Naomi Feil was only 8 years old when she moved into what was then known as a home for the aged, where her parents worked. Living there until she left for college, she learned firsthand how to comfort and communicate with older adults.

When she died on Dec. 24 at her home in Jasper, OR, at the age of 91, she had devoted her entire career to finding ways to comfort disoriented older people and their caregivers. Her method calls for caregivers to empathize with disoriented individuals in an effort to reduce their stress and support their dignity, rather than try to impose reality on them.