Behind the Scenes of our Tour: Detroit Cares About Dementia

Behind The Scenes Tour Tease

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey Parenting Up family. This is about to be a special episode because we're letting you come behind the scenes. How do we do it? How do we produce it? Where do we go? What happens when we're on tour? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get ready. This is the vlog from our second tour in Detroit. I mean, it was amazing. We were with Wayne State University, Dr. McNeil once again, the GWEP program, making really good use of federal grant money. Shout out to the taxpayers. Thank you very, very, very much. Detroit cares about dementia. Let's go.

Why Jay Smiles Started This

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Parenting up caregiving adventures with comedian Jay Smiles is the intense journey of unexpectedly being fully responsible for my mama. For over a decade, I've been chipping away at the unknown, advocating for her, and pushing Alzheimer's awareness on anyone and anything with a heartbeat. Spoiler alert. This shit is heavy. That's why I started doing comedy. So be ready for the jokes. Caregiver newbies, OGs, and village members just willing to prop up a caregiver, you are in the right place. Hi, this is Zetty. I hope you enjoy my daughter's podcast. Zetti K.

Supporter Shoutout And Booking Request

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Today's supporters shout out comes from YouTube at T M-A-L-L-O-Y-3. It's specific to safe spaces for people living with dementia. I'd love to know when and where you're coming to New Jersey. I'd love to help you find a great venue. You're amazing, and the families here need you. What? Lil O'Me, you need me. Girl, listen, you and anybody else. Hi H I at parentingup.com. That will get directed to my team. You don't even want to email or call me because I might be with Zetti and it could take me three weeks to respond. But you go to hi at parentingup.com, baby. What y'all need me to do because we out here in these caregiver streets, and what we gon do is make it better. Thank you. Thank you so much. Now, if you would like to be the recipient of a supporter shout out, you know what to do. Leave a comment or a review at Apple Podcasts or YouTube. We're parenting up everywhere.

Detroit Love And Studio Welcome

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Today's episode, Behind the Scenes of Our Tour, Detroit Cares About Dementia. And my dating life, anyway, we're not gonna get into my dating life. But the point is, I am really getting this second wind of affinity for Detroit. And I'm gonna tell you this. Now I ain't trying to go there in December necessarily, but if you can get to Detroit in the summer months, it's like Jordan and June, baby. Nothing but rings, championships everywhere. Everybody's in a good mood. They let you have a parking space. The food is delicious. They got people eating out at the cafes. I'm like, what? Is this Detroit City? Ha ha ha ha ha. We were welcomed once again by Dr. McNeil and her team. We had a phenomenal time recording at every studio's. Shout out to their entire team. The donuts. When did Detroit get so good at donuts? Shout out to whoever decided that coffee and donuts make your day better, because I agree, they really do.

People Living With Dementia Speak

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This year's theme, Detroit Cares About Dementia, was pervasive. We had three episodes that all pertain to this theme. And I know you heard and watched already, but let me just run it down for you so that this vlog makes sense. All right. We talk with people who were living with dementia. That's a first time for us. And it was a really big deal. Like it was, it's a lot of people out there living with dementia. Like right now, they live alone, they're driving cars, they're doing some level of work for income. I was blown away by the courage of these men and women to look dementia in the face and say, F you dementia, dementia does not mean death. And I'm about to live and I'm going to live full, and I'ma tell people, run, tell somebody what this being with dementia is all about.

Safe Public Spaces For Dementia

SPEAKER_00 5:16

We also identified safe spaces. Did y'all know that there are actually safe public spaces for people with dementia? We dug all into that, and it was so rewarding to see. Specifically, the Alzheimer's Association of Michigan, they laid out so many places that are like dementia-friendly communities or restaurants or neighborhoods. Like, come on, people, we can really make a change in this world like one person at a time. And the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, the work that they're doing with Dr. Pharon Epps and the Altar Summit, magical. They are in Detroit making sure that people in their church and their church community extension don't become reclusive. Hey, keep coming to church. Go get your hair done. We recognize you with your dementia, and we're going to meet you where you are. You know what? I walked away saying, you know, it's kind of like when we finally passed the Americas with Disabilities Act, and we said, hell yeah, there should be ramps at every crosswalk. And yes, there should be uh wide bathroom stalls in public places for those with wheelchairs. I feel like these people who are creating safe spaces have an idea like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Dementia people should still be able to, I don't know, live, go outside, walk around, and not feel scared.

Early Detection And Baseline Testing

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And then we dealt with early detection. Everybody in the Alzheimer's community, the dementia community, agrees on one thing, which is we got to find out as early as possible that there are changes in cognitive behavior. Now, how can you find out if there are changes? You got to go to the doctor. You have to get in some of the clinical trials. Now, not a clinical trial to take medicine. You go to the clinics and they're all over the place, usually associated with your community outreach programs or your city or state or your local health departments. And they have these programs to help you determine what is your baseline, what is your neurological baseline. And the only way you can really know scientifically if there's a shift is if you start to really, really veer away from your baseline. So thank you so much once again to the Rosa Parks Geriatric Center for inviting us, for allowing us to talk to some of their leading uh physicians, nurse practitioners, and researchers on what it looks like to actually come into the clinic and get tested. What does test what is the test? Does the test hurt? Does the test feel? Um does the test hurt? Is the test scary? We uncovered all of that. And at the very end, what we know more than anything is what is most prevalent with early detection is y'all is inexpensive. The tests are damn near free, and it means that you and your family and those that you love can make a plan. And isn't that what life's about? Being able to live as best you can on your own terms because you have the power of knowledge. So,

Humor Heals And Snuggle Up

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thank you so much to Wayne State University, the Agreed Program, WEP. We had such a good time. My podcast team, we came in fast and furious. Y'all made us feel at home, you made us feel welcome. We can't wait for year three. Detroit really does care about dementia. The snuggle up. It's Jay Smiles, and you know, my whole thing is to lead with levity, because humor heals. The parenting up community was invented, was created, was founded upon. Where is the humor, where is the laughter? Alzheimer's might be heavy, but we ain't gotta be. And that is my huge takeaway. That's my snuggle up. From this entire three-part tour in Detroit. The Detroit Cares About Dementia Tour. Here too, with Wayne State University. Shout out to my girl. I call her Dr. Detroit. Y'all shouldn't do that with Dr. McNeil to you. Yes, thank you very much.

Volunteers Fighting Stigma In Community

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Y'all, outside been open. Do you hear me? Outside bend open and outside stay open. Jay, what do you mean? I mean there are people living with dementia who are still out here tackling life as if they didn't receive that horrible diagnosis. And there are individuals who are doing research and fighting to find out how they can support their family and community people with dementia. What? And this is for free, y'all. These people, these churches and these Alzheimer's association advocates, they're volunteers. They are not getting paid. They are doing this because we're in a health crisis. Dementia is our current crisis. It is a global crisis. But outside is open, baby. And if outside is open, then there's some fun to be had because what? People are locking arms, making friends, and making a difference, not putting themselves first, not wondering, well, what is in it for me? The individuals who are living with dementia but choosing to share their stories are doing it in a hopes of pulling back the curtain of fear, of the stigma of I don't want to tell nobody I got dementia because they don't think I'm losing my mind and I'm air quotes going crazy. They are putting the world on their backs and showing, I'm still strong, I'm still here, I have something to offer. And thank goodness for the individuals who are creating spaces like restaurants and barbershops and hair salons and areas of the church. Do y'all know that a part of making church safe, according to the altar program and the Harford Memorial Baptist Church, I got it right. The ushers have to go through training. And the ushers learn who in the congregation has dementia. So they know how to manage and help them sit down. And if they gotta go to the bathroom, what? I'm sorry. Once again, it gets back to knowledge is power. And we're in there, y'all. We in there. All right, it's still shitty, but we are gaining.

Subscribe And Closing Thanks

SPEAKER_00 12:42

Thank you for tuning in. I mean, really, really, really, thank you so very much for tuning in. Whether you're watching this on YouTube or if you're listening on your favorite podcast audio platform. Either way, wherever you are, subscribe. Come back. That's the way you're gonna know when we do something next. Y'all know how it is. I'm Jay Smiles. I might just drop something hot in the middle of the night.