Our Team

​I joined the Home Instead, Erie team in 2013 and have enjoyed working here every day since! To work for a company whose goal is to improve the overall quality of life, fulfill one's wish to remain in their home as they age and to ease the burden on families who are caring and worrying about a loved one, brings me great joy and personal fulfilment, every day. Behind all of the paper and daily tasks, the core of who we are and what we do is to help those in need and relieve the stress on families caring for the people they love and cherish the most, and I feel blessed to call that my job. Our mission statement, "With mindful hearts, we ease burdens, keep promises and preserve dignity", is essential to everything we do. We succeed in providing the greatest care Erie County has to offer while maintaining Home Instead Senior Care, Erie as one of the best employers our local senior care industry has to offer. I enjoy being a part of this team and look forward to continuing to share our mission with more families and employees for years to come.

To reach Lisa,  email lcunningham@homeinstead.com

Amy Jennings joined our staff as Administrative Coordinator in September 2014. She enjoys the challenges that come with this fast-paced high-energy workplace. Interacting with many CAREGivers and clients daily has helped her develop a better understanding of caring for seniors and their needs.  Helping a senior remain in their home is truly rewarding and accurately reflects Home Instead, Erie's mission statement:  "With mindful hearts, we ease burdens, keep promises, and preserve dignity."  You can contact Amy at ajennings@homeinstead.com.

Misty joined our team back in February of 2015 as the Human Resources Manager. Misty was born and raised in New Bern, North Carolina, where she previously worked as Director of Human Resource for a senior living facility. After twelve years of employment, she was promoted to Director of Regional Operations where she oversaw five senior living facilities supporting staff and enhancing the lives of seniors. Misty completed her degree in Health Care Administration from The University of Phoenix. She is very excited to be the voice of the CAREGivers and is passionate about providing quality care at home for seniors. Misty's passion and dedication to the Human Resources department shines through her ability to enlighten those around her, while sharing our mission statement with employees joining our Home Instead family. To Misty, it's personal.

Kolby joined our team back in April of 2016 as the Human Resource Assistant and CAREGiver Engagement Coordinator.   Kolby was introduced to Home Instead Senior Care, while Dianne Cunningham did an “Alzheimer’s Friendly Business” training for her wait staff at Joe Root’s Grill, where she managed and worked for about 8 years.  She has a degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Edinboro University.  Kolby has always wanted a rewarding career where she can help those in need and find what they truly are passionate about.  She loves running special programs that helps our wonderful CAREGiver’s get involved in our community. While providing these special trainings for our passionate CAREGivers and providing them with the necessary tools for their toolbox in the field, she helps share our mission statement with those we serve.

​Helping people is rewarding but helping seniors find solutions to live their best lives, aging at home, is rewarding, a privilege and a passion for me.    Having been a caregiver for my mom at a young age,  I understand what a difference one person can make in a senior's life.   As a Client Care Coordinator, when I meet with a senior to set up service, I promise to make their life better with our services from Home Instead Senior Care.  Making that promise is huge but making sure that promise is kept is what makes it personal to me.  It may be as simple as building and starting a care plan with the family that makes sure that our client eats properly, takes their medicines on time and is safe taking a shower.  But additionally, I make sure that care plan contains the personal details that are important to that senior and enhancing their life:  she loves to listen to Frank Sinatra, the entire day will be scheduled around "The Young and the Restless", her dog's name is Hobo and he is the center of her world.  If it is important to her, it has to be important to us.    It is very rewarding to me to watch the relationships grow between our clients and their caregivers and how they thrive at home with our exceptional care using the plan I helped create with them.                 

​I became a CMA (AAMA) which began my career in the medical field over 22 years ago. My passion throughout my life has been caring for people and animals.  A little over 2 years ago my father died from a rare Cancer (Glioblastoma).  My father went from a strong, hardworking, funny man, to not knowing who was looking back at him in the mirror.  This was the most devastating thing to happen to our family, all within 11 months from diagnosis to end of his beautiful life.  I have seen and felt the terror that was within my beloved father eyes and heart as he lost himself a bit more each day.  I am forever a advocate for Seniors who suffer from Dementia and Alzheimer's.  I genuinely understand and feel for my Client's and their loved ones when dealing with horrible diseases that attack the brain. That is what makes my job very personal to me.  I am very proud and grateful to be a part of Home Instead Senior Care whom specialize in Alzheimer care and lets me make a difference with helping families in my community.

