Joan and Mike married in the 1960s while they were both in the Army. In 2017, Joan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and later moved to Broughton House, our partner charity care home in Salford. Mike is devoted to Joan’s care and is a registered volunteer at the home.
When Joan and Mike met in the early 1960s, she was a trainee nurse with the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps and he was in the Parachute Regiment. They married in 1965 and Mike served in the Army for 12 years all over the world.
The couple then lived in Dubai for 14 years where Mike was employed in the oil industry and Joan worked as a women’s driving instructor. Later, when they returned to the UK, Mike worked for BP as an offshore safety officer in the North Sea gas fields and Joan was a social welfare officer.
In 2017, Joan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Mike became her home carer until 2021, when she moved permanently to Broughton House, our partner charity care home in Salford. Mike became a registered volunteer at Broughton House, which allows him to spend lots of time with Joan and other residents, accompanying them on outings and helping with care arrangements.
Mike says: “It was a hard decision to let her move into full-time care and I wondered if I did the right thing. But, as we are both service veterans, I knew it was the right place for Joan. I cannot speak highly enough about the place – the staff, the management, the activities, and facilities – they are all amazing. There’s a great sense of camaraderie. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff.”