Season seven starts with the part of my story that still catches in my throat, even after 14 years: my dad died, and within months my mom began to fall apart in ways that grief alone couldn’t explain. People around her told me I was overreacting, that it was depression, that it was mourning. I had to trust what I knew about my mother, push for testing, and brace for the avalanche of becoming responsible for her care, her safety, and the life she used to run with ease.

John from Georgia Focus asks the questions a lot of families quietly carry: how do you balance this, how do you keep going, and what does Alzheimer’s caregiving look like when someone can’t reliably tell you what they need? I talk through late stage realities like limited speech, incontinence, assisted walking, and why caregivers can’t wait for “I’m hungry” or “I need help.” We also get honest about the emotional whiplash, the isolation, and the strange moments that become funny later, because humor isn’t disrespectful, it’s survival.

We dig into Alzheimer’s vs dementia, why the terminology matters, and how Parenting Up blends real caregiver stories with the right medical experts, especially clinicians who’ve done caregiving themselves. I also share why I’m cautious about endless research headlines, and what gave us hope after diagnosis: practical changes, including nutrition and treatment, that helped us fight for more good years.

If you care for someone with dementia, or you love someone who does, subscribe, share this with your caregiver group chat, and leave a review so more families can find us when they need it most.

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"Alzheimer's is heavy but we ain't gotta be!"
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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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"Alzheimer's is heavy but we ain't gotta be!"
IG: https://www.instagram.com/parentingup
FB: https://www.facebook.com/parentingup
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@parentingup
TEXT 'PODCAST" to +1 404 737 1449 - to give J topic ideas, feedback, say hi!
Be sure to leave us a review!

Caregiving doesn’t just “get hard” over time. Sometimes it detonates your life overnight, and you’re left rebuilding your health, your career, and your family rules while dementia keeps moving the goalposts. That’s why this conversation with Jesse Jackson Jr. hits so deep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. had J Smiles as well as two other guests talk honestly about what it costs to care for a parent when the system quietly depends on your free labor, then acts surprised when families burn out.

We get into the chaos that follows when an untrained family caregiver becomes the care team, the administrator, the advocate, and the safety officer all at once. We also name what people don’t want to say out loud: the denial that delays a diagnosis, the isolation that makes you feel like you’re losing your mind, and the health risks that come with nonstop stress and no sleep.

We don’t stay in despair. J explains how comedy became a lifeline and why humor can be real caregiver self-care, not a distraction. Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Atiba also dig into boundaries, privacy, and what happens when outsiders try to turn a family’s tragedy into content. Then we turn toward solutions with a clear call for caregiver support policy: mental health care, protections that help caregivers keep their jobs, and legislation that treats family caregiving like the essential work it is. If you’ve ever wondered why so many caregivers leave the workforce, Jay’s “brain drain” insight will stay with you.

If this resonates, subscribe, share this with someone who’s caring for a parent, and leave a review so more families can find it. What kind of support would make the biggest difference for caregivers where you live?

**Today's episode includes clips from The Jesse Jackson Jr. Show, originally recorded on December 10, 2025.

Support the show

"Alzheimer's is heavy but we ain't gotta be!"
IG: https://www.instagram.com/parentingup
FB: https://www.facebook.com/parentingup
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@parentingup
TEXT 'PODCAST" to +1 404 737 1449 - to give J topic ideas, feedback, say hi!
Be sure to leave us a review!