Tag: Caregiving
The Power of Showing Up for Others with Emilie Highley (Ep. 21)

The Power of Showing Up for Others with Emilie Highley (Ep. 21)

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Many of us hope we’ll know what to do when someone we love needs us most. 

Yet caregiving, friendship, and supporting others through illness often arrive without a roadmap, asking us to respond with patience, compassion, and grace.

In this episode, Kevin Swanson sits down with Emilie Highley, Realtor at Compass, Los Gatos, to explore a life shaped by caring for others through some of their most difficult seasons. Emilie shares stories from her marriage, years spent supporting close friends through dementia and cancer, and caring for her husband during his long battle with heart disease and multiple sclerosis.

Emilie also reflects on resilience, kindness, trust, and why simply showing up for people can leave a lasting impact long after circumstances change.

Key takeaways:

  • Building lifelong relationships by putting people ahead of transactions and staying connected through every stage of life
  • Supporting friends through dementia with patience, compassion, and a willingness to meet them where they are
  • Serving as an advocate and trusted decision maker for those without nearby family or caregivers
  • Caring for a spouse through serious illness while finding strength, resilience, and perspective along the way
  • Choosing patience, understanding, and kindness as everyday practices that strengthen families and communities
  • And more!

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

Connect with Emilie Highley:

About our guest:

Emilie Highley is a Realtor at Compass, Los Gatos, and a community leader with more than two decades of experience helping families through major life transitions. Before entering real estate, she spent 33 years in the technology industry. Throughout her career, she has been known for building lasting relationships with clients, many of whom have become lifelong friends. Beyond her professional work, Emilie has dedicated herself to serving others as a caregiver, successor trustee, volunteer, and advocate for friends and loved ones facing illness, dementia, and aging. Her perspective is shaped by decades of compassion, resilience, and a deep commitment to helping people through some of life’s most meaningful and challenging moments.

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REPLAY: Planning for Dementia Before It’s Too Late with Laura Wayman (Ep. 19)

REPLAY: Planning for Dementia Before It’s Too Late with Laura Wayman (Ep. 19)

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When someone you love begins to change, how do you know if it’s normal aging or something more? And if dementia becomes part of your family’s story, how can you respond in ways that reduce fear instead of creating more stress?

Some conversations stay relevant long after they’re first released. 

In this replay episode, Kevin Swanson revisits his conversation with Laura Wayman, known as The Dementia Whisperer, to discuss why dementia is a collection of symptoms rather than a disease itself, how families can recognize early warning signs, why communication often breaks down, and how changing the way caregivers interact can create calmer, more compassionate experiences. 

They also explore caregiver burnout, financial planning, and why preparing early is one of the greatest gifts families can give one another.

Key takeaways:

  • How early behavior and processing changes can signal dementia symptoms before memory loss becomes obvious
  • Why caregivers often need to change how they communicate as brain processing abilities decline
  • How positive action statements can reduce anxiety and resistance during daily caregiving situations
  • Why caregivers need support to protect their own physical and emotional well-being throughout care
  • How financial planning and legal preparation can ease future family decisions during cognitive decline
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

Connect with Laura Wayman:

About our guest:

Laura Wayman helps families and professionals deal with one of the most horrific illnesses of our time.

She is the author of “A Loving Approach to Dementia Care,” (now in its third edition, a 36-Hour Day Book), published by Johns Hopkins University Press. She has more than a decade of experience in and a strong dedication to quality aging. She is a professional dementia care consultant, trainer, the CEO of The Dementia Whisperers and a speaker on dementia and issues of aging.

Prior to becoming a full-time professional speaker, Laura was a successful entrepreneur. She built a senior care empire from the ground up, relying on her deep understanding of the crushing responsibility a family or professional caregiver faces in the demanding role of providing dementia care to a loved one or client.

For more information on Laura’s resources and training services for family caregivers and professional caregivers, visit laurawayman.com. 

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