J Smiles was in Anaheim for the Alzheimer’s Association Community Leaders Summit, surrounded by people who volunteer hard, fundraise harder, and refuse to let dementia be the final word. The surprising part isn’t the scale of the event, it’s the energy. This isn’t a room full of resignation. It’s a room full of strategy, laughter, and a belief that progress is real, even when it comes in tiny steps.

Then caregiving interrupts everything. While she was learning about Alzheimer’s advocacy and dementia research, she get a text from Zetty's caregiver about a scary symptom and a sudden drop in alertness.

In today's episode, we also dig into prevention and brain health in plain language. You’ll hear about Brain Health at Work, how TrialMatch helps people find clinical trials, and a powerful story from the U.S. POINTER study showing measurable improvement through lifestyle changes alone. We talk about movement, food, sleep, social connection, and health monitoring, plus why isolation is a real risk factor. And we name the urgency of reaching the Black community, where Alzheimer’s hits at about twice the rate, with better awareness and participation in research.

If you need a dose of hope that still feels honest, this one is for you. Subscribe for more, share it with a caregiver who needs backup, and leave a review so more families can find the show.

Exec Producer/Host: J Smiles

Producer: Mia Hall

Editor: Annelise Udoye

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