Some people fight to stay out of institutions, some people fight to get into them.

Herman fought very hard to get in. He is the newest resident at the Mansion, he was in a nursing home downstate for more than five months, he had a series of falls that kept him there. He worked hard for five months to get better, so he could come to the Mansion,  a Medicaid facility for assisted care.

He told me he was “so happy” to get there, he didn’t have words. Herman is a lifelong animal lover, he had cats and dogs and goats, he was very happy to see Red. When the residents can’t make eye contact, it takes Red a few minutes to understand his role. He realized Herman’s need and bonded to him right away.

I also bonded with Herman, he is the sweetest and most gentle man, the staff loved him instantly and urged me to go meet him on the lower level. Red and I will be seeing him regularly. I am touched by the gentle nature of so many of the residents, and the patience of the staff.

It feels very safe and very comfortable to be there.

I think life is not simple or easy for Herman anywhere, but he told me it feels like coming home for him to be there. Nursing homes are especially difficult environments, there is little in the way of normal life and activity in most of them,  some people just wither there. Bill, a Mansion resident we visited, died days after being sent back to one.

Assisted care facilities are a middle ground between normal life and the other side. They assist people who need care, they help them to live as fully as possible, they are places of life.

Sometimes, the Mansion is a hard place  by its very nature to visit, to be in, but it is never  harsh or cold place, and that means a lot in a culture that often forgets gentleness and compassion. Almost everyone I meet there is grateful to be there. You can write Herman c/o The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

The Mansion Van Fund Drive is now at $7,740, moving steadily toward its goal of $10,000. The Mansion desperately needs a new van to bring the residents to doctors appointments and to go on field trips and shopping trips and to visit friends and family, go to funerals and weddings and plays.

The Mansion’s owner has raised $10,000, he needs the other $10,000 to buy a van that is specially outfitted for the elderly and the handicapped. Your generosity is miraculous to behold. You can see the gofundme site here.