniversary cake and card, it was so unexpected and so lovely.”

The couple met in the early 60s, Helena had moved over from Ireland, working as a nurse and David was a joiner. The pair got married in Burton-on-Trent, in 1965, at the Catholic Church on Guild Street.

Our activities lead, Val Barnes, says, “We’re so happy we’ve been able to keep David and Helena together, they are a lovely couple and their eyes light up when they see each other.

“We make sure they are able to sit together in the home’s lounge and share their meals together. They celebrated Valentine’s Day with our special three-course lunch in our dining room, joined by our other residents and their loved ones.”

The dining room was a riot of colour and scent thanks to the activities team organising a flower arranging session with the residents ahead of the big day.

“The home looked beautiful and we always feel so welcome when we visit,” says Kara, who was joined by her son, David and Helena’s grandson, Luke. “The team have been really supportive of us as a family.”

“It’s great friends and family members can join in with the activities too. Dad is a keen gardener so I know he’ll enjoy helping with the garden when the weather is warmer. The flower arranging was a lot of fun and it was very sociable. The home always has a great atmosphere.”

Home manager, Dania Meadows, says, “We will always accommodate our residents’ needs as best we can and the team work tirelessly to keep our residents healthy and happy. Our residents’ family, friends and loved ones become part of our extended family.

“There’s a lot of love at our home and the flower arranging was a very colourful and uplifting activity for Valentine’s Day. You could say it was ‘blooming lovely.”