LuPita Gutierrez-Parker has been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Now retired due to her diagnosis, Lupita served as a regional admissions advisor for Eastern Washington University for 9.5 years, following a 32-year career in social services. LuPita started to notice changes in her memory when she became more forgetful of names, dates, and basic information. Her job required frequent computer work, and she found herself experiencing increasing difficulty navigating new software, recalling standard imputing procedures, and comprehending written materials. “I am having memory problems and I don’t know why,” LuPita told her doctor. “Nothing is making sense to me.” LuPita’s physician performed cognitive testing before referring her to a neurologist. Following a neuropsychological evaluation and brain scans she was diagnosed with MCI. She confesses the immediate aftermath “was a blur.” Lupita believes the work of the Lived Experience Panel is important and providing feedback especially from representatives of diverse communities is much needed. She states, “No one person or family should go through this dreaded disease without information and support.”

Jill Harrison, PhD, is an executive director at the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory and an associate professor in the Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice at Brown University School of Public Health. Prior to joining the IMPACT Collaboratory, Dr. Harrison served as the director of research of an international non-profit organization focused on implementing person-centered care initiatives in healthcare settings around the world. Her research interests include: pragmatic trials in real-world settings, engaging residents of long-term care communities as evaluators of care quality, developing culturally congruent person-centered care approaches in healthcare systems, and organizational cultural change. She completed her post-doctorate at Brown University in health services research.