How did Florence Emily Dugdale support Thomas Hardy in his later years?

Florence Emily Dugdale, whom Thomas Hardy married in 1914, played a vital role in supporting the writer during his later years. Despite the emotional challenges she faced—such as Hardy’s public expression of devotion to his first wife through his "Poems of 1912–13"—Dugdale provided essential care that facilitated his continued literary output.1

Her dedicated attention to Hardy’s health, comfort, and privacy was a crucial factor in his remarkable productivity throughout his old age. Her support allowed him to remain prolific well into his eighth and ninth decades, during which he published several poetry collections, including Moments of Vision, Late Lyrics and Earlier, and Human Shows. Additionally, she assisted him in his final years by serving as the namesake for the official "life" of himself that Hardy wrote in secret for posthumous publication.1