Parenting UP! Caregiving adventures with comedian J Smiles

We in Detroit Baby! Behind the Scenes of our first tour!

• J Smiles • Season 6 • Episode 9

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Hey Parenting Up Family! Today's episode is an audio version of a look behind the scenes of our first tour in Detroit! We had an amazing time with Dr. McNeil and the team at the AGREED Grant! You may have listened to the series, but now, we get to give you the story behind this amazing project and how it all came together. 

You will hear clips from our episodes, an interview with Dr. McNeil, and part of our pre-5 year 'podversary' celebration at EVRY Media Studios. 

Thank you for rocking with us for these past 5 years. Be sure to share this episode with a friend and check out the visuals on our YouTube channel @parentingup. 

Exec. Producer: J Smiles

Producer: Mia Hall 

DP / Editor: Annelise Udoye

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"Alzheimer's is heavy but we ain't gotta be!"
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Speaker 1:

What's up people? It's your girl, j Smiles. I'm here in Detroit City. You see it, you know it. Motown, baby, hitsville, usa.

Speaker 1:

I just wrapped the Detroit Parenting Up podcast tour, a three-part series, an episode One, two, three In partnership with Wayne State's Agreed program. It was so phenomenal to be chosen and selected as the podcast to help with this $5 million grant to spread the word about caregivers and LOs and how we lock in with providers and we can make it through this thing. Y'all Okay, but what's about to happen right now is we're going to show you the behind-the-scenes footage what really went down, what I learned that you might not be able to Google, who I met, how we made it through, how my production team keeps me in line. Y'all should send them a coffee or something, because keeping me in line is not easy. Parenting up Caregiving Adventures with comedian J Smiles is the intense journey of unexpectedly being fully responsible for my mama.

Speaker 1:

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 Zeddy.

Speaker 2:

I hope you enjoy my daughter's podcast. You double K.

Speaker 1:

Today's supporter shout out from Detroit, of course, bushra Hassan. Masters in Public Health. This podcast has encompassed all of my values as a public health professional. Whoa, that's impressive. That's just me adding something. Hearing caregivers feel empowered to share their vulnerabilities to help others feel supported is truly heartwarming Exclamation point Thank you all for doing this. Their vulnerabilities to help others feel supported is truly heartwarming. Thank you all for doing this. Heart emoji oh what Woo. Job well done team. Job, well done team. If you'd like to receive a supporter, shout out. You know what to do. Leave a review Apple Podcasts, youtube or IG.

Speaker 1:

We are Parenting Up everywhere. Today's episode we're in Detroit. Baby, what's up y'all? It's your girl, j Smiles. The Parenting Up family made it to Detroit City. We are here at Wayne State with the one and only Dr McNeil. I call her Dr Detroit. We about to bring you some real special sauce. She got a $5 million grant with an M yes, not $1,000. $5 million grant to help the community, people with dementia, with Alzheimer's caregivers and you know if it's caregiving and it's Alzheimer's, you know J Smiles and the Parents Enough community are going to be there. So it's about to be lit. Can you say lit and dementia? Well, I just did, I just did, stay tuned.

Speaker 3:

Dr Cynthia McNeil. I'm an adult gerontology nurse practitioner of primary care. I'm also an internal medicine provider at Wayne State University as well as Harper University Hospital, and I'm also an associate professor at Wayne State University. I truly believe in helping the spirit populations and our older patient population that are most vulnerable and our most most valuable asset, and so I just feel obligated to be protective of that population. I teach about geriatrics, I take care of patients across the lifespan, starting from early teenage through the end of life, and I know the disparities of Detroit because I'm from here, and so having this opportunity to funnel federal funding into this particular area, to address this disparity amongst other disparities, was just an opportunity for me to do my purpose, to serve my community, and so when I found that this opportunity was available, I wanted to definitely make sure that those resources got to my people, got to my community, and pull all my partners and things together so that we can address these issues as a team. Chariot Center.

Speaker 4:

Hello, so nice to meet you. It's beautiful to meet you too. Hi, how are you Go down there to the left? So there's the conference room, that's where you'll find her Hi hello.

Speaker 7:

Hi how are you, hey, how are you? How was the audience? Because I'm a comedian who happens to be a caregiver.

