Why choose us for home care in San Juan Capistrano, CA?

Jim moved to Southern California 24 years ago for a one-year assignment from Upstate New York, and he never returned to those cold winters. His children spread their roots in the wonderful San Clemente community, attending Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School, San Clemente High School, and various activities throughout South Orange County. As a military officer for six years and Captain in the United States Army, Jim served as a Cobra attack helicopter aviator followed by a career in marketing, advertising, and executive management. Following the death of his parents from Alzheimer's and cancer, Jim wanted to find more meaning with his professional career and purchased a Home Instead Franchise. In order to learn as much as possible about the aging process, Jim earned his master's degree in Gerontology at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. He also received the 2023 Master's Student Award. He is passionate about caring for older people, helping them remain active, and age with dignity and grace as valuable members of the community. Jim has a strong desire to build a business that will allow him to do something for the greater good of others. Home Instead, the world's most respected and leading provider of in-home care services for aging adults, was the ideal choice. The Home Instead tagline reiterates their caring approach: "To us, it's personal.®" The opportunity allows him to use what he has learned at USC, his professional career, and his personal experiences caring for loved ones.

Christine joined Home Instead in February of 2023 as a CAREGiver. Her passion is all about helping others. Christine wakes up each morning striving to embody the spirit of caregiving. She is a servant leader whose heart is committed to making a difference in the lives of everyone she meets. She loves working with and interacting with people. Christine is responsible for our overall operations and HR management for Care Pros and Staff. Her focus in on running the office, retention and training. Christine brings prior experience as an Operations Manager of an Educational Publishing Organization, Production experience, and Business Building experience. We look forward to Christine leveraging her training, mentoring, and managerial experience at Home Instead. Christine earned her bachelor's degree in communication at the University of California at Santa Barbara. She focused on interpersonal and organizational communication. Building and maintaining authentic relationships is vital to any organization. Christine looks forward to supporting our clients and caregivers as we continue to provide quality care to our seniors. Christine strives to live by the words of Maya Angelou, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel". Christine lives in San Clemente with her husband, Dan, and their two children Carina and Christopher. In her spare time, Christine enjoys going on adventures with her family, attending her children's sporting events, walking the beautiful ocean trails, playing tennis, dabbling in photography, and meeting up with friends.

Tracy brings over three decades of amazingly diverse experience to Home Instead, caring for people of all ages. Her journey began as a CAREGiver working as a volunteer at a hospital in high school. Tracy then became a teacher's assistant in a day program for adults with special needs. Her hard work and stellar professionalism led to a staff management position with ARC. Tracy has also worked as a Case Manager in a brain injury program, a Social Services Director, Case Manager in various Nursing Homes, and finally a Care Specialist in a Day Program for Seniors who had dementia and Alzheimer's. Tracy joined Home Instead two years ago after deciding to change paths from director positions and focus more on her home life. Home Instead gave her the opportunity to continue to care for seniors as a CAREGiver while spending more time with her family. Tracy's mission will be to work with our Home Instead clients, their families, and our CAREGivers to ensure a team approach in providing the most kind, compassionate, and highest quality care possible. Tracy earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Vanguard University. Tracy has been married for over 17 years and she has shared in the full-time care of their son who has Autism. In her spare time, Tracy enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, and family time.

Sue is a one of-a-kind professional. Having over 20 years of experience as Operations Manager and Supervisor, she joined Home Instead, September of 2015, as a Client Care Coordinator. Her education and work experience provide the technical skills necessary to help our office integrate and adapt to new technologies, as well as the knowledge to help identify and address potential care issues before they arise. Sue is passionate about ensuring the health and safety of our seniors. When not in the office, Sue loves playing and spoiling her little Yorkie, Riley, going to the beach, gardening and spending time outside.

Maija joined our team as a Caregiver in November 2020. Maija has a natural tendency to take care of people as evidenced by her over 30 years of employment experience in the chiropractic, medical field, and hospitality industry as an administrative assistant, trainer, and office manager. Home Instead was a perfect fit, giving Maija the opportunity to continue her servant leadership mentality in our office. Helping people in any way she can is what makes Maija happy. Maija remains positive even during the tough times which is the result of her strong faith, open mind, willingness to learn and grow, and believing that everything happens for a reason. Maija loves to embrace change and make a difference! Maija is a San Diego Native, having been raised in Arizona and Corona. She found her way to Orange County in 2019, living in Aliso Viejo. She loves spending time with her family and friends, being of service, listening to music, playing piano, meditating, and watching tv while snuggling with her kitty cat, Mabel. Maija loves to laugh. The beach is her happy place, and if there is music playing she will be dancing anywhere, anytime.

Joan joined Home Instead in January of 2023 as the HR and Engagement Coordinator. She jumped right in and began taking caregiving shifts with Home Instead clients. Joan loves the opportunity to serve as a caregiver and she is passionate about making a difference in the lives of the people she serves. Joan is responsible for the recruiting and retention of our amazing team of Home Instead CAREGivers. She brings three decades of experience in marketing, sales, and professional coaching in organizations including Apple, Microsoft, Fidelity Investments and Ahold. For Joan, Theodore Roosevelt's sentiments ring true: "People don't care how much you know (or what you want) until they know how much you care." Originally from Massachusetts, Joan moved to California in 2012 to support her then 19-year-old professional skateboarding Daughter, Nora, only to be followed by her Parkour loving son Davis. They both live in Encinitas where they all surf together. In her spare time Joan also enjoys hiking, playing golf, and walking Orange County's beautiful beaches.

Karen began working at Home Instead as a CAREGiver nearly four years ago. Karen is a Gerontologist with significant experience working in the field of aging and older adults. Karen is responsible for our weekend operations (Client assessments, Quality Assurance, CAREGiver interviews, scheduling, and taking shifts), HR support, and our CAREGiver training program. Karen earned her bachelor's degree in public health with a Certification in Gerontology from California State University of Los Angeles and her master's degree in Gerontology from the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. During this time, she completed multiple courses and field practice work that specialized in dementia, longevity, older adult advocacy, and public health. In Karen's free time she enjoys taking courses and spending time with her family and two dogs.

Elana Whipple joined Home Instead with a strong background in caregiving, having spent nearly six years working closely with individuals in both home and community settings. She also has nearly completed her bachelor's degree in nursing. She is passionate about providing compassionate, individualized care. She takes pride in meaningful relationships with both clients and their families. Creating an environment where people feel safe, supported, and truly cared for is something Elana strives for every day. Before joining Home Instead, Elana worked as a Direct Support Professional for several years, providing one-on-one care and support to clients with a wide range of needs. Through that experience she developed a calm and patient approach, along with the ability to adapt to each person's unique needs and routines. Caring for others is also something Elana has experienced on a personal level. She supported a close family member through the progression of dementia, caring for them day to day as their needs changed. That experience shaped the way she approaches her work, giving her a deeper understanding of what families are going through and how important it is to feel supported during that time. Outside of work, Elana enjoys spending time in nature, traveling, and trying new foods. She has lived abroad and traveled to many different countries-experiences that have shaped her appreciation for different cultures and ways of life. A quote Elana loves comes from a Harry Potter book: "happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."