Respect Shares the Love this Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air today, across each of Respect’s aged care communities, as residents and staff come together to mark another memorable Valentine’s Day. 

Beyond the traditional gifts of roses and chocolates and romantic dinner dates and events, Valentine’s Day also provides us with a unique opportunity to turn the spotlight on just some of the special couples, connections, and friendships that we are honoured to have part of our Respect family. 

Whether it is residents who have shared decades of beautiful memories together or those individuals whose unique and devoted relationships with their visiting spouses and loved ones continue to inspire us, we are so fortunate to have such amazing people living in all our communities.

At Respect, we know just how significant family and friends are to a person’s wellbeing and quality of life. In all shapes and forms, strong connections and friendships offer companionship, support, emotional stability, and a sense of belonging.

In fact, research suggests positive and long-lasting relationships, including the connections we develop and experience as we get older, can be as significant to your health as nutrition and an active lifestyle.

So, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, we think it is the perfect time to acknowledge the positive impact we can all have on each other’s daily lives, especially those we hold nearest and dearest! Here are just a few of the wonderful couples living in our aged care communities who our teams were honoured to recognise this Valentine’s Day:

• Recently joining Baw Baw Views—our home in Moe, Victoria—Jeanne and John grew up together in their native England before marrying some 67 years ago and eventually moving to Australia in 1992. Today, you can catch them out and about for a walk or on a day trip together, with John behind the wheel and Jeanne showing off her navigation skills!

 

 

• Fellow Baw Baw Views residents Julie and Noel are looking forward to marking 74 years of love and marriage this October. Regular visitors to the home will often find the lovely couple having a chat over a coffee in the café or, on special occasions, treating themselves to a cornetto or two from Baw Baw Views’ popular corner store.

 

 

• Bill and Beth, also from Baw Baw Views, are not far behind, celebrating 72 years of togetherness this coming April. The inseparable pair love spending time with friends and family, whenever they can—sometimes sharing a KFC feast (their favourite) to keep everyone’s bellies full! 
• Tony and Shirley are both much-loved members of our Tyler Village community in Prospect Vale, Tasmania. Having been married for 55 years, they first met when Shirley sized Tony up to sew a sports uniform for him—proof that love at first sight does exist!

 

 

• Meanwhile, at Costa House in Lara, Victoria, two popular couples were the toast of the town: Brian and Carmel recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, while Terry and Glenis have been married for 63 years.

 

 

• Another very special couple is Cyril (aged 99) and Joan (aged 97) who live at our Woodhaven aged care home in Lockhart, NSW. The duo says they are still as madly in love as the first day they met… when Joan sneakily snuck her handkerchief in Cyril’s back pocket after a community dance, so he had to return it the next day. The rest, they say, is history!

 

Amongst all the smiling couples above, there are countless more stories of love and connection across each of our homes and communities. From residents recently celebrating milestone anniversaries to those continuing to enjoy life together, this Valentine’s Day we celebrate all the memorable moments they’ll share, today and in the future.