Speaker 1:

My mother is in year 13 of having Alzheimer's this year so I fell into this advocacy out of love. So you know Doc mentioned she said the Rosa Parks. I was like so.

Speaker 1:

I don't really care where it is, where we have to drive the Grand Rapids out of here, I'll get there and we'll make it happen Because and aside, I don't even know if I got this out for you, doc, but my mother and her parents were members of the church where Dr King was a pastor when the Montgomery Boys of the Forty Tots started and all that so they actually knew Mrs Parks and her husband very well. So that whole part of our history, of this nation's history, it runs through my blood.

Speaker 6:

And have you seen her bus? The bus is at the Henry Ford.

Speaker 1:

I have not seen the bus at the Henry Ford, and I will. I've seen a few of the artifacts that were very important to her legacy, but I haven't seen the bus. I've seen photos of the bus but from my childhood I've stood on the spot when they put out and handcuffed her, because that's been memorialized in my hometown.

Speaker 3:

Oh, that's exciting.

Speaker 3:

So this is the team that really makes this happen.

Speaker 3:

So doing a geriatric grant of this size, really advocating for change and how we provide care for geriatrics in the state of Michigan, could not be done without clinicians that are here on 9 to 5 doing this type of work and telling us and advising us on kind of what we need to do to improve the care and then hopefully being a model so that other clinics can be able to follow their lead.

Speaker 3:

So this is the Rosa Parks Clinic team, and this is a team that are also part of the grant as faculty and advisors to kind of make sure that we're using these resources appropriately, and they are also integral in many parts of the grant. They work with our students in educating and training our students that come to the clinic. They also work with actually quality improvement at the site at the primary care and the long-term care facilities, ensuring that we are providing age-friendly health care to everyone that encounters our system, and so I couldn't do this without them and I want to just take this opportunity to thank them so much for what they do, and you will get to know them very shortly.

Speaker 1:

Well, we are here at the Rosa Parks Geriatric Center. I can't thank you enough for even being a part of a mission and a clinic that provides care for a population like this. How did you even become involved with this facility?

Speaker 4:

30 years ago I became involved with this facility. I had lovely grandparents, and that's what taught me the love of the older adult, and so after I got my master's degree, this job became available and I came here, and I've been here ever since.

Speaker 1:

Dr Patel, thank you for talking with us.

Speaker 8:

Well, thank you for taking time to come and see our clinic. This is one of a kind clinic. It's a one-stop shop kind of a thing for older adults, because we not only provide primary care here for the older adults but also some of the subspecialties like cardiology, gastroenterology, sleep medicine. We have pharmacy, social work, nephrology all in this one clinic, so the older adult doesn't have to really go out of this clinic to another place to see a different provider.

Speaker 1:

Okay, Pharmacy and geriatrics and old people that sounds way confusing and complicated. How do you make sure the medicines don't get messed up? Candice, Tell the truth.

Speaker 6:

You know there's so many ways that medicines can get messed up. First of all, we want to make sure that the patient is getting the right medications. So it's what is the right dose, what is the indication, what do they need this for? Also, there's the patient's end of it, right Like, are they taking it right? So we problem solve through it. So we problem solved through it.

Speaker 1:

They really had some good information. It was so not the same.

Speaker 3:

I don't get out of the air. I wouldn't be so supportive. I knew that the same feelings I have about undressing Right. That's probably why I did it.

Speaker 1:

I got some caught up in the whole talking.

Speaker 5:

Let me tell you something?

Speaker 1:

Dr Patel went okay, baby, I asked him. I got one question that I thought we could see appeared a little more reserved. It was 20 minutes late before I got my next question.

Speaker 3:

Patel was like oh, another thing he's the chief geriatric student at the hospital.

Speaker 1:

Apparently Now I know. You know, I was like I had like three or four follow-ups, thinking I might have to pull stuff out of him. I don't know, man Pat, I was like I had like three or four follow-ups, thinking I might have to pull stuff out of me. I'm like, no, ma'am, dr Patel was like, and then, and also correct, correct. It was beautiful to see the passion in each person's head. Thank you so much, not a problem.

Speaker 5:

Have a great one you too. Thanks, bye, bye, hi, how are you Great Picking you up? Sure, what's your name? Smith, smith, the name for being a part of the team that put us together.

