‘Share The Dishes!’: Meet The Local 80-Year-Olds Sharing Their Rules For Long-Lasting Love

Most of us look for a partner to share life's adventures with, and who better to get the ultimate advice when finding a long-lasting love than older generations?!

With an average age of 82, Lottie’s care home residents share their relationship do’s and don’ts for younger generations:

• ‘The answer is love’, shares Liz (80)

• ‘Be happy with each other and everything will be okay’, shares Slyvia (80)

• ‘Share the dishes’, shares Shirley (65)

• ‘Give and take equally’, shares Maria (83)

Resident at Hermitage House in Kettering, Janet met her husband, Tom, 69 years ago! The couple met at a school leavers' party and immediately felt comfortable in each other's company.

A few years later Tom asked Janet’s father for her hand in marriage, and to see if he could borrow fifty pounds for a deposit on a bungalow, luckily, he agreed to both! Once Janet accepted Tom’s proposal, he jumped straight on his bike and cycled 20 miles to London to put down the deposit on their first home.

The couple have been happily married for decades and Janet says the secret to a happy marriage is to "always talk things through without rowing".

Tom adds it's important to be there for your partner and says he "always rushed home to see Janet after work as we hated spending time apart".

Many older adults across Lottie's care homes have shared that it's important not to feel pressured to find your soulmate this Valentine's Day. 100-year-old Dorothy shares, “you must be honest with each other and have fun” to find someone you truly click with.

87-year-old Janet says, “do what makes you happy and don’t be bossed out”.

There are lots of lessons in love we can learn from older generations, shares Chris Donnelly, Co-Founder at Lottie:

"It's amazing to hear the stories of love in our care homes and the fond memories sparked by reminiscing for each resident. What's more, there are so many lessons we can all learn from older generations - no matter your age!

Love is something many of us search for during our lifetime, and it's often a popular topic around Valentine's Day. Since the start of February, we have seen a surge in people of all ages looking for tips for finding their soulmate, with online searches for 'help me find love' increasing by 100% and 'dating and relationship advice' growing by 50%*.

That's why we've spoken to older generations; with over 50 years of marriage, they are the true relationship experts and know the secret to a long-lasting relationship. From respecting each other, keeping the romance alive, and not putting too much pressure on yourself to find a partner, our residents have shared many pearls of wisdom in love and romance this Valentine's Day."