A New Home, Where Acceptance Prevails

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Muriel Crisler moved into a new apartment at the Mary Marshall Assisted Living Residence three weeks ago and spent the first two weeks “excited,” she said.

It isn’t just that the entire residence is wheelchair-accessible, that the social life is better than what she had while living alone, or that she likes the meals. Her comfort comes from something more intangible.“There are more people here like me,” she said Wednesday. “Not necessarily wheelchair-bound, but . . . there is kind of an acceptance of each other.”Twenty-five people with intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses are now living in the 52-unit center in the Fort Myer area of Arlington County. All are 55 or older, and that makes this new center unique in the nation.