Aging Parent Podcast

About Aging Parent Podcast

If you're raising kids, building a career, and suddenly managing doctor appointments, finances, or hard conversations with your parents, this podcast is for you. I'm Valerie Upham, and this is The Aging Parent Podcast. This show is for the sandwich generation, the sons and daughters who didn't plan on becoming caregivers, but stepped into the role anyway. You're carrying responsibility, love, pressure, and decisions that matter more than anyone prepared you for. I know this season personally. I've supported a parent through dementia. I've walked alongside my father through lung cancer, and both through hospice. I've lived in the tension between relationships and responsibilities. Caring for your parents doesn't come with a roadmap. Even with the best intentions, the choices can feel heavy because they affect the people that you love most. You may not know which decisions need to happen first. You may be feeling pulled between your parents' wishes and living your own life. You may be navigating siblings and doctors without a clear plan, quietly wondering if you're honoring your parents the right way while trying to protect the relationship. What you want is steadiness, clarity instead of second-guessing, confidence instead of guilt, a way forward that supports your parents without losing yourself. Each week, you'll hear solo episodes and thoughtful interviews with estate planning and elder law attorneys, financial planners, memory care leaders, healthcare professionals, and people who have walked this road themselves. You'll gain clarity on what needs attention and when. You'll learn language for conversations that preserve dignity and trust. You'll understand care and housing options before urgency forces decisions, and you'll be reminded that uncertainty does not mean that you're doing it wrong. New episodes will drop weekly, so whenever new questions surface, you have a place to return. Share this with a sibling or a friend who needs it, and join me on The Aging Parent Podcast!

Publisher

Valerie Upham

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Jul 2026

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   How Humor Helps You Talk About Your Parents Getting Older

   How do you talk to your parents about getting older — without making it weird? In Episode 20, we sit down with 30-year-old stand-up comedian Danny Dunn to explore the funny, awkward, and deeply real moments of watching your parents age. Danny's parents are only 68, but the signs are already showing — from a dad who refuses to get glasses and carries a magnifying glass instead, to a mom who still whispers the word "lesbian." Behind the jokes, though, lies a genuine question we all face: are they going to be okay, and am I? We cover why humor is the ultimate "Trojan horse" for difficult conversations, how Danny turned childhood bullying and ADHD into a survival tool through comedy, and what happens when the perfectionism your parents instilled in you starts cracking as they show their own humanity. We also dive deep into the host's personal story of losing both parents — one to cancer, one to dementia — and the urgent case for recording conversations with your parents while you still can. If you've been putting off the hard talks about wills, trusts, healthcare directives, or even just "what do you want your life to look like as you get older," this episode is your permission slip to start. Because it's not about the end — it's about everything in between, and making sure your parents live their fullest, most dignified life while they can. In this episode: Why humor breaks the ice on topics nobody wants to touch Growing up thinking your parents know everything (and the slow realization they don't) The perfectionism trap: resenting your parents in your 20s, appreciating them by your 30s Recording conversations with your parents — and why the "annoying" ones are the ones you'll miss most "I wouldn't let you die alone": a father's love on a cruise ship at midnight How to approach resistant parents about end-of-life planning (without getting shut down) The magnifying glass, re-election for parents, and other stand-up bits born from real life Why processing grief before it happens doesn't work the way you think About our guest: Danny Dunn is a stand-up comedian performing across the country. He headlines Zanies in Chicago on November 1st and opens for comedian Rory Scovel (whose Netflix special Show Must Go On covers similar themes). Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube @dannydunnismyboyfriend. Connect With Aging Parent Network Not sure who you need to call or where to begin? Aging Parent Network can help connect you with the right professional for your family's circumstances. 📞 858-727-9333 📧 info@agingparentnetwork.com If you have aging parents or are a caregiver, this episode gives you the tools to have an important conversation before a scam happens — not after. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on navigating aging, caregiving, and family decisions.

2. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Be a Voice for Your Family

   Title: What to Do When You're Worried About Your Parent's Care in a Senior Living Facility | Ep. 19 Description: When something feels off with your parent's care in an assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing facility — and you don't know who to call — there's a free resource you may not know exists: an ombudsman. In this episode, Tracy Sherman, a volunteer ombudsman with 10 years of experience in San Diego County, explains what ombudsmen do, how they advocate for residents' rights, and when families should reach out. We cover the most common complaints in senior living, how to research facilities before moving in, how ombudsmen mediate family conflicts, real stories of residents she's helped, and why this program desperately needs more volunteers. If your parent is in a licensed senior living community — or soon will be — this episode will help you understand your rights, the facility's obligations, and the advocate who's already on your side. In this episode: What an ombudsman is and how the program started The training and commitment required to become one How ombudsmen handle complaints — from minor to serious What to look for when researching and visiting facilities Why you should know your ombudsman before you need them A real story of fighting to get a resident back home How to volunteer and give back Connect With Aging Parent Network Not sure who you need to call or where to begin? Aging Parent Network can help connect you with the right professional for your family's circumstances. 📞 858-727-9333 📧 info@agingparentnetwork.com If you have aging parents or are a caregiver, this episode gives you the tools to have an important conversation before a scam happens — not after. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on navigating aging, caregiving, and family decisions.

3. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Every Scam Has a Tell — Here's How to Spot It Before It's Too Late

   Scams don't just happen to gullible people. They happen to smart people — by design. Toby is 82. She's a former journalist, a leader in her friend group, and one of the sharpest people her host knows. And she still got scammed out of $4,500 in a single afternoon. It started with a fake Apple security alert on her computer. An hour later, she was on the phone with someone claiming to be the FBI, being told her account had been linked to child pornography. By 3 PM, she was standing in Home Depot buying gift cards — while the scammer stayed on the line the entire time. What saved her from losing far more was her son Walt, who was on vacation in Montana when his phone started blowing up with credit card alerts. He had quietly set up transaction notifications on every one of his parents' cards — and that $4,500 loss could have been $40,000 without those alerts. In this episode: * Toby walks through the scam in real time — how the emotional manipulation worked, the moments she could have been saved, and why she's sharing her story publicly * Walt breaks down the financial safety measures he put in place — credit card alerts, debit card warnings, and the conversation he had with his parents to get access * The "tell" of every scam: Pretend → Problem → Pressure → Payment * The 24-hour rule: the single most powerful protection against scams * Why you should never use a debit card for online transactions * How AI is making IRS phishing scams look authentic * What to do the moment you realize you've been scammed — and why reporting it matters even when it feels embarrassing If you have aging parents, this episode is your playbook for the conversation you need to have before the phone rings. Connect With Aging Parent Network Not sure who you need to call or where to begin? Aging Parent Network can help connect you with the right professional for your family's circumstances. 📞 858-727-9333 📧 info@agingparentnetwork.com If you have aging parents or are a caregiver, this episode gives you the tools to have an important conversation before a scam happens — not after. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on navigating aging, caregiving, and family decisions. 0:00 - Scams Happen to Smart People 2:12 - It Started With a Fake Apple Alert 4:00 - "The FBI" Gets Involved 7:03 - How the Scammer Became Her "Savior" 8:53 - Buying Gift Cards at Home Depot 11:18 - "Something Is Way Wrong Here" 14:10 - Toby Hangs Up and Calls Her Family 16:06 - How Much Was Actually Lost 16:29 - Walt Gets the First Alert 19:48 - "I Thought the Worst Had Happened to My Mom" 20:19 - Walt Starts Shutting Down Every Card 22:06 - How Walt Set Up Credit Card Alerts 24:53 - How the Credit Card Companies Responded 29:55 - Every Scam Has a Tell: Pretend → Problem → Pressure → Payment 31:24 - How AI Is Making Scams Harder to Spot 33:23 - How to Start the Financial Conversation With Your Parents 38:14 - New Precautions: IRS Phishing & a Family Game Plan 46:10 - What to Do the Moment You Realize You've Been Scammed 47:39 - Why Toby Decided to Share Her Story 49:14 - The 24-Hour Rule: The Single Best Protection 52:03 - Why You Should Never Use a Debit Card

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.