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Alice Hobson
Keren Brown Wilson is one of the originators of the concept of assisted living. She initially wanted to create a place where the elderly and disabled could live with autonomy despite their physical limitations—an alternative to nursing homes. She was inspired to do this by her mother, Jessie, who suffered a stroke at 55 years old and was paralyzed on one side of her body. She created her first facility, Park Place, in 1983. The facility was a huge success, maintaining the residents’ health but also increasing their satisfaction over those living in nursing homes. She gradually built 184 residences in 18 states, but the idea became so popular that developers used the term “assisted living” for almost anything. Gradually, assisted living became not an alternative to nursing homes, but rather a stepping stone to them.
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Keren Brown Wilson Character Timeline in Being Mortal
The timeline below shows where the character Keren Brown Wilson appears in Being Mortal. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4
...an intermediate stop between independent living and life in a nursing home. But Keren Brown Wilson, one of the originators of the concept, wanted to create a place that was an...
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Wilson’s father died when she was in grade school, and her mother, Jessie, suffered a stroke...
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Wilson began to formulate a new kind of home for the elderly. She laid out plans...
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At the center of Wilson’s work is a central question: what makes life worth living when we are old and...
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...have companionship, everyday comforts, and to achieve his modest goals. This is what Keren Brown Wilson also wanted to help people do in her assisted living facility.
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Around 1990, due to Wilson’s success, assisted living facilities became the fastest-growing form of senior housing in the country. By...
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...Sunday through Tuesday so he can maintain some of the life he enjoyed. Gawande asks Wilson why assisted living often falls short. Wilson says that it’s often easier and less aggravating...
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Chapter 5
...the soul.” And yet these institutions define people’s last days. Both Bill Thomas and Keren Wilson wanted to help people in a state of dependence pursue meaningful existence.
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