Meet Our Team

For years I had been thinking about how I could work with seniors in my community. I had worked for 9 years with youth in a mentoring organization and found that seniors made wonderful role models for the young people. My parents were in their mid-seventies and my grandmother was approaching 100 and it was a logical step in my path through life. I began my adventure with Home Instead Senior Care in 2007 with the investigation of the organization. After much research into Home Instead Senior Care, my husband Peter and I found a company that was backed by a very progressive home office that was extremely supportive of each individual franchise. As I have said in many conversations since then, I feel as if I have a staff of over 150 in Omaha that is continually feeding us updated information and research relating to the seniors in our community.

Since taking over the Shawnee and Douglas county office in 2008 we have found a wealth of enjoyment in the clients and CAREGivers we have encountered. Each day brings new joy and happiness in helping those that we serve.

Member, COA (Council on Aging)
Topeka Area Continuity of Care (TACC) - 
Member 2009 to present, Secretary 2009-2010, Vice President 2012 to 2015
Lawrence Area Partners in Aging (LAPA) - 
Member 2008-Present, 2011-2013 Vice President, 2013 to 2015 President
American Heart Association - 
Go Red For Women Purse Committee 2010-2012, Auction Committee 2016-2017

I joined Home Instead Senior Care full time in 2013. Before joining the company I was a Senior Engineer with a major aerospace company for approximately 30 years. Although I enjoyed my career as an engineer, I was eager to join Gail, my wife, in providing care for our clients. Since joining the company full time in 2013, I have spent most of my time assisting our clients and terrific office staff by developing or implementing new programs to better serve our clients, caregivers and office staff. One of my major areas of focus has been in the area of Safety and Health. I have been working on ways to ensure that our caregivers and office staff are always making safety the number one priority for our clients and for the caregivers. Also, as the need arises, I provide technical assistance to our caregivers and office staff.

As the Director I fulfill various roles, the priority is to provide quality care for the people in the communities we serve. This starts with hiring people who have a heart for caring for people and providing the staff with a work/life balance. This helps keep all happy and improves our retention in an environment that is wrought with high turnovers. Working with seniors has provided me with a greater insight into life and they are often a forgotten part of our community.  I started as a Caregiver here hence I understand firsthand the importance of what our staff bring to your home. I will always be an advocate for people to have quality care and for Caregivers to feel appreciated. People entrust us in their lives/homes, and I take that seriously. Being professional is a must. Positive and consistent communication is everything. Life has taught me that when you praise what people do right, they feel better and want to do better. This company truly has exhibited their words "To Us, It's Personal" and that is how I lead.

Danielle Hayes is an HR, recruiting, and training professional at Home Instead with 18 years of experience in the senior care field. Originally from Montana and now based in Kansas, Danielle began her career as a caregiver, where she dedicated more than a decade to providing hands-on support for aging adults.

She later transitioned into HR and training, bringing her firsthand caregiving knowledge into the office to strengthen onboarding, compliance, and staff development programs. Danielle specializes in caregiver recruitