When the March 2020 COVID-19 outbreak stopped visitors from visiting many care facilities, Steve Daniel’s wife decided to take a dishwashing job at her husband’s nursing home. It was a worthwhile loophole for Mary Daniel, who was used to visiting her husband every night. In a sweet and comforting ritual, the 57-year-old would normally get Steve ready for bed and lay with him for a few precious hours until he fell asleep. The pandemic changed all of that.
When RoseCastle Management, the owners of the memory care facility, heard about Mary’s situation, they wanted to do something to help. After 114 days apart, Mary was able to huge Steve as his wife–and a RoseCastle employee. (1)
A Dishwashing Job At The Nursing Home
Since 2013, Steve has been dealing with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. It was a hard choice for Mary to make when deciding that more care was needed for her husband than she could provide. The man had been a salesman, used to interacting with people throughout his day. After his diagnosis, hours in front of the television and constant time inside wasn’t contributing to his overall happiness. It was then that Mary decided a memory care center would provide the socialization her husband needs.
According to Mary, Steve thrived at RoseCastle. Her nightly visits brought comfort to the pair. On March 10th, Mary’s visit went as usual and she headed home after Steve fell asleep.
The next day, as COVID-19 was sweeping through the globe, the facility called her with some bad news. A state order meant that visitors were no longer allowed at nursing homes and similar facilities. She wouldn’t be able to visit Steve for the foreseeable future. While Mary was saddened, she had no way to predict the length and severity of the pandemic at the time. As the days dragged on, she tried everything she could think of to get inside to see her husband. She called RoseCastle Management, reporters, and even reached out to Florida’s governor. Nothing seemed to work.
After a gut-wrenching visit with her husband through his window, Mary knew Steve’s tears meant she needed to find another way. She created an advocacy Facebook group to bring awareness to the isolation that nursing home patients and their families were facing. Finally, her plight reached RoseCastle’s chief human resources officer Mary Raddant. Her solution? Offer Steve’s wife a part-time dishwashing job at the nursing home, allowing her to spend time with her husband after her shift. Without hesitation, Mary accepted and got to work. (1)
A Husband And Wife Reunited
Mary is now a full-fledged employee of RoseCastle. She went through all the normal rigors of employment, especially during a pandemic. “I had to have a background check, a drug test, a COVID test, 20 hours of video training on everything, including infectious diseases,” Mary explained to TODAY. “It was 100 percent legit.” (2)
While she was happy to finally see her husband, the reunion with Steve was emotional. “I opened the door and Steve just looked at me, wide-eyed,” Daniel told The Washington Post. “Then he said my name.” They both cried together, hugging and reveling in being able to touch after so long apart. Now, Mary is able to see Steve twice a week after putting in some elbow grease as a dishwasher. Although she’s grateful for the opportunity, she hopes to bring awareness to the plight of those isolated in care facilities during the pandemic. (1)
While the restrictions in place help protect residents, Mary feels there’s a way to compromise without being unsafe. In the meantime, she’s happy that she’s able to see her husband even if it means a little extra labor. “I don’t mind being busy,” she told TODAY. “Then I get the reward at the end.” (2)
