Six decades together and able to stay at home with the right support

For Stanley and Adrienne MacDonald, home is a place filled with love, laughter, and memories. Their house in O'Leary was built in 1914 and once belonged to Adrienne's grandparents. 

The couple brought it back into the family in 1970 and raised their three daughters, Heidi, Bethany, and Jill. Now 84 and 82, Stanley and Adrienne celebrated 60 years of marriage this past year. Their home is filled with family photographs and reminders of the life they've built together.

Looking back on six decades of marriage, Stanley jokes about reaching the milestone. "We didn't think we'd make it," he says with a laugh.

They've shared plenty of adventures over the years, including cruises around the world. Stanley, a retired pharmacist who spent his career at the O’Leary Pharmacy, keeps busy offering private tours of the Island to visiting cruise ship passengers. These days, much of his time is spent caring for Adrienne. 

As her health and mobility have changed, Stanley has become her primary caregiver. With additional help from caregivers coming into their home each day, he's able to make sure Adrienne gets the care she needs.

"We have a schedule," Stanley says. "I'm more on duty at night and some of the day in the mornings, depending on what help is available that day."

The couple recently began receiving financial support through the province's At Home Caregiver Benefit, which helps eligible Islanders with high care needs continue living at home with the support of a primary caregiver.

Adrienne recently spent nearly two weeks in hospital. While her stay helped address some health concerns, she was eager to get back home and be surrounded by familiar comforts.

The couple has adapted their home to meet Adrienne's needs, turning a downstairs room into a bedroom and adding a wheelchair ramp. Caregivers help with meals, personal care and other daily tasks, while Stanley looks after her medications.

Their eldest daughter Heidi, who lives in New Brunswick, helped arrange the benefit and, along with her sisters Bethany in England and Jill in British Columbia, remains closely involved in coordinating her parents' care. Regular FaceTime calls and visits help keep the family connected.

"Dad has always been very independent and he's doing everything he can to make sure Mom is comfortable and well cared for,” Heidi says. “Having that extra support makes a big difference. It means they can stay at home together, with Dad’s bed right next to hers.” “Thankfully, Mom is almost always smiling and still makes jokes,” she adds. 

Stanley says they didn't initially realize they could get financial assistance to help with the cost of care.
"We had no idea this kind of financial help was available," he says. "It does cost a lot when you're bringing in people to help every day. It means we can keep things going here at home."

The At Home Caregiver Benefit provides eligible households with between $250 and $1,500 per month, depending on household income, to help with the cost of caring for a loved one.

For Stanley and Adrienne, the benefit is helping make it possible to continue the life they've built together in the place they've called home for more than 50 years.

After 60 years of marriage, Stanley knows Adrienne pretty well. Their days may look different now, but what matters most has not changed.

"The key word is comfort and happiness," he says. "That makes it so much easier for us, to know that she's comfortable and still smiling."
 

For more information, visit At Home Caregiver Benefit.