Melissa Hicks, Administrative Assistant Melissa actually started with Home Instead Senior Care in January 2009 as a CAREGiver and has logged over 3,100 hours with our Clients! However, in October of 2010 we needed additional help in the office and Melissa was a perfect fit. She currently works part-time in the office in the mornings and then provides care to a client in the afternoons.
Melissa was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but moved to Fort Smith about 2 1/2 years ago. She spent 6 years in the Ohio Army National Guard. She has 1 daughter and is married to her husband, Mike. When she has time, she loves to play tennis, do arts/crafts projects and try new recipes. She said her favorite part about her role as a CAREGiver with Home Instead are the day-to-day interactions she has with her clients. She said she gets just as much benefit from them as they get from her!   Diane Holmes, Staff Coordinator Soon to be celebrating her one year anniversary with Home Instead, Diane has been scheduling client visits and also visiting new clients. Diane brings some great experience with her in this area. She previously worked for a company in New Mexico that also cares for elderly in their homes. Among many other tasks, she coordinated schedules of clients and caregivers. She also brings caregiving experience, having been a CNA, a medic in the Air Force, and working in a nursing home just after high school. In her spare time she enjoys cooking and gardening. Diane enjoys stepping up to new challenges and enjoys working at Home Instead Senior Care because of the daily challenges it brings.  Carla Martin, RN, Client Care Coordinator Carla is the newest member of our Fort Smith team. As the client care coordinator, Carla conducts quality assurance visits to match your loved ones with the right CAREGiver for them, writes care plans, and makes follow up visits. Carla has been an RN for twenty years and has worked many places, such as the ICU, as a clinic and school nurse, and as a Home Health Supervisor, before coming to join us at Home Instead Senior Care. Carla has been happily married to her husband David for thirty years and is the proud mother and grandmother of three sons and two grandchildren. "Home Health is where my heart is," says Carla, "keeping individuals at home as long as possible in a safe environment is a true blessing."  Amy Norman, Staff Coordinator February 2011 we welcomed Amy Norman into the office of Home Instead Senior Care. She will be sharing duties with Diane as a Staff Coordinator. This is certainly a two-person job; it is quite a challenging task managing the schedules and needs of all the CAREGivers and Clients we service!
Amy is a native of Galveston, Texas, but has thankfully made Fort Smith, Arkansas, her home. She is a proud mother of one daughter and two sons and currently lives in Alma. Her hobbies/interests are gardening and animals. Amy has been in the care field over 13 years--dialysis technician, home caregiver, assisted living community care coordinator and, now, Staff Coordinator. When asked why she likes her new role, she stated, "That's easy. Taking care of people and helping them fulfill their wish of staying in their own home!"  Gloria Snider, LPN, CAREGiver Educator If you want to become a CAREGiver, you will talk to Gloria. She hires and trains all CAREGivers and with her empowering personality, she is a joy to listen to and learn from. Gloria is proud to say that she placed the first CAREGiver of Home Instead Senior Care of Fort Smith. Gloria holds two doctorates, one in the Science of Natural Medicine and another in Health and Wellness Education. She believes no matter what your age, you can do whatever you put your mind to. Gloria believes there is no better home care service than Home Instead.  Nancy Sullivan, Community Service Representative If you have any questions about Home Instead Senior Care, Nancy has the answers for you. She educates the health care community with presentations and community education programs. Two of Nancy's favorite community outreach programs are Mission Medicine and the yearly Be a Santa to a Senior. This year, Nancy was the 2010 chairperson of the Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association, on the board of the Fountain of Youth Adult Daycare Center and involved in Pilot International. Nancy's main focus at Home Instead is to keep seniors safe and help them maintain their independence and quality of life.  Robin Tusing, Administrative Assistant If you call Home Instead Senior Care, more than likely you will hear the lovely voice of Robin. She checks in and out all CAREGivers and makes sure all clients have the care they need on time. Robin is in charge of billing and is more than willing to answer any questions you might have about our CAREGiver services. Robin loves her son and believes that Home Instead is right where God put her. She has a good feeling everyday to know she has helped people who need to be taken care of to the best of her ability. | 