Ashley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in gerontology (the study of aging) from Bowling Green State University and she received her master’s degree in social work from UNC. Her graduate certification is focused on dementia care practices, aging, and global research. She currently works for the state of North Carolina, counseling families and individuals impacted by dementia.

“At the tender age of 6 years old, I was introduced to Alzheimer’s disease as I watched it take a toll on my great grandma Trollie and my entire family. Decades later, as a millennial, I’ve found myself organically in the midst of the dementia world, collaborating with families – and I refuse to look back! It’s not just a job for me – it’s my passion. My calling,” Ashley said.

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Dr. Sandra Risoldi is the mother of 2 beautiful children and has a passion for advocacy, safety, and educating healthcare workers.

“Throughout my career, I have witnessed nurses being yelled at, hit, spit on, and even attacked for no reason.  Over the past 10 years, it has grown to be a common issue no matter where I have worked or the state I have lived in.  Whenever there would be a mean patient or unruly patient, I would volunteer to take them. After a while that was my assignment; thus, I received first-hand experience of the varying behaviors of patients, how to best approach them and teach others what I learned,” Dr. Sandra said.

The mission of Nurses Against Violence Unite is to bring awareness, educate, empower, and eliminate violence in healthcare.

“It's very important that we understand that it's not just dementia and Alzheimers. There's more to that person – there's an actual, living, non-perfect person that's out there and it absolutely amazing,” Dr Sandra said.

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To find out more about Bobbi and Mike or the inspiration behind this podcast, Rodger That, head over to rodgerthat.show.

Helene Berger’s first book, Choosing Joy : Alzheimer’s: A Book of Hope, was inspired by the unanticipated positive results that her husband achieved after his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.

Helene refused to surrender to the implications of her husband’s diagnosis, choosing instead to inspire him to join her in making every moment they had together meaningful and precious.

“No one is ever truly prepared for this role they did not choose,” Helene says. “Most of us tumble into caregiving without understanding the magnitude of the transformation that has just taken place and the learning curve ahead of them.”

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To find out more about Bobbi and Mike or the inspiration behind this podcast, Rodger That, head over to rodgerthat.show.

Jo Ellen Wilson graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2009. She is board certified in both General Adult Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine (Consultation Liaison Psychiatry). Her current work includes a prospective cohort study, studying the prevalence and clinical relevance (depression, dementia) of delirium and catatonia in the critical care setting.

 “We know that delirium hits the brain pretty hard, so it may be possible that in the future there are different ways that we may be able to rehab some cognitive function once it's lost,” Wilson said.

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To find out more about Bobbi and Mike or the inspiration behind this podcast, Rodger That, head over to rodgerthat.show.

Rebecca Collin’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, then after he passed, her mother was too. Rebecca served as the primary caregiver for both – a role that left her financially, emotionally, and physically exhausted.   

Rebecca, a Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist, talks with Bobbi and Mike about the challenges of being a caregiver and offers some good tips on how to work with the nursing staff – not against.

“The biggest thing is to make sure you have a power of attorney. If you are not married, make sure you bug and call everybody. Don't worry about being a pain in the butt, don't worry about if you bother them, or if he or she is going to have less care.”

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To find out more about Bobbi and Mike or the inspiration behind this podcast, Rodger That, head over to rodgerthat.show.

Bobbi and Mike talk with Mary Daniel about becoming a dishwasher for a memory care facility, as it allows her to spend time with her husband even as family visits have been restricted.

"It's incredibly sad to see that these patients are significantly declining because they are isolated," she said. "We are isolating these patients to save them, but the isolation is killing them."

“I'm thrilled that I'm there, but there are so many like my husband Steve, so I started a Facebook page called Caregivers for Compromise - because isolation Kills, too! And the response has been enormous. I have over 10,000 members right now. And we do believe there are ways that we can get to them. We seek a safe and reasonable reopening of Nursing Homes and Long Term Care facilities so that we can stop the unintended consequences of this prolonged physical separation and isolation on our loved ones’ overall health and well-being.”

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To find out more about Bobbi and Mike or the inspiration behind this podcast, Rodger That, head over to rodgerthat.show.

Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos is an Associate Teaching Professor at Ontario Tech University who specializes in unpaid family caregiving. She talks with Bobbi and Mike about how Canadian officials have failed to adequately balance the risks of isolation against the risks of transmission. 

“Essential family caregivers can be easily trained in PPE use and other safety protocols. What cannot be easily reversed are the serious adverse effects of isolation and the demonstrated dangers that come with an abrupt end to operational transparency,” Vivian Stamatopoulos said.

“When families are present with their loved-ones inside care facilities, their active involvement reduces the staff’s burden. A lot of these facilities are understaffed, thus family notoriously is filling in the gaps.”

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To find out more about Bobbi and Mike or the inspiration behind this podcast, Rodger That, head over to rodgerthat.show.

Carole Lieberman, M.D., M.P.H. is a board-certified Beverly Hills psychiatrist and an award-winning and bestselling author. She has appeared on Oprah, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox News, HLN, ET, ABC, CBS, NBC, and many more. 

“The best antidote for combating caregiver guilt is thinking about the good times,” Carole said. “What helps is if you write down those positive memories, so that whenever your mind goes to all the coulda, shoulda, woulda…you just need to keep reading over the positive things that happened and realize that you did do a huge amount.”

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To find out more about Bobbi and Mike or the inspiration behind this podcast, Rodger That, head over to rodgerthat.show.

Karen Johnson is a Certified Dementia Care Specialist. On this episode she talks with Bobbi and Mike about how to prepare to care for a loved one and the importance of not forgetting to take care of yourself.

A caregiver's physical, emotional, and mental health is vital to the well-being of the person who has Dementia. To be a good caregiver, you must be good to yourself.

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To find out more about Bobbi and Mike or the inspiration behind this podcast, Rodger That, head over to rodgerthat.show.

Todays’ guest, Bruce Williams, is a semi-retired Mechanical/Biomedical Engineer, inventor, and full-time caregiver for his wife of 33 years Ann. Listen as Mike and Bobbiediscuss with Bruce his experiences caring for Ann, how they handle the feelings of isolation, and his battle not to be the second victim of the disease.  

“Happiness is fleeting as we know, and joy is longer term.” Bruce says. “We wanted, I wanted, to try to maintain the quality of life that she set up for herself as long as I possibly could physically.”

More than 34 million Americans are providing care (or have done so within the past 12 months) to someone age 50 and older, and of those about 3.7 million are caregivers for their own spouses.

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To find out more about Bobbi and Mike or the inspiration behind this podcast, Rodger That, head over to rodgerthat.show.