UConn Health, Center on Aging

More than 1 in 5 American adults experience chronic pain (Yong et al., 2021), and unfortunately Andrea is one of them. For years she dealt with pain brought on by scoliosis, osteoporosis, and psoriatic arthritis. To make matters worse, she…

Marsha’s life as a former dementia-care nurse manager at a skilled nursing facility would come full circle when she became a resident in the same facility. Marsha enlisted in the navy after graduating from high school and served as a…

Karen experienced a life of independence, as most people do. This independence allowed her to work at St. Francis Hospital for 16 years serving the community. It allowed her to make the everyday choices we often take for granted: when…

Jenny Aguirre, mother of Christopher Aguirre-Castillo, speaks on behalf of her son who is non-verbal. Christopher, now age fifteen, was born with chromosomal disorders which include developmental, physical, and intellectual disabilities, along with seizures and other difficulties. Jenny immigrated to…

Betty describes herself as an active, “never been a sitting around” type of person. After graduating from Western Connecticut State University, having a career in human resources, creating a home for her family and enjoying her hobbies, life took a…

The first thing you notice when entering Andrew’s home environment is the hardy welcome you receive from Lola and Laila, teacup Pomeranian sisters, and Brody “Bear,” a Bernese Mountain dog. There is also a very quiet, but very old (100…

Doug is a goal setter and hard worker. He worked in the service and sales industries for over twenty years. He achieved the height of success, owning his home and his car. But he worked over twelve hours per day,…

Pamela lived in long-term care facilities for nearly ten years, according to her conservator. He first met Pamela when she needed to be hospitalized to treat delusions and other challenging behaviors while she was living alone in the community. Although…

Susan, former Emergency Room nurse, found herself on the other side of the healthcare system after being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She became so sick from the chemotherapy that at one point she needed 24/7 care and was…

Nancy is what many would refer to as a warrior. In the years prior to her admission to a skilled nursing facility, she endured a divorce from an abusive husband. As a result, Nancy was left with a lack of…