What My Hospice means is different to each individual and family we serve. For Aaron and his wife Roslyn, it means spending more precious time together, celebrating their 613,632 hours of love.

For 95-year-old Aaron Wiseman, getting to spend some time each weekday with Roslyn, his wife of 70 years, means a lot.

Aaron lives in the long-term care section of the Brudnick Center in Peabody, MA, where he has been receiving hospice care from Care Dimensions. Roslyn lives next door at Kaplan Estates, in an assisted living apartment she shared briefly with Aaron until he required a higher level of care for his serious illness. Aaron and Rosslyn’s visitation routine has become easier now that Aaron has hospice, which includes a nurse, social worker, chaplain, music therapist, and a hospice aide who visits him daily.

Kenia Rodriguez, a Care Dimensions hospice aide, sees Aaron after lunch and makes sure he’s properly groomed. She then escorts him on a five-minute journey in elevators and through hallways to Roslyn’s apartment in the adjacent building. Roslyn opens the door to see Aaron’s broad smile and twinkling eyes. They kiss hello and Aaron presents a pear or banana as a gift. For the next 30-40 minutes, they enjoy each other’s company, listen to music from the 1940s and 50s, and reminisce about their 70 years of marriage.

“It’s wonderful to know I’m going to see him,” said Roslyn. “It gives me something to look forward to. If it weren’t for Kenia, we wouldn’t see each other every weekday.”

“You could say their love story began with fireworks,” said their daughter Leslie. “They met on a blind date on July 4, 1948.”

Roslyn was 21 and a manager at an insurance company. Aaron was 24 and worked for General Electric in Lynn, MA. They took to each other right away and married on September 10, 1949. In 1953, they moved from Lynn to Peabody, where Roslyn took care of their home and two children. Aaron worked in various capacities at General Electric his entire career.

They enjoyed life in their Peabody home, but in 2016 when Aaron was 92, they decided it was time for assisted living. Just a few weeks after moving into Kaplan Estates, Aaron fell and required rehabilitation at the Brudnick Center. Unfortunately, his health wouldn’t rebound enough to live with his beloved wife again. He later developed cancer and chose hospice with Care Dimensions.

Aaron’s hospice nurse, Bettyann Finnegan, observed that his mood improves greatly after he visits with Roslyn. Leslie agrees, adding that by facilitating her parents’ time together, Bettyann and Kenia know the importance of social connection. “They truly care and want to help,” said Leslie. “And it’s made a great difference for my dad and my mom.”

In September of last year, Aaron and Roslyn’s family threw a 70th anniversary party for them at Kaplan Estates. It was done in an “open-house” format, and more than 50 people stopped by to wish the couple well, including health care providers who have helped Aaron or Roslyn.

After more than 70 years, Aaron and Roslyn are happy to continue making memories together.

We invite you to keep promoting the power of hospice by joining the My Hospice campaign. Please consider sharing this post with your family and friends on Facebook and Twitter, or share your My Hospice story with us.