So Your Parents Are Old
Episodes
Selena Gomez’s Mommy Issues
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Infamous, Vanessa and her co-host Natalie Robehmed learn about a wild family drama from The Cut writer Angelina Chapin. It’s abou...
Putting Your Parents on Tape with Michelle Boyaner
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle Boyaner reflects on lives and relationships while sharing insights from her acclaimed film It’s Not a Burden: The Humor and Heartache of Ra...
Middle-Aged Lady Things with Anna Holmes
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Holmes joins Vanessa to talk about the unnerving overlap between having a parent with dementia and experiencing perimenopause brain fog, and the ...
A Presidential Legacy of Care with Josh Carter
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Carter, grandson of President Jimmy Carter, grew up in a family where caregiving wasn’t just a value — it was a way of life. He talks with Va...
Curing Grief with Cody Delistraty
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Cody Delistraty joins Vanessa to talk about his book The Grief Cure, a quest narrative through loss, myth, medicine, and modern grief culture. ...
How You (Yes, You) Can Live a Long, Healthy Life with Dr. Majid Fotuhi
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if cognitive decline isn’t inevitable? Dr. Majid Fotuhi, author of The Invincible Brain, explains why the brain is more changeable than we thin...
Your Parents' Finances with Beth Pinsker
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Vanessa talks with certified financial planner, MarketWatch columnist, and My Mother’s Money author Beth Pinsker about the maddening reality of fi...
Soap Operas and Aging with Mal Young
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mal Young, the British television producer and writer best known for his work on The Young and the Restless, joins the show to talk about his parents....
What Does It Mean To Be a Good Daughter? Alison Alford Reasseses
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re the one keeping the family together—texts, holidays, appointments, feelings—you’re probably “daughtering.” Vanessa talks with Ba...
You Deserve More with Ai-Jen Poo
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Vanessa talks with labor leader and care advocate Ai-jen Poo about the panini generation, and what happens when government fails to invest in care inf...
When Your Parents Are Too Prepared with Ryan Beck
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian and filmmaker Ryan Beck's parents are just starting to get old, but that hasn't stopped them from getting rid of nearly all their worldly pos...
Getting a Good Lawyer with Candace Dellacona
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What documents matter most when your parents start needing help? Attorney Candace Dellacona, who calls herself a “family’s lawyer," walks through ...
Redefining Being a Provider with Chris Punsalan
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Musician and caregiving influencer Chris Punsalan talks with Vanessa about going straight from college to becoming his grandmother’s full-time careg...
It's a New Year! Get Ultra-Organized with Pamela Wilson
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever felt like you spend more time buried in paperwork than with your loved one, you probably do—and it’s exhausting. Caregiving exper...
Inside the Tent
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Producer Shoshi Shmuluvitz turns the mic on Vanessa to unpack the personal story behind So Your Parents Are Old—and to talk about what it’s been l...
My Dad Was in the Mob with Barry Rothbart
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vanessa is joined by Barry Rothbart, whose relationship with his father was fraught for many years. What do you do when your dad is both as bad as he ...
Having It (Almost) with Corinne Low
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Economist Corinne Low maps the math of women’s time to understand why “having it all” isn’t really possible, especially when aging parents ent...
Roy Wood Jr on The Man of Many Fathers
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Origin Stories is a new podcast from Campside Media. In this episode, host Matt Shaer interviews comedian and author Roy Wood Jr. about his memoir The...
Living in a Time of 'Anti-Compassion' with Alissa Quart
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist and author Alissa Quart joins Vanessa to talk about how to turn a parent’s art into a living legacy while navigating the impossible “th...
Collin Moulton's Clean Comedy
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Collin Moulton’s parents hadn’t spoken in decades—until their failing health forced a reunion no sitcom could script. The comedian joins Vanessa...
Singing To My Mom with Amara Walker
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 c...
Laughing Through Medicare Appeals with Kathleen Madigan
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Kathleen Madigan has turned the trials of caring for her parents into some of her sharpest material. She joins Vanessa to commiserate about M...
My Mom Celebrated Life with Erika Christensen
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 exp...
WTF is Hospice with Ann Neumann
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us fear the word “hospice,” but author and hospice volunteer Ann Neumann wants to change that. From morphine spoons to lottery tickets, sh...
When Your Parents Are Hoarders with Amanda Uhle
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Amanda Uhle, writer and publisher of McSweeney’s, joins Vanessa to talk about her new book Destroy This House. She reflects on her parents’ lifelo...
Your Parents' Damn House with Tina Fallon
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Collec...
Nobody Should Live This Long with Lewis Black
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 nobod...
Self-Care While Letting Go with Leeza Gibbons
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leeza Gibbons, the Emmy-winning television host and health advocate, joins the show to talk about her parents. She shares heartfelt stories about thei...
Finding Strange Pockets of Time with Jo Piazza
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bestselling author and podcaster Jo Piazza (Under the Influence; Everyone Is Lying to You) joins Vanessa to talk about juggling three young kids while...
Introducing So Your Parents Are Old
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever filled several dumpsters with your dead mom’s junk? Found yourself googling how irrevocable trusts work? Or... had to reconstruct your...