Wilson spends much of her time back in the West
Virginia coal counties around where she was
born—places like Boone and Mingo and McDowell.
West Virginia has one of the oldest and poorest
populationsofanystateinthecountry.Asinsomuchof
theworld,itisa place wheretheyoung leaveto seek
betteropportunitiesandtheelderlyareleftbehind.There,
inthehollowswhereshegrewup,Wilsonisstilltryingto
workouthowordinarypeoplecanagewithouthavingto
choose between neglect and institutionalization. It
remains among the most uncomfortable questions we
face.
“IwantyoutoknowthatIstillloveassistedliving,”she
said,andsherepeatedherself:“Iloveassistedliving.”It
hadcreatedabeliefandexpectationthattherecouldbe
somethingbetter thana nursinghome,shesaid, andit
stilldoes.Nothingthattakesoffbecomesquitewhatthe
creatorwantsittobe.Likeachild,itgrows,notalwaysin
the expected direction. But Wilson continues to find
places where her original intention remains alive.
“I love it when assisted living works,” she said.
It’s just that in most places it doesn’t.
FORLOUSANDERS,itdidn’t.Shelleyfeltluckytofindan
assistedlivingfacilitynearherhomethatwouldaccept
himwithhismeagerfinances.Hissavingswerealmost
gone,andmostotherplacesexpectedupfrontpayments
ofhundredsofthousandsofdollars.Thehomeshefound
for Lou received government subsidies that made it
affordable.It hada lovelyporch,freshpaint,plentyof
light in the lobby, a pretty library, and reasonably