Glimmers

 

After seven months in assisted living, Aegis staff had recommended that Greg move to the memory care area, where the caregivers would be better able to care for his changing needs. He’s been there for more than a year now. The memory care unit is small (about a dozen residents), so it feels more home-like and less institutional than many such places. Since the residents share a single common area when they aren’t in their own apartments, it’s easier to get to know everyone over time.

10/8/25

10/14/25

Although I don’t often interact with them directly, I learn a lot just by observing. Like Greg, many started out on the assisted living side and eventually moved into memory care, so I had initially met them when they were more able to do things on their own. Seeing them decline and lose skills and abilities is expected, but no less heartbreaking – just as it is with Greg.

10/20/25

10/26/25 After buying a new Pentel Pocket Brush Pen
identical to the one I've used for years, I discovered that
the waterproof black ink cartridges that come with it look a lot
like Platinum Carbon Black -- except that it bleeds and feathers
on Uglybook paper, which Platinum never does.

It’s heartening, though, when a resident who is usually unresponsive suddenly “wakes up” with a glimmer of their former selves, even briefly. One resident whom I had never seen smile suddenly did recently – in response to something a visitor had said. I’ve also seen one resident respond to music by dancing or tapping when they don’t respond to anything else.

I find myself sketching at Aegis a lot more now than I used to. Shown here are only a few of the many sketch journal pages I’ve filled with people I am getting to know by observation.