Our Team

In 1996, Jeanne McCusker and her family had a life-altering experience. Six months after moving to the Charlottesville area, Jeanne’s Mom was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease at the age of 51.

The next four years the family rallied around caring for her Mom at home and making sure she had the quality of life that we all would want for our loved ones. Initially the process started with being support for her Mom as her physical capabilities started to change.

First, her Mom lost her ability to speak which was ironic since her Mom was a speech pathologist and audiologist. The challenge of the disease continued and slowly she started losing other abilities; typing on her communication device, feeding herself through her feeding tube and eventually she started falling.

“After a few scary trips to the hospital we knew things had to change. The worst was when we found my mom laying on the driveway with her head split open, it was dark, 40 degrees and my Mom couldn’t get up. She had to get staples in the cut on her head. The next day we made a change.”

As Jeanne often tells the families she works with, it is best to try to avoid crisis whenever possible but if it does happen it is time to swiftly make a change. She hired a caregiver immediately to help with her Mom.

The next year or so her family had a wonderful person in the house during the day helping the family and making sure her Mom was safe. As the disease came to the end stages they split the shifts: her Dad took the overnight shift, the private caregiver helped during the day, her sister in the evenings and Jeanne did the weekends since she traveled for work all week.

Carolyn joined Home Instead Senior Care as a Staff Coordinator on March 15, 2010. In March 2013 she was promoted to Operations Manager. As Operations Manager she is responsible for scheduling CAREGivers that are appropriate to meet the needs of the clients. Carolyn finds having direct frontline contact with clients and CAREGivers a new and interesting experience. “My employment history primarily has been in the back office, in financial or administrative roles. As such, I’ve managed frontline employees, so it’s an interesting experience being the frontline. The most rewarding part of the job is when the match between client and CAREGiver proves equally beneficial. Knowing that both client and CAREGiver are happy with the match creates a win-win situation for everyone.” Carolyn is a lifelong resident of Central Virginia, and enjoys landscape painting, classic movies, reading, science, and learning new things A self-proclaimed “education junkie” and nontraditional college student, Carolyn received a Master of Business Administration in May 2010.

Laura joined Home Instead Senior Care in February of 2008 as the Administrative Assistant while she was finishing her nursing degree.  Laura's main function is managing the client care team and making sure the highest level of quality service is being delivered to our Clients. She is also part of the training department and instructs the Personal Care class for all new CAREGivers. The best part of her job is knowing the work being done by CAREGivers and office staff is truly making a difference in someone's life. Laura is originally from the Shenandoah Valley, but has been a resident of Charlottesville since 2003. She and her husband Matt have two wonderful children who keep them busy! In their spare time, they both enjoy traveling, live music and spending time with family and friends.

​Janey came to HISC in Charlottesville in June of 2019 as our Recruitment and Retention Manager.  She had previous experience working with Home Instead in another state, and brought with her the strong values and principals of the Home Instead network family.  She grew up and lived in Northeast TN for the majority of her life, and has personal family experience with Alzheimer's, caregiving, and Hospice care.  Janey and her husband now reside in the Louisa area of VA.  She enjoys camping, walking on the beach, and playing with her grandchildren.  Please feel free to contact Janey at: janey.osborne@homeinstead.com.

​Inspired by his mother, a 'caregiver' who was always helping friends and family, Greg went on to own a Homecare Agency in Minneapolis for 6 years. Now he is continuing his career in homecare for the aging population here in Charlottesville while being close by to his own aging parents. Greg enjoys camping, biking and exercising, and is a collector of fine art.

​After over 10 years of experience in healthcare, Demetrice "Dee" joined Home Instead Senior Care in November of 2017. Before working as Service Manager, Dee was our Administrative Assistant at the front desk, greeting everyone who came into the office. Her winning personality, tremendous work ethic and unquestionable integrity afforded her the opportunity to move into her new role. As Service Manager, Dee oversees Home Instead's Staffing Coordinators, who match qualified CAREGivers with Clients and schedule all shift assignments. There she is able to express her passion for promoting the highest quality of service to those under our care. In her free time she creates amazing wedding cakes and acts as a special events coordinator. She also enjoys spending time with her family. 

​Lakecia "Kecia" Hembry joined Home Instead Senior Care in April 2018. The most rewarding part of scheduling for Kecia has been "providing tthe perfect match for both our client and our CAREgiver. Nothing is mor satisfying than hearing that out clients are happy and well taken cared for." Kecia comes to Home Instead with a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration and a variety of experience in operations management. She is from Louisa, Virginia, and currently resides in Waynesboro, Virginia with her fiancee and their two children. In her spare time Kecia likes to spend time with family, travel with friends, read, and cook. 

​Dianne joined Home Instead Senior Care in November 2008 to develop and implement the personal care training program. Her responsibilities include training and staff development, continuous quality improvement and being a participating member of a team that’s committed to superior client care. CAREGivers newly hired are enthusiastic learners and her job is to try and sustain that enthusiasm during their employment with Home Instead Senior Care which ideally translates into a competent and more knowledgeable CAREGiver. Dianne has been married for 50 years to the same guy, has 5 children and 7 grandchildren. She loves travel, reading, going to the movies and entertaining the many friends and family who visit her and her husband in Charlottesville.

