Category Archives: Stories

Talking through Loss and Distress – 27 April 2017 –

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Jon Wagner

When I arrived at A Kinder Light (Leslie’s second memory care residence) Leslie was seated at Lucy, Vern and Ruth’s table for lunch, facing the window and staring outside. Ruth wasn’t there, but Lucy and Vern were. I checked in … Continue reading →

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What can you do if he’s just talking nonsense?

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Jon Wagner

When you say ‘nonsense,’ do you mean vocalizations that are never formed into words, like when we moan or cry out, sigh or smack our lips? Or the fish mouth, cooing and gitchey-gitchey-goo sounds we use with infants and intimate … Continue reading →

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Visiting When She’s Entranced – 10 May 2017 –

Posted on February 24, 2019 by Jon Wagner

I had a good “new normal” visit with Leslie today. She was seated at her lunch table, awake and lightly smiling when I arrived around 11:30. rolled her into the activity room for some arm stretches, and we did those … Continue reading →

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Visiting When She’s Asleep – 24 April 2017 –

Posted on February 24, 2019 by Jon Wagner

Leslie was awake when I arrived to visit with her, and she stayed awake through arm stretches (which she did just fine) and through an animated lunch. She reached for everything in front of her, and put a fair amount … Continue reading →

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How is She Doing? – 12 September 2013 –

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Jon Wagner

A little less than two years after I began seeing Leslie at Kairos (her first memory care home), her brother and sister—both of whom lived too far away to visit regularly—asked me how she was doing. I struggled briefly to … Continue reading →

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