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Parenting UP! Caregiving adventures with comedian J Smiles

Get engulfed in the intense journey of a caregiver who happens to be a comedian. J Smiles use of levity reveals the stress and rewards of caregiving interwoven with her own personal journey.  Almost 10 years ago, she was catapulted into caregiving overnight when the shock of her dad's death pushed her mom into Alzheimer's in the blink of an eye. A natural storyteller, her vivid descriptions and impressive recall will place you squarely in each moment of truth, at each fork in the road. She wa…

Recent Episodes

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The Art of Redirecting: A Caregiver’s Superpower
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July 13, 2026

The Art of Redirecting: A Caregiver’s Superpower

Alzheimer’s can make yesterday disappear, but it can also make love get very specific, very fast. I’m talking with Dan Phillips from the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and his story hits on every level: a grandmother diagnosed, a career pivot into advocacy, and then the brutal reality that multiple people he loves are living with the disease. We keep it real about what families actually face, including denial, confusion, and those moments when you realize you’re hearing heartbre
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Promoting Dementia Screening While Dispelling Dementia Myths
June 30, 2026

Promoting Dementia Screening While Dispelling Dementia Myths

If the words “dementia test” make you picture needles, scary machines, and a verdict you cannot take back, we get it. That fear keeps a lot of families stuck in delay, denial, and quiet panic. From Detroit’s Rosa Parks Geriatric Center at Wayne State University, we sit down with practitioners to make dementia screening feel simple, practical, and worth doing sooner than later.We walk through what a real memory screening looks like, including the Mini-Cog: three words, a clock drawing, and a qu
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Living With Dementia: Real Stories, Early Signs, and Getting the Right Diagnosis
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June 26, 2026

Living With Dementia: Real Stories, Early Signs, and Getting the Right Diagnosis

Dementia doesn’t show up with a warning label, and it definitely doesn’t erase the person sitting right in front of you. We’re back in Detroit to hear directly from people living with dementia and the care partners walking beside them and the honesty is refreshing, specific, and sometimes even funny in the middle of the hard stuff.First, we talk with Dick and John (with Gerry bringing the real talk as a spouse and support system) about what made them finally say, “Something isn’t quite right.”
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Safe Spaces for People Living With Dementia
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June 23, 2026

Safe Spaces for People Living With Dementia

If leaving the house feels like rolling the dice when dementia is in the picture, you are not alone and you are not overreacting. We record from Detroit during Brain Health Awareness Month with one big question on the table: where can people living with dementia go in public and truly be safe, welcomed, and understood? Not just at home, not just with a neighbor, but in everyday life like coffee shops, church, and movie theaters.We sit down with local leaders connected to the Alzheimer’s Associ
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Forget Dementia Day Care! A Visit to Via Cognitive Center
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June 10, 2026

Forget Dementia Day Care! A Visit to Via Cognitive Center

Forget everything you think you know about “dementia daycare.” I went to Via Cognitive Health in Augusta, Georgia, and what I saw felt less like a holding space and more like a dignity-first cognitive health campus built for real life with dementia. Here, people aren’t called patients. They’re members. And that one word signals the bigger point: they belong, they’re respected, and the day is designed around what they can do right now, not what they’ve lost.We walk through programming that actu
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Faith To Action For Dementia Caregivers - Dr. Fayron Epps New Book and More
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May 26, 2026

Faith To Action For Dementia Caregivers - Dr. Fayron Epps New Book and More

Caregiving can feel like you’re carrying a whole life on your back, then smiling through it so nobody worries. Today's episode highlights behind the scenes moments at our 2nd day at the 2026 Alter Dementia Summit--fast, powerful conversations that tell the truth about dementia caregiving and Alzheimer’s awareness, especially the parts families don’t always say out loud.We spoke down with Dr. Fayron Epps to talk about her book, From Faith To Action, and what it really takes to move from belief
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Recent Blog Posts

"I'm On Edge Of Quitting Caregiving"
Feb. 6, 2023

"I'm On Edge Of Quitting Caregiving"

“I'm On Edge Of Quitting Caregiving”Everybody has a bad day. What are signs that you need an immediate break from caregiving?I’m J Smiles, comedian, Alzheimer’s and Dementia activist, and family caregiver. You may know me…
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“Advocating 101: Partner with the provider – chatting with “Eclectic” Dawn – “Your Loved One Doesn’t Have to Have Alzheimer’s or Dementia For You to be Part of the Parenting Up Family: 5 Reasons You Became a Caregiver”
Oct. 6, 2022

“Advocating 101: Partner with the provider – chatting with “Eclectic” Dawn – “Your Loved One Doesn’t Have to Have Alzheimer’s or Dementia For You to be Part of the Parenting Up Family: 5 Reasons You Became a Caregiver”

“Advocating 101: Partner with the provider – chatting with “Eclectic” Dawn Your Loved One Doesn’t Have to Have Alzheimer’s or Dementia For You to be Part of the Parenting Up Family: 5 Reasons You Became a C…
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“Keeping Mom Independent: A Chat with Kim Cooper”  - How to Give Your Loved one Independence for a Better Quality of Life
Oct. 6, 2022

“Keeping Mom Independent: A Chat with Kim Cooper”  - How to Give Your Loved one Independence for a Better Quality of Life

“Keeping Mom Independent: A Chat with Kim Cooper” How to Give Your Loved one Independence for a Better Quality of LifeI’m J Smiles, comedian, Alzheimer’s and Dementia activist, and family caregiver. You may know me f…
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