​Thirteen years and still loving my job! Probably the best Home Instead Senior Care has to offer, following the CAREGivers of course! Hired as an RN to evaluate CAREGivers, I continue to be inspired by our clients and families I meet and completely in awe of the amazing care they so lovingly receive.  I am committed to our Erie office mission:  "With mindful hearts, we ease burdens, keep promises, and preserve dignity."

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I joined Home Instead Senior Care as a CAREGiver in October of 2017. I received my RN from Luzerne County Community College followed by a BS in Rehabilitation from Penn State University.  I recently began a new journey with HISC as a Quality Assurance Specialist. 

Working with special needs clients, seniors and of course, life experiences has allowed me to grow and share my passion of caring for others - a most vital act for the age we live in today.  Caring is two-fold for me.  It comes with not only grief, difficulties and sadness but also with a sweeter level of love, sharing and giving of myself.  This is a choice.  I find it keeps me developing greater inner resources for seeking a higher expression of understanding in my personal and professional life.  

I believe a true caregiver knows the most effective way to act upon the universe is through example:  attraction rather than promotion.  Being willing in mind and spirit, is a process I embrace, a process that can work within the most delicate nature of our soul.  From my first interaction with Home Instead Senior Care staff I felt  "at home".  

Life in its fullest brilliance is a reciprocal endeavor-a labor of love.  My position with HISC gives me a compass.  It allows me to follow my desire to help, care for and nurture to the ends of our clients' expectations.  Being present, being in the moment, helping our clients and their families make the best, often times difficult decisions is critical.  Providing an objective evaluation on an individual basis, is for me, where I feel the spiritual force of my responsibilities  I challenge myself to ease our families burdens, provide information and keep our promise to assure their needs are met. To me it's personal.

​"To us, it's personal" all started for me in October 2016 when I started as a CAREGiver for HISC.    The experience I had day-to-day with my client formed a love and passion for Home Instead Senior Care and all that we can do for our clients.   Shortly after that I began another journey with HISC as the On-Call Supervisor in which I learned more about day-to-day operations with both our clients and caregivers; which brought me into my current position as a Scheduling Coordinator.   I take great pleasure in bringing clients and caregivers together to enhance the lives of our seniors.   

​I have been working with Adult mentally handicap clients for the past 10 years as well as with the youth for the past 20+ years.  I am enjoying helping others out and with my position here with Home Instead Senior Care, I get to help out our senior clients and their families on a daily basis.  I have had 20+ year experience working with children and seniors in personal care and I am able to bring all of my experience to HISC and help our CAREGivers with personal care training and any questions they may have.

​Although I have only been with Home Instead a little over 1-1/2 years, I have grown to love the people who make up this fine organization.   Currently, I work "in the background", as a Billing Specialist.  However, I have many years (over 44!) as a Registered Nurse and human rights advocate.  During this time, I found my love for our community's Senior Citizens.  I moved from one of our local hospitals to our Area Agency on Aging.  There, I developed and implemented a number of different programs, such as Home PLUS, Project Elder Reach, and the Aging Waiver Program.  I have been committed to addressing Quality of Life issues, and bringing comfort and caring into the lives of our seniors through my work.    I am thrilled that circumstances have brought me to Home Instead, where I know that my beloved seniors are cared for with love and kindness.   It has been a joy working here, and in particular, working for Bob and Dianne Cunningham, who provide such tremendous support to this community, both through Home Instead, and their numerous charitable endeavors. 

​​Karen joined the Home Instead team in November of 2017 as our Administrative Assistant.  She is responsible for all activity logs, filing , VA billing and Long Term Care Insurance work.  "I enjoy my job, seeing how much care the seniors are receiving from our CAREGivers every day.  My parents had the same loving care when they needed help," says Karen.