Serena Guimarey

Serena Guimarey is passionate about expanding military and veteran caregiver support through education, outreach, and community-building efforts. She is actively involved with the VA Caregiver Support Program and local VA facilities in Las Vegas, where she advocates for improved access to home-based services and greater awareness of available resources. She also serves as a Peer Support Mentor, offering guidance, encouragement, and practical support to fellow caregivers navigating similar situations.

Serena’s father, Paul Dannenberg, served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. His exposure to Agent Orange during the war has contributed to numerous serious health conditions, including cancer, dementia, diabetes, hearing loss, tinnitus, and neuropathy. Serena has long been a source of support for her dad, but she feels she truly became his caregiver when she welcomed him into her family’s home to support him around-the-clock.  

For Serena, her experience has shined a light on the importance of aging veterans having someone in their lives acting as a caregiver. First and foremost, she believes veterans have earned the right to age in place with grace and dignity. Serena has witnessed first-hand how essential caregivers are to helping older veterans manage complex healthcare systems and modern medical technologies. Her months-long battle to secure her father therapeutic shoes underscored how easily veterans can fall through the cracks without dedicated support.

Although caring for her dad has brought challenges – especially with a busy household of four kids – Serena views the experience as profound and meaningful. Having her father in their home has strengthened family bonds and created lasting memories. She considers their time together “the biggest win” of caregiving. Her children now get more time with their grandfather, and as Serena writes, “my children see that we take care of one another in our family, no matter the age or our living circumstances.”