All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Peter Ross as guest to the show.

About Peter Ross, Co-Founder & CEO of Senior Helpers®:

Peter Ross is the CEO and Co-Founder of Senior Helpers®, a leading national provider of in-home senior care, a role he has held since 2006. He is also the CEO and Founder of Town Square Franchising, launched in 2018, which focuses on innovative adult day services and supportive care experiences for older adults and families.

Peter has been a longtime leader in the home care and healthcare industries, having served on the Board of Directors for the Home Care Association of America from 2008 through 2021, including as Board President from 2013 to 2020. He is a current CEO Member of the Healthcare Leadership Council in Washington, D.C., and previously served as CEO and Co-Founder of Doctors Express Urgent Care. His broader leadership background includes executive roles with ADP, Ernst & Young, and Intuit, as well as board service with the New England Conservatory of Music and From the Top.

About Senior Helpers®:

Senior Helpers® is the nation's premier provider of in-home, non-medical senior care services, offering specialized support for individuals living with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and other conditions, as well as personal care and companion care for those who need assistance with daily activities. Their services are flexible and completely customizable, allowing each personalized care plan to combine different aspects of their care offerings based on the individual needs of each client.

When a family first contacts a Senior Helpers office, the process begins with a complimentary initial assessment in the client's home to better understand their needs and develop an individualized care plan. When needed, a qualified staff member, social worker, or registered nurse may conduct a more detailed assessment, depending on state regulations, to further guide the care plan. This assessment is then used in the caregiver matching process to help select the most appropriate caregiver for each client.

Senior Helpers® also elevates its care through three key programs: the proprietary LIFE Profile assessment tool, the Senior Gems® program, and the Senior Helpers Center of Excellence training spaces. LIFE Profile is a research-based technology tool that uses data to help identify a client's risk of hospitalization. Senior Gems® provides effective strategies for supporting and caring for loved ones from normal aging through late-stage dementia, focusing on what is precious and unique about each senior at every stage.

The Senior Helpers® Center of Excellence is a training space designed to simulate a client's home, allowing caregivers to learn in a real-world environment and demonstrate their ability to provide the highest quality care in the home setting.

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Shannon Tuimalealiifano as guest to the show.

About Shannon Tuimalealiifano, 2014 Dole Caregiver Fellow, Florida:

Shannon and her husband, Sualauvi "Sua" Tuimalealiifano, are both Army veterans who met while serving at Fort Bragg. As a military child herself, Shannon understood the strength, camaraderie, and sacrifice that come with military life. After enlisting two years after high school, she served as a trained lab tech and combat medic, later working at Womack Army Medical Center.

But nothing could have fully prepared Shannon for the life-changing journey that began after Sua was injured in combat while serving with Army Special Operations in Afghanistan. A paratrooper, jumpmaster, and Special Operations soldier, Sua sustained a severe spinal cord injury that eventually left him quadriplegic.

At the time, Shannon was raising three young children, ages 6, 4, and 9 months. Within a week of Sua's medevac from Afghanistan, she joined him at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, followed by rehabilitation at James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa. What followed was a long and difficult road through hospital stays, rehabilitation, military transition challenges, and the daily realities of full-time caregiving.

After nearly two years in hospitals and rehab, Shannon and Sua returned to Fort Bragg without the support or accessibility their family needed. Their home was not wheelchair accessible, and Sua's wheelchair could not fit through the doors. Eventually, the family relocated to Hawaii through a compassionate reassignment so they could be closer to Sua's family and support system.

Even with family help, Shannon faced overwhelming exhaustion, sleep deprivation, and the emotional weight of caregiving around the clock. She later found healing through an equine therapy program with other military caregivers, describing it as "lifesaving and life-giving."

Through community, connection, and support from organizations including the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's Hidden Heroes program, The Rosie Network, the VA, and Wounded Warrior Project's Independence Program, Shannon found strength, purpose, and a deeper understanding of the importance of supporting military and veteran caregivers.

Shannon's story is one of service, sacrifice, resilience, and the power of caregiver community.

About the Dole Caregiver Fellowship:

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation Dole Caregiver Fellows Program is a selective leadership and advocacy fellowship for individuals who provide care and support to wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans of all generations. Participants—spouses, parents, adult children, friends, or other loved ones—are chosen from across the United States to represent caregivers across their communities and nationally.

During a two-year term, Fellows receive training, build networks, and work with policymakers, organizations, and the public to raise awareness of the value of caregivers and the challenges they face. They advocate for improved support and resources and advise the Foundation on programs and policy priorities affecting military and veteran families. In addition, by sharing their stories and experiences, they help other caregivers recognize themselves as caregivers, connect to resources, and feel welcomed in a community where every caregiving journey is valued.

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Deidra Jackson as guest to the show.

About Deidra Jackson, 2026 Dole Caregiver Fellow, Illinois:

Deidra Jackson has served as a healthcare executive for the last 25 years leading product and business development efforts across national and regional payer organizations as well as digital health platforms. Her decades of experience developing healthcare resources revealed what she now sees in her own family—that sick and aging veterans are not the ones tracking appointments, managing medications, or translating clinical instructions into daily living. It is their caregivers.

Deidra's father Leroy Avery, Jr. served four years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. As an Airman, he served with the Military Police during the Vietnam War. Leroy was exposed to Agent Orange, which has triggered or complicated a list of debilitating health conditions, including diabetes, heart failure, kidney failure, gastroparesis, and recurring blood clots.

Leroy's dependence on his daughter has grown over the years. Deidra's role as a caregiver began with smaller, episodic acts of care before evolving into daily oversight of his basic needs and safety. Deidra managed his care during extended hospital stays and attempts at living alone, before moving him into an independent living facility. She soon realized that he needed more support and care, so she moved him into her family home.

Before becoming a Dole Caregiver Fellow, Deidra was already building connections between other veteran caregivers. She published a memoir and companion journal about her caregiving journey to bring awareness to the experience and assure her fellow caregivers that they are not alone. Deidra also speaks at events about her caregiving experience, including her keynote address at the Military Caregiver Breakfast at the 2025 Military World Expo.

As she continues her advocacy, Deidra is eager to use her professional and personal experience to champion the idea of formalizing the role of the caregiver within healthcare delivery. She says, "When caregivers are recognized, supported, and integrated into care planning, outcomes improve for veterans, costs are reduced, and communities are strengthened nationwide." Her passion is ensuring people are seen, heard, and supported.

About the Dole Caregiver Fellowship:

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation Dole Caregiver Fellows Program is a selective leadership and advocacy fellowship for individuals who provide care and support to wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans of all generations. Participants—spouses, parents, adult children, friends, or other loved ones—are chosen from across the United States to represent caregivers across their communities and nationally.

During a two-year term, Fellows receive training, build networks, and work with policymakers, organizations, and the public to raise awareness of the value of caregivers and the challenges they face. They advocate for improved support and resources and advise the Foundation on programs and policy priorities affecting military and veteran families. In addition, by sharing their stories and experiences, they help other caregivers recognize themselves as caregivers, connect to resources, and feel welcomed in a community where every caregiving journey is valued.