​Donna joined Home Instead Senior Care in October, 2014. She is responsible for assisting the Nurse Manager with supervisory visits, evaluating care notes and follow through with changes in clients’ health needs. Donna received her AND in 1997 from PVCC and her BSN in 2000 from VCU. She previously worked 17 years as a staff nurse on an inpatient cardiac and stroke unit. Hobbies include shopping and spending time with family.

​Anne joined Home Instead Senior Care in May 2015 after more than a decade working with hospice patients and their families. Anne is responsible for admitting new clients, developing individualized care plans, and monitoring clients for new or changing needs. Anne earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1999, and a Master of Acupuncture in 2008. Anne is inspired by the wisdom, humor and history seniors have to share and believes providing care in a client’s home creates a special kind of trust and connection. Anne loves backpacking and camping and considers herself a “hobby farmer” with a small flock of chickens, adopted pit bull named Lucy, and plans for a goat or two. Two of her favorite pastimes are brewing beer and organizing events for a ladies-only, craft beer enthusiast group.

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Susan moved to Charlottesville in December 2014. Having managed care for both of her parents and several senior friends, Susan was drawn to the dynamic and burgeoning world of Senior Care. Susan's entrepreneurial, corporate and academic pursuits have always been fueled by a passion for and commitment to the dignity, worth and self-determination of people navigating the challenges of change.  Susan joined Home Instead as a caregiver in February 2016 and stepped into her current role as Client Care Coordinator in August. As a Client Care Coordinator, Susan is able to help seniors, their families and caregivers negotiate the many challenges AND joys of aging and living well at home. 

Susan's ultimate passions are animals and the natural world.  She also enjoys the arts, particularly music and film, reading, philosophy, and the human spirit.

Sherrica joined Home Instead Senior Care as the Administrative Assistant in February of 2009 after starting her career being a CAREGiver in 2005. She plays a vital part in the daily operations of the office. She manages the recruitment process, interviews applicants, conducts background checks and contacts all CAREGiver references. Sherrica is the frontline of all communication for the hiring process. When calling the office, it is usually her warm, friendly voice that makes applicants want to apply. She is a wife and mother of two boys, Daekwon and Deontae. In her spare time, she enjoys being with family, and is an active member of her church.

Brittany joined Home Instead Senior Care in November of 2012 after graduating from the University of Virginia. As the Retention Specialist, she offers ongoing support and advocacy to our CAREGivers, and she believes it is a privilege to serve and support them. Our CAREGivers are the lifeline of Home Instead, and building relationships with a group of such unique and compassionate individuals has been the most enjoyable aspect of her job. Also, she coordinates the annual community outreach program, "Be a Santa to a Senior," which connects community volunteers with local economically disadvantaged, lonely, or homebound seniors. Brittany enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. A few of her hobbies include: playing competitive volleyball and basketball, singing, reading and yoga. 

Paul started with the Home Instead in February of 2016 as a CAREGiver. He finds that working with people with special needs is so rewarding and such a joy. Now, as the CAREGiver Ambassador, he gets the best of both worlds. He gets to see all of the wonderful clients, meet, and get to know the CAREGivers, who are the back bone of the company. In Paul's spare time, he likes to listen to classical music, sit in front of a roaring fire surrounded by lots of dogs, and garden.

​Dorothy became a member of our training team in July, 2014. She previously worked as a part time CAREgiver for several years while also teaching young children with special needs in Louisa County.  After retiring from her first career, she was excited to use her teaching skills to help train CAREgivers with Home Instead Senior Care.  Dorothy was the primary caregiver for her brother who has early on-set Alzheimer's and feels very passionately about helping to maintain a high quality of service to those under our care.  She lives in Fluvanna County with her partner, a goofy basset hound and a number of very loving cats.

​Christine Shaw joined Home Instead Senior Care in August 2011 and serves as a liaison to our area's health care providers, medical facilities, and retirement communities. She identifies how Home Instead Senior Care can partner with these organizations to enable seniors to maintain their health, safety and independence as they age. She is a passionate advocate and change agent for the senior population of Charlottesville and the surrounding counties of Central Virginia. Christine and her family moved to Charlottesville from Frederick, Maryland in 2005.  Christine has 2 adult children, both recently graduated from college.  Her other child is a 13 year old doggie named Tipper, who enjoys going to nursing homes for provide pet therapy for the residents. She describes herself as "tennis and pickleball crazy", although she is also an avid hiker, bicyclist, runner and golfer and enjoys participating in community service with various local non-profit organizations. Christine comes to Home Instead Senior Care with a business background that includes Medical Claims, Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Project Management, Distribution Management and Training. She is originally from Philadelphia, PA. , where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Psychology and Sociology.

​Pamela Jenkins came to us after decades of administrative and office management experience. She is the smiling voice you hear greeting you from the front office, and behind-the-scenes, Pam is our administrative  extraordinaire. She is originally from SW Virginia, but Charlottesville has been her home now for nearly 20 years. Pam has two grown children, one grandson, and a fur baby chihuahua named Delilah. In her spare time she enjoys cooking and crocheting, and camping, site-seeing and going to the beach with her husband of 29 years.