Eric and Earla Butterfield agree – meeting each other was the best thing that ever happened. When they met online in 2005, they didn’t know where love would take them and didn’t care as long as they were together.

“I saw her on Match.com and knew I had to write to her,” said Eric. Earla wrote back and they wed in 2017.

Their love has weathered a lot of health issues including Eric going into heart failure 14 times and Earla undergoing a lung transplant in 2015 due to end-stage COPD. When Eric started showing signs of dementia, their journey brought them to Crescent Grove Memory & Personal Care.

“I started noticing some small changes in Eric,” said Earla. “But it was all things I could handle.” By early 2024, Eric was sleeping a lot, wouldn’t eat and started falling. Earla, who also suffers from balance issues, no longer had the strength to help him if he fell. That March they both found themselves in the hospital and then on to rehab, together.

“I told my daughter, who lives in Texas, it was getting too much for me physically and mentally to take care of Eric the way I wanted him to be cared for,” said Earla. Eric, a Kentucky Mason at St. Matthews-PRP Lodge No. 906, had told Earla that if he needed anything, to call Masonic Homes Kentucky.

Her daughter placed the initial call and learned about Masonicare, a charitable care program that provides housing, care and necessities to Kentucky Masons and their wives or widows who meet certain requirements. Eric and Earla qualified but the level of care each needed would require them to live separately.

“My top priority was ensuring Eric was taken care of, but we did not want to be apart,” said Earla. Crescent Grove Memory & Personal Care team members including Client Services Director and matchmaker Jade Goble, went to work matching each with the right level of care.

“Eric needed to be in memory care which is a secured house requiring badge access, while Earla was more suited for personal care,” said Jade. We were able to set them up in apartments right around the corner from each other.”

Continuing Care Retirement Communities, like Masonic Homes Kentucky, offer all levels of care on one campus from independent living to skilled nursing. Each level is designed to support a person’s physical and mental needs. It also allows couples whose needs may differ to be on the same campus, often just a few steps away from one and another.

The couple moved in that summer. Now, Earla has others watching out for Eric, which gives her great peace of mind. Both have their own social groups and activities, but see each other regularly throughout the day.

“I don’t have to worry about his safety every second of the day.” Earla added, “It makes it easier as a caregiver to know your loved one is being care for, and I can see him whenever I want.”

At first, Earla second-guessed her decision to move but a photo on her phone reassured her. “I was looking at pictures on my phone, and realized how much better he looks since moving to Crescent Grove”, said Earla. “And, I think to myself, yes, we made the right decision.”

Get matched with the right level of care for you or a loved one.

March 5, 2025