Care with Dignity and Kindness: Luis Cordero ’22 on the Power of Community for an Aging Population

After graduating from Davidson College, Watson Fellow Luis Cordero ’22 spent a year traveling the world to learn how different cultures and communities care for their most vulnerable older adults. Back in his home city of Chicago, he wants to transform the way we treat older adults living in care facilities, especially those with neurodegenerative diseases. 

“There are more nursing homes in the U.S. than McDonalds,” Cordero said. “Imagine if we reimagined them as community centers. By having nursing homes near parks and restaurants, intergenerational exchange and increasing access to community, we can remove the stigma around aging.”

Aging is a universal experience, but Cordero understood the complexities of caring for a loved one earlier than most. In middle school, he was the primary caretaker for his mother, who suffered from a neurodegenerative condition and later his grandmother, who experienced a similar illness. When Cordero’s mother passed away during his first semester at Davidson, the outpouring of support he received from professors and mentors on campus became his lifeline. 

“They showed up for me during the hard times, when I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I came to Davidson knowing I wanted to study neuroscience, but after this period of my life, I knew I wanted to help others dealing with neurological conditions get the care they needed.”

Through his classes, he began to think about the potential for care beyond the medical setting. Encouraged by campus mentors like Vail Professor of Psychology Kristi Multhaup, he received a grant to study public health in the Netherlands that summer. There, he found an early inspiration for his Watson studies, a “Dementia Village” where residents found  independence and connection in a safe, community environment.

Caring for his grandmother on his breaks, Cordero saw going home as an opportunity to implement what he was learning on a deeply personal level. 

“There’s so much isolation and stigma that comes with getting older and needing care,” he said. “I was learning to provide care that empowers people to keep living their lives.” 

His year as a Watson fellow, traveling to care facilities around the world, transformed what he’d learned at Davidson and at home. His research included parks designed for older adults, small towns that encouraged agency and choice and an LGBTQIA+ focused program that paired residents and young adults. 

Beyond just research, his Watson was a powerful personal experience. During one session, a man confided in him about his LGBTQIA+ identity, saying it out loud for the first time, and they connected over shared experiences. 

“There was a lot of gain and a lot of loss during my Watson,” Cordero said. “I often say I was living in the past, present and future. It was so rewarding that by being who I am, I was able to support and learn from the hundreds of older adults I met on my journey.”