Navigating the World with Your Aging Loved One
What if the key to a more meaningful life for your aging loved one—and yourself—lies in finding a path of empowerment, hope, and purpose? Discover the resources and stories that will forever change the way you approach care. Nicole Will envisions a world where the journey of care and aging is shared, empowering older adults, caregivers and healthcare pros with resources and hope. As the founder of willGather and the co-founder of Think Tank, she has created platforms to amplify voices, initiatives and resources in the care economy. Nicole is the creative force behind the top-rated willGather Podcast: Navigating the World with Your Aging Loved One, which shares valuable insights and stories for those caring for others. Her approach is multidimensional—from founding willGather, in honor of her grandma, and serving in advisor roles. Nicole’s academic background in Social Gerontology, caregiving for her grandma, and experience as a Director in a senior living community have equipped her with insights into the needs of care, the aging population and their caregivers. Nicole's approach blends heartfelt advocacy with strategic innovation, making her a sought-after voice in the care economy. 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. Please follow us for updates! To learn more about our guests, podcast and sponsorship opportunities, visit our website at www.willgatherpodcast.com
Show episodes
What if your deepest caregiving experience became the blueprint for changing the system? Dr. Francesca Falzarano was just 14 when her mother was diagnosed with dementia—an experience that shaped not only her identity, but her life’s work. Now an Assistant Professor of Gerontology at USC and founder of the Falzarano Fam
Permission to Be Seen in Caregiving & Finding Yourself Again with Nikki Nurse, Writer, Wellness Advocate, and Caregiver
What happens when the roles we’ve known all our lives—daughter, professional, partner—are suddenly eclipsed by one word: caregiver? For so many, caregiving becomes not just a responsibility but an identity. And with that comes the heavy mix of self-sacrifice, emotional resilience, and a quiet grief. But what if there’s
What caregiving really asks of us—emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. What happens inside us when we’re called to care for someone we love? Beneath the to-do lists and the sleepless nights lives an unspoken truth: caregiving changes us. It can strip us down, reshape our identity, and ask us to find meaning in all o
The Truth About Aging: It's Not What You Think with Dr. Charlotte Yeh, MD, FACEP, Thought Leader and Change Agent for Healthy Aging
We’re told that aging is about loss. About slowing down. About limits. But what if we’ve got it all wrong? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Charlotte Yeh — a trailblazer in healthcare, a former emergency physician, and now the Chief Experience Officer at Cherish. With over three decades of experience, including for
What Makes a Senior Living Community the Best? Behind the Ratings with U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report announced its 2025 Best Senior Living ratings, naming 1,894 communities based on 450,000+ survey responses. In this episode, Liz Pearce, Product Director for Senior Living, joins us to share how the rankings are created, what families should know, and how these ratings help older adults and car
What do we do when someone we love says no to the very thing we believe will help them most? When care is met with resistance, it can feel frustrating and heartbreaking—especially when dementia is part of the story. In this episode, we unpack the topic of refusals of care in dementia: why they happen, what’s really beh