Looking for new love through dating sites while still caring for your partner with dementia. Ton in ‘t Veen and Margreet Mantel got mixed reactions. Yet they want to break the taboo, because according to them a new relationship can ensure that you continue to care for your sick partner. In Op1 they talk about their experiences.
“My kids actually came along with it. I remember exactly where I was,” says Ton in ‘t Veen. “My eldest daughter called and said I was not well. And if they have children, they also want a grandfather for them. I was not aware of that at all.”
Big step
Ton was so absorbed in caring that he lost himself in it. “You have a full-time job, more than full-time informal care, a child at home. The youngest was nine at the time. You are not involved with that at all. But the equality was already gone. I was alone in the relationship for a long time.”
Looking for a new relationship was a big step. “Of course I also had a feeling of guilt. It took another half a year before I started dating. I went to ask first. First with my best friend and later with my best friends and her sister. Actually asking for some kind of permission, while I’m not someone who asks permission for everything. Can make good decisions on his own. But mainly because this is a sensitive subject.”
Watch the entire conversation here.
2023-06-08 07:41:15
#love #partner #nursing #home #Op1
