Episode 173: Listening to the Voices of Our Parkinson’s Caregivers

Each November, the Parkinson’s Foundation joins organizations across the country to honor care partners for National Family Caregivers Month. In this episode, we highlight the stories and experiences of two people who care for a person with Parkinson’s disease. Ripley Hensley is an emergency room nurse and a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut School of Nursing. Although she currently lives in Connecticut, she manages to find ways to help support both her mother, who is the primary caregiver, and her father who has Parkinson’s, back in Georgia. Meanwhile, Tom Graffeo lives with his partner, who has young-onset Parkinson’s. Although their caregiving roles differ, they share similar concerns and discuss how they provide care for their loved ones, while also prioritizing their own well-being.

Released: November 12, 2024

Ripley Fricano Hensley is an Emergency Department Registered Nurse, doctoral student at University of Connecticut, School of Nursing, and daughter to one really cool guy with Parkinson’s disease.

When her dad, Dave, was diagnosed in 2017, Ripley began looking for ways to improve care and quality of life for people with Parkinson’s both in and out of the hospital. She decided to pursue a PhD in Nursing. Ripley’s research at the University of Connecticut focuses on predictors of health behaviors and quality of life in people with PD. In addition to her academic research, her personal and professional experiences have made her especially passionate about hospital care standards, increased education for healthcare providers on PD management, family-centered care and caregiver support, expanded access to specialized care for individuals faced with geographic, financial, or functional barriers, and greater PD awareness and visibility.

In her free time, Ripley loves running, reading, planning trips (up next: Ecuador), and trying new ice cream flavors while she awaits the return of Dairy Queen’s s’mores blizzard. She and her husband, Ben, live in West Hartford, Connecticut with their dog and two cats. Ripley is so thankful for how the Parkinson’s Foundation continues to improve life for her dad, her family, and countless others globally. She is honored and humbled to serve on the People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council in such an incredible company and cannot wait to see what we can accomplish together.
Tom Graffeo has been involved in Hospitality for his entire career. Currently the Director of Sales and Marketing at the Sonesta Columbus Downtown hotel, living just a few miles outside of downtown with his partner and two dogs. He has 3 grown children who still reside in the state of Ohio. In 2006 his partner was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's. Shortly thereafter Tom reached out to the only local place he could find, The Central Ohio Parkinson's Society (COPS). He started out volunteering at their Walk in the Park and education events. As the years passed and COPS became part of the Parkinson’s Foundation, Tom took on more volunteering responsibilities, eventually joining the Great Lakes Chapter board. Tom’s 10 years on the board concluded with 3 years as the President.

Past volunteer activities have included working the Suicide Prevention hotline, Franklin County Dog Shelter and Stonewall Columbus, supporting the LGBTQ community. In his free time, he enjoys running, traveling and spending quality time with his 3 grandsons. He is very excited to take on the next step in his Parkinson's Foundation journey.