After rehearsing his keynote for the 2023 Mayo Clinic Conference on Brain Health & Dementia, Brother John-Richard Pagan, an advocate living with Lewy body dementia, reflects on those whose stories may mirror his—especially LGBTQ+ people living with dementia. A Puerto Rican, openly gay U.S. military veteran and monastic lay person, John-Richard considers himself fortunate to have his parents as his care team, though their perspectives on his identity differ. He shares: “My mother accepts me wholeheartedly. My father loves me deeply, even if he still believes being gay was a choice. I know I’m one of the lucky ones. I required a care partner and was fortunate to have two in my parents. However, they are more than 20 years older than me. There is a time when they will no longer be here.

What will I do for my long-term care then?”

Filmed by Michelle Memran, Filmmaker and Senior Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health