A Celebration of Love and Marriage

By Jamie, social worker at Elara Caring in Ohio

Every year married couples celebrate milestone anniversaries. Ten years, twenty years, maybe even fifty years. However, it is rare to meet a couple who have been married for sixty-five years. That is the case for Elara Caring’s Ohio hospice patient Alberta and her husband Bill.

During a routine visit with Alberta, she told me she would be celebrating 65 years of marriage soon. She expressed a desire to go out to a restaurant to celebrate. However, due to health factors, she was unable to leave her residential care facility for an extended time.

I reached out to her family and the facility social worker to collaborate on a celebratory lunch with her husband at the facility. Her family had the same idea in mind, and we were able to bring the restaurant to Alberta.

The facility allowed us to reserve a private room and with help from the Elara Caring Hospice Foundation, I was able to surprise Alberta and Bill with pizza, balloons, a cake and a holiday poinsettia to keep in her room. Also in attendance was Alberta’s case manager Kristen and her aide Christa.

Both Alberta and Bill were grateful to be able to spend time together celebrating this milestone of love and marriage, and I was honored to help make it happen.