Speaker 3:

Well, thank you for sharing I got to give you a big thank you. I really appreciate it. Thank you, thank you.

Speaker 5:

Thank Hi, haria, great picking up. Sure, what's your name? Smith?

Speaker 1:

Smith, the name for being a part of the team that put it together.

Speaker 3:

Well, thank you, I got it. Thank you for your name. I really appreciate it.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, all right.

Speaker 1:

So I'm a podcaster. Okay, I have a. This is our podcast Yay.

Speaker 5:

Yay, our podcast. Yay Yay, Awesome the toy in the D. What up dog?

Speaker 7:

You need a toy, let's get it going. So this is my podcast room here. That's my partners in there. We got a DJ set if they want to have a DJ and do a radio show. Has about six mics in here, cameras for every CD, even a DJ. So if you wanted to do something that was not as big, you know a lot of people like to use this, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Very well equipped, very well equipped.

Speaker 7:

Show y'all the home that y'all going to be using. This is the control room where all the magic happens.

Speaker 1:

My partner, miguel, my other partner, chris, my laptop, my laptop, my laptop, god, we feel like I'm somebody.

Speaker 5:

I'm somebody.

Speaker 1:

Mess around and we feel like I'm somebody. Yo, mama, we made it. It doesn't make it for one day, but one day counts.

Speaker 7:

So we got five broadcasting cameras in here. Okay, three of them we keep stationary, two of them we're going to have manned, so you will have shots with a couple people in it, close-up shots, whole thing, and they shoot all the way through, from start to finish. So when your guy's at it he's never going to miss a shot.

Speaker 5:

You're lit here. I got to tell you yeah, I feel like I'm going to say it soft.

Speaker 4:

This is me it's soft talk.

Speaker 7:

A lot of these rules come on the shelves and stuff You're more than welcome to take off and off the shelf.

Speaker 7:

I'll dress it up how you want it. All the lights in here, the colored lights, so we can change the background colors to whatever. This room is self-serve room. It's a fully automated room. But if you don't feel like doing that, some people, I ain't going to lie. Some people, I ain't gonna lie. Some people, that's too much to just go. They keep hitting it at the wrong time. They can never record what they stopped recording. I said don't worry about it, We'll take care of it.

Speaker 1:

I was going to say I would be so upset yeah.

Speaker 7:

Every time Cause, then you like.

Speaker 1:

I just dropped my fire content. I know it's good. Hey, what's up? Parented Up family. Guess what. Have you ever wanted to connect with other caregivers? You want to see more behind-the-scenes footage? Want to know what me and Zeddy are doing? I know you do All things. Jsmiles are finally ready for you, even when I go live. Do it now with us on Patreon. Join us in the Patreon community. Catch everything we're doing. Visit patreoncom forward. Slash JSmiles Studios with an S. I'm going to do it differently.

Speaker 1:

So four characters will be with me on the panel and then one other person I will just as you see, annalise has a camera and Elise has a camera, and we will be standing separately and have a more one-on-one informal conversation asking them a few questions. So I do want everybody that is going to be on set just make sure you have good, big energy.

Speaker 5:

I know that it's early in the morning, so if you need some extra coffee, some extra water, a donut, anything to spark that, you know we definitely want you to have.

Speaker 1:

You know your best energy when you come on camera In the building. It's a real deal. Now, having this conversation with you all it seems to be a major commonality is Figuring it out, figuring out on the fly what you're going to do, how you're going to do it, because someone that you love is in distress.

Speaker 3:

You can't be intimidated to where you would jeopardize the best outcome for your loved one or yourself for that matter. You need to be empowered to ask questions. You should understand what the plan of care is. You should understand what is going on. What should you anticipate next? You should have that understanding.

Speaker 2:

Just to tell them that they're not the only ones. We are here. You're going to be in a caregiver space at some point in your life. Whether you need it, whether you are it, You're going to be in that space. It You're going to be in that space. When you find yourself in that role, whatever the barriers are, whatever those feelings that you're feeling, just know that there is someone on the other end. Just know that there is that other helping hand. I'm going to pop one back your way.

Speaker 1:

I have my girl Yolanda, hello, and she has been caregiving so much she can teach me a thing or two Now. Y'all know I feel like I know a lot about caregiving, but my girl Yolanda, she been caring for people since the Ruta and the Tuta first met.

Speaker 5:

Hey, that's so. That's a wrap. Boom Boom Lovely. That's a wrap, boom Boom Lovely. We feel like an anniversary for like things that aren't like oh, you're a prop alien, right right, oh, it's your anniversary. Ayyyy, it's your anniversary. Anniversary, it's your anniversary. Oh, it's your anniversary. Treats, anniversary anniversary, hey, anniversary, thank you, yay, it's our anniversary. Anniversary anniversary. Hey, a podcast, it's a podcast. Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen.

Speaker 1:

Amen in the same dictionary yes, we'll contact. Webster right now. That's right, I'm being right. Okay, so she's sorry.

Speaker 5:

Okay, this is not our.

Speaker 1:

I was saying she was like, but I was like this is not our. I was saying she was like, but I was like this is not our, we're not.

Speaker 5:

See.

Speaker 1:

I told you what happened when she met me.

Speaker 8:

I promise I didn't shake it.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, we didn't meet it. We didn't meet it. I got it, it ain't on the rug.

Speaker 8:

First one.

Speaker 5:

First one. Alright. Cheers to five years Of the Parenting Up Podcast. I got it. It ain't on the road. All right. Cheers to five years of the.

Speaker 1:

Parenting Up podcast. Jay, you want to say something before we toast. What are you toasting to? Yes, I am toasting to the amount of things that came out of the pandemic that were not niggish. All right, five million dollar grant, five years of the podcast, five years of every media.

Speaker 5:

Onward and upward With Wayne.

Speaker 3:

Stay to breathe, grant with Dwayne State's green grant and man, we got something special for y'all.

Speaker 1:

So this is the behind the scenes. Are we giving you a recap? Man, stay tuned, shoot away right now. Hey, junior Walker and the all starsStars baby Family. I just got here with the greatest compliment I think I've ever received. Somebody at the studio where we were taking care of the Detroit three-part tour said J Smiles. I didn't have any idea somebody could make a disease as dreadful and dark as Alzheimer's funny. How the fuck do you make it funny? I don't know, but that's what we do here at Parenting Up. We lead with levity, cause hell, we gotta laugh, otherwise we ain't gonna make it. I got you, you got me. I'll see you next time.

Speaker 5:

That's hilarious.

Speaker 1:

So this is Mia from Waste Up up production, taking over. I don't even know if this shot is too close, but you know I'm saying I let the other people get their food and then I'll get my food, but you know.

Speaker 5:

I had an awesome trip in Detroit this time. Of course, you know we got some things that we're learning we're going to improve on next time, but until then, man, y'all stay tuned, y'all follow at Parenting Up on YouTube and all platforms alright, peace.

Speaker 1:

Alright the Snuggle Up. What's up? Parenting Up family? You know it's me, your girl J Smiles, wrapping up a phenomenal time in Detroit working with Wayne State's Agreed Grant, all of its partners and some phenomenal caregivers. I can't tell you how exciting it was.

Speaker 1:

First thing is, I bet y'all didn't know I really lived in Detroit. Some of y'all knew that, but to get back there to see some of my old stomping grounds, to meet new people, was fantastic. The people at every media listen. If you need to record something or you wanna think about doing something, holler at the people there. Dean, miguel, chris, they treated us like royalty, like better than family. My family does not treat me like royalty, I don't know about y'all, but anyway I digress. The caregivers were phenomenal. We got by Hitsville, motown Come on, man. They were playing the Supremes. I almost slipped my back trying to do a move that I remember when I was a little girl. It was amazing.

Speaker 1:

The Rosa Parks Geriatric Center as if I would ever pass up a chance to do anything with that lady's name. Y'all know how down I am for Montgomery, alabama. If you put Mrs Parks on a roller coaster ride. I'm about to go do that ride and I don't even do them things no more. That's how much fun we had and how inclusive they were of the Parenting Up team and what we brought to Detroit. I hope you enjoyed a little bit of the behind the scenes kind of what we go through in putting together crafty projects for you. So until next time, 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 going to 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.