Laughing Through Medicare Appeals with Kathleen Madigan

Collin Moulton’s parents hadn’t spoken in decades—until their failing health forced a reunion no sitcom could script. The comedian joins Vanessa to talk about the chaotic final years of his parents’ lives and what it means to truly grow up when your parents are old. Follow Collin on Instagram to find Collin’s tour dates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and former CNN anchor Amara Walker opens up about her mother’s Alzheimer’s—how she found support in community, how she talks to her children about their grandmother’s illness, and how she arrived at the difficult decision to move her mother to a nursing home. Find out more about the Alzheimer’s Association on their website.  The book Vanessa read to her son is called Nana Nana by Nate Bertone and illustrated by James Claridades. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joincampside.com⁠. You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. If you have questions you want Vanessa to try to answer, or just want to tell us what you think of the show, email us at [email protected]. Can't wait to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Kathleen Madigan has turned the trials of caring for her parents into some of her sharpest material. She joins Vanessa to commiserate about Medicare and creepy porcelain basement dolls—and to show how humor can help you through the hardest moments. Hear more from Kathleen on Madigan's Pubcast, and find tour dates on her website. Her new special, The Family Thread is available on November 21. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joincampside.com You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. If you have questions you want Vanessa to try to answer, or just want to tell us what you think of the show, email us at [email protected]. Can't wait to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actress Erika Christensen joins Vanessa to talk about her new film After All, where she plays a daughter caring for her ill mother. Together, they explore the unexpected intimacy of birth, death, and everything in between. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joinparents.com You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. If you have questions you want Vanessa to try to answer, or just want to tell us what you think of the show, email us at [email protected]. Can't wait to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us fear the word “hospice,” but author and hospice volunteer Ann Neumann wants to change that. From morphine spoons to lottery tickets, she shares stories from the bedside that show how hospice can help us reclaim an ancient, almost forgotten skill: caring for each other at the end. Read Ann's book, The Good Death: An Exploration of Dying in America. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joinparents.com You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. If you have questions you want Vanessa to try to answer, or just want to tell us what you think of the show, email us at [email protected]. Can't wait to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Uhle, writer and publisher of McSweeney’s, joins Vanessa to talk about her new book Destroy This House. She reflects on her parents’ lifelong struggles with hoarding and the lessons she carried forward after clearing the home they left behind. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joinparents.com You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A stunning 80 percent of Americans over 65 own their own home -- and now it's yours, or maybe your problem! Tina Fallon, a realtor with Realty Collective and founder of New York City’s 24 Hour Play series, and a realtor, discusses how to advise your parents on what they should do with their house. Find more from Tina at the Realty Collective and at The 24 Hour Plays. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joinparents.com You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is an episode where we get mad! Comedian Lewis Black cared for his late elderly parents, who lived to 101 and 104. He talks about something nobody wants to even think about: what he'll do when he's too old to care for himself. Hear more from Lewis in his podcast, Lewis Black's Rantcast, or read one of his books. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joinparents.com You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leeza Gibbons, the Emmy-winning television host and health advocate, joins the show to talk about her parents. She shares heartfelt stories about their influence, resilience, and love, and reflects on how their lessons continue to guide her both personally and professionally. Check out her work at Leeza's Care Connection. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joinparents.com You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author and podcaster Jo Piazza (Under the Influence; Everyone Is Lying to You) joins Vanessa to talk about juggling three young kids while moving her mom into Center City Philly. From au pairs to CVS purgatory, they get real about efficiency, boundaries, and multigenerational caregiving. For more from Jo, check out her newsletter, Over the Influence. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joinparents.com You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices