Why choose us for home care in Itasca, IL?

Amy has worked in the healthcare industry for the last fifteen years. Amy is a Registered Nurse and worked as an RN in the fields of Orthopedics, Hospice, dialysis, and most recently rehabilitation and long-term care. She has always had a soft spot for nursing seniors! Amy has been with home instead since 2024. She is a Client Care Manager and advises families and seniors on aging in place. She enjoys listening to their stories and draws inspiration from their lives and experiences. Amy enjoys reading, traveling, hiking and spending time with her kitty. Her pride and joy is her son who is a graduate from Purdue in Chemical Engineering.

Anna joined the Home Instead team in 2025 and is very excited about this new chapter in her journey. She's been in the home care industry for the past seven years and truly loves connecting with clients and their families. Keeping clients safe and comfortable in their homes has always been her top priority, and she's never tired of hearing their incredible stories. Helping others has been a constant in her life-from caring for her mom at a young age, to her time as a banker where she was always on the lookout for fraud, to now working in home care where compassion and trust are at the heart of everything we do. She can honestly say she has a career she truly loves and looks forward to each day. When she's not working, she's spending time with her husband, two children, and three lively dogs. She's very involved in her kids' sports and activities, and is a proud football and cheer mom. If she's not at home or at work, you'll most likely find her front and center at the football field, cheering on her kiddos!

Marian, known as Robbie, has been with Home Instead since 2012. After retiring from a corporate career, she wanted to explore a meaningful opportunity. She was attracted to caregiving, as she had always been the family's caregiver. Robbie began her 'next thing' as a part-time caregiver at Home Instead. She quickly distinguished herself as friendly, outgoing, responsive, and capable. She was promoted to an office role shortly thereafter. For over two years, she handled all aspects of the office administration in an efficient and organized manner. In May 2016, she was promoted to a client-facing role of "New Client Engagement Coordinator". She now educates all inquires about our services and helps organize service for new clients (if you call about services, you will likely speak with her!). Robbie's professional background includes thirty-two years in office management and IT support at Zurich America. Robbie lives in Carol Stream and has three children, nine grandchildren, three cats, and two dogs. She enjoys spending time with her family, helping her elderly neighbors, going to movies and concerts with her granddaughters, shopping, reading, and working with her teammates at Home Instead!​

Antoinette has been a Care Professional for over thirteen years. She knows what it takes to offer the care and support of the client and offer peace of mind for the families trusting a care pro to take care of their loved ones who need a little more attention in their lives. Antoinette started with Home Instead in 2022 as a Care Professional. In time, she was asked to become an On-Call Supervisor to assist the office and Care Pros during after-hours to make sure clients had the coverage needed at any time of the day or night. Now, in her current role as a Staffing Manager, she can take her experience as Care Professional and On-Call Supervisor to make sure each client has the best fit for their needs. Prior to working in Health Care, Antoinette worked in the restaurant industry in many different roles from a server to management. Hard work and long hours will not stop Antoinette from making sure everyone is taken care of to the best to her ability! Antoinette always approaches her work with a smile and kind words. She makes sure her customers have a great experience. Taking care of people is something she has done her whole life. In her free time, she loves spending time with family and friends, especially her three beautiful daughters and her husband, who she simply adores, along with her two dogs. Antoinette sets aside time each week for her family and friends. Her other hobby includes going to hear live music.

Amanda (Mandy) has been interested in healthcare ever since she was little. She received her CNA license and earned a degree in Biology from Benedictine University. While working with patients during clinicals, Mandy grew a passion for seniors and wanted to make a difference in their lives. Mandy started with Home Instead in 2021 as a Care Professional and was promoted to Staffing Manager in 2022. She prides herself on always treating clients like they are family! Prior to working at Home Instead, Mandy had three years experience managing retail stores. In her free time, she enjoys doing anything outdoors and spending time with family.

Mary joined Home Instead as a Staffing Manager in December 2025. Mary's journey through caregiving began nearly ten years ago. Her experience spans a wide range of individuals-from Veterans and friends to family acquaintances and strangers-giving her a deep understanding of all aspects of care for the vulnerable. Professionally, her background is rooted in sales, marketing, and relationship building. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending time with her dogs, smoking meats, and writing. Mary has always been driven by a passion for the betterment of others. Guided by her core values of integrity, honor, and kindness, she operates on the belief that some people are born to stand up for the rest-and she considers herself one of them.

Alina Merrill has been with Home Instead since 2008. Previously, she worked as a Activity and Volunteer Coordinator for Sunrise Church Creek. Alina received her degree in Psychology from the West University of Romania. Her experience working with volunteers at Sunrise Church Creek and her personality made her a great fit as a Staffing Manager here at Home Instead. Alina became excellent at determining which Care Professional would be the perfect fit for our clients. She is sensitive to client needs and has developed strong bonds with our Care Pros. Alina was promoted to Manager of Human Resources in 2017. In this role, Alina manages our recruiting, hiring, retention, and payroll processes. Alina and her husband Mike have a son, Darien, and daughter, Ariana. In her spare time, she enjoys creating custom-made jewelry, shopping, and keeping fit and healthy with yoga.

Tracy joined Home Instead in 2024 as the HR Recruiter. With her customer service mindset, knack for making connections, and professional recruiting experience, she is a natural at helping people land their dream jobs - one caregiver at a time! When she's not helping people reach their career goals, fitness-enthusiast Tracy can be found taking day-trips to local state parks, riding her bicycle, and hitting different running trails with her canine companion.

Maria's journey with Home Instead began in 2025. Maria's first experience providing care for an elderly individual was with her grandmother. After her grandmother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer, she remained at home, cared for by Maria, her mother, and older sister. Professionally, Maria has a diverse background that includes five years as a training manager for a fast-food restaurant and twelve years as a patient intake specialist in the healthcare industry. Outside of work, Maria enjoys long-distance motorcycle riding and serves on the board of her motorcycle association's chapter. She is married and the mother of two sons.

Jackie started with Home Instead as a Care Professional in 2020 and joined the administrative team as a Staffing Manager in September 2021. Now as our Training Coordinator, Jackie shares her expertise by ensuring our Care Professionals have the skills they need to serve our clients needs. She enjoys changing lives for seniors and Care Pros. Prior to joining Home Instead, she was the general manager of several restaurants. Jackie hasn't looked back since she began her new path at Home Instead. She often reflects on how different life would have been if her family had a caregiver when her grandfather needed help in the last months of his life. She was a teenager when he passed. She is thrilled to help families in such meaningful ways. Jackie is a crafter and a self-proclaimed nerd. She enjoys many things but especially Doctor Who . As a care giver, Jackie loved bonding with seniors overshared mutual interests and learning everything she could from them. She loves her family to the moon and back and will take any opportunity to share pictures of her beautiful children.

Mersiha ( mer- see -ha) started with Home Instead in 2018 as a Care Professional. She joined the team with a wealth of personal experience caring for seniors. Mersiha helped her mother as she aged. For her, the act of giving care to a vulnerable senior is an emotionally satisfying experience and provided a profound sense of purpose. The look of gratitude in a senior's eyes provides an electric shock for Mersiha. This gives her the energy to provide the support needed for a senior to live a joyful, healthy life. Mersiha joined the Administrative Team in September 2021 as an On-Call Manager, where she handled emergencies that come up after hours. In August 2022, she became a Lead. Mersiha is a busy soccer mom for her three children. She loves and supports her children more than anything in the world! She enjoys spending quality time with friends and family. Her passion is cooking and taking long walks with her children.

Carol-Anne Tureck has worked for Home Instead since 2015 as a Care Professional. She was at the Grays Lake Home Instead office for three years and has been here in Itasca ever since. Carol-Anne joined the office administrative team in Itasca in 2022 as Lead Care Professional. In this role, she is an extension of the Staffing Team providing service, training, and managing people first-hand in the homes of our clients. This role differentiates Home Instead; Lead Care Professionals with deep expertise, delivering care, and promoted into management. Prior to Home Instead, Carol-Anne took care of her father, who had a stroke. She enjoys taking care of seniors and always brings a smile to their faces. Carol-Anne is from Cape Town, South Africa. She loves to travel with her husband around the United States. Carol-Anne loves being outdoors, connecting with people, reading, running, and singing.

Chrissy has been with Home Instead since 2024. For the past eight years, Chrissy has worked as a dedicated care professional. Chrissy cherished every moment and enjoyed listening to each client's unique story, witnessing the positive impact of care giving on their lives, and being a part of their journey. In her free time, Chrissy enjoys crafting, reading, dancing, having game nights with friends, and attending baseball games. Chrissy is a huge fan of both Harry Potter and Disney, with "Hocus Pocus" being her favorite film of all time. Nothing brings her more joy than spending time with her friends, family, and loving fiancée. At home, she has two wonderful cats, Leia and Binx. Chrissy is excited to bring her passion and experience with seniors to Home Instead!

Martina joined Home Instead in July of 2025. Since obtaining her degree in Psychology in 2007, she has had a passion for helping people. With years of experience in customer service and sales roles, she finds great joy in listening, understanding, and connecting with others. As a Service Inquiry Specialist, Martina is motivated to speak with those in need of care and explain how Home Instead's services can bring comfort into their homes. Prior to Home Instead, Martina was a real estate agent, helping people find their homes during the few years she lived in Arizona. After having her first child in 2023, she decided to move back to Illinois to be around family and for her son to enjoy their presence. In 2024, she helped her mother with taking care of her grandmother. With something as simple as playing a card game with her, her grandmother would smile and forget any pain she had at that moment. Learning that Home Instead helps seniors live comfortably in their homes is what drew Martina to this role. During her spare time, Martina enjoys spending time with her husband, her two little ones (son and daughter), and her little cavapoo dog. She loves traveling and exploring different cultures, and collecting seashells from beautiful beaches around the world.

Priscilla joined the Home Instead team as a Care Professional in 2024, soon promoted to a Lead Care Professional in 2025. In this role, she combines her passion for client service with responsibilities in training and management, ensuring that every senior receives the high-quality care they deserve. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Priscilla was raised by a loving family that instilled in her a deep sense of integrity and the importance of always doing the right thing. This foundation of compassion led her to care for her father until his passing in 2016, an experience that inspired her to pivot from a 21-year career as a mortgage consultant at Household Financial Company to a fulfilling path in senior care. Looking ahead, Priscilla aims to apply her extensive knowledge of senior care to continue helping both her community and her own family. Her greatest passion is spending time with her four children and eight grandchildren, whether they are traveling, visiting museums, or enjoying water parks. By prioritizing family time, she is able to pass down the same values of love and character that her family taught her, ensuring her legacy of kindness continues through the next generation.

Our friendly black lab, Mace, brings her energy to the office now and then. Her wiggles and good looks are welcomed! However, she is not as well-behaved as our dearly-departed, sweet, black lab, Pepper, so Mace doesn't get to visit as often. Mace knows several words - one that always gets her attention is 'squirrel'!

Pepper was our wonderful, sweet mascot and a volunteer therapy dog at Northwest Community Hospital. As a certified therapy dog, she wagged her tail and helped people forget their condition and surroundings. Pepper passed away peacefully in November 2018 after a healthy, happy life. Pepper often visited the office and brought smiles to your hard-working office team! Tricks were never her strong suit, but she always shook paws and gave high-fives to everyone.​