Comedy, Caregiving, and Courage with Kelsey Cook

Nicole Will
Sep 24, 2025
3 min read

Best caregiver podcast caregiver support dementia alzheimers

Comedy, Caregiving, and Courage with Kelsey Cook, Comedian, Caregiver & Advocate

Caregiving, especially when it comes through a diagnosis like dementia, is full of invisible weight, unspoken frustrations, and, if we’re lucky, surprising moments of humor and hope that help us keep going.

Today I’m joined by Kelsey Cook, comedian, podcaster, and daughter, navigating life as a long-distance caregiver for her mom, who’s living with Frontotemporal Dementia. Many know Kelsey from her stand-up, her specials on Hulu and YouTube, or her podcast Pretend Problems. But behind the laughter is a daughter who’s walked through trauma, hospital stays, hard diagnoses, and the daily reality of what it means to care for a parent while trying to care for herself.

In our conversation, Kelsey opens up about the early signs she noticed in her mom, the challenges of finding a diagnosis, and what it looks like to balance caregiving from afar. We talk about trauma, healing, and why support networks, both online and in-person, are vital lifelines. Kelsey shares how she leans on humor, therapy, and community, and how she’s using her public platform to raise awareness about dementia while finding hope and light in the middle of it all.

I’m so grateful for Kelsey’s friendship; her honesty, humor, and heart remind us that even in the hardest seasons, we can find connection and light.

Listen to our episode HERE.

Follow Kelsey Cook and learn more HERE: https://www.kelseycook.com/

Thank you to our Sponsor

Zinnia TV provides engaging, person-centered videos designed to support individuals living with dementia by reducing anxiety and enhancing connection.

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About Kelsey Cook

Kelsey Cook is the daughter of an International Yo-Yo Champion and a Professional Foosball player, which gave her zero chance of having a normal career one day.

Kelsey’s newest stand-up special “Mark Your Territory” debuted on Hulu and YouTube, and recently crossed one million views. Her first special “The Hustler” has amassed over 4 million views in two years, also residing on Hulu and YouTube. She's performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon multiple times, and has also appeared on Good Morning America, CBS’ After Midnight, CBS’ The Talk, Comedy Central’s This is Not Happening, EPIX's Unprotected Sets, and more.

She is currently on “The Happy Hour Tour,” headlining over 40 cities across the country. Kelsey also co-hosts the Pretend Problems Podcast with her boyfriend and fellow comedian, Chad Daniels.

Her foosball web-series Wrists of Fury currently has over twenty episodes where Kelsey hustles fellow comedians who don’t know she’s a World Champion foosball player.

LISTEN NOW: Apple Podcasts, Spotify & on your favorite podcast platform.

We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.