Parenting UP! Caregiving adventures with comedian J Smiles

Dementia Dilemma: Push Through, or Delay the Hairdo?!


Listen Later

What does perseverance look like when words are gone and the day goes sideways? We set out to honor a promise—no gray roots, ever—and walked straight into a masterclass on safety, dignity, and the tiny choices that keep identity alive. A new caregiver, a wardrobe wobble, and then the moment every caregiver dreads: knees buckling on a ramp and a slow fall to the ground. No injuries, just a spike of adrenaline and the question that lives in the gut—do we abort, or do we push through?

I take you beat by beat through the real dilemma: when to use the walker versus the wheelchair and how a gait belt and a one‑rep deadlift salvaged the transfer. We get transparent about the doubt and we also get honest about the grace that kept us moving. A stylist waited, cleared the room, and turned a noisy salon into a quiet sanctuary. Shampoo, color, cut, and something rarer: the look on my mom’s face when she recognized herself again in the mirror. That smile said we chose right.

Caregiving spares no one, but we always persevere.  If you’re navigating Alzheimer’s, mobility challenges, or just the daily logistics of being a caregiver, you’ll leave with practical takeaways on the kind of patience that keeps everyone safer and well groomed.

If this story made you feel seen, subscribe, share it with your village, and leave a review so other caregivers can find us. Tell me your small win this week—I’m cheering for every single one.

Executive Producer/Host: J Smiles Comedy

Producer: Mia Hall

Editor: Annelise Udoye 

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!

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Parenting UP! Caregiving adventures with comedian J SmilesBy J Smiles

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

42 ratings


More shows like Parenting UP! Caregiving adventures with comedian J Smiles

View all
Life Kit by NPR

Life Kit

4,851 Listeners

Everyone Dies (Every1Dies) by Dr. Marianne Matzo, FAAN and Charlie Navarrette

Everyone Dies (Every1Dies)

11 Listeners

Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce by Wave

Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce

10,516 Listeners

FTD - Navigating The Cr*p by Beth Jones

FTD - Navigating The Cr*p

0 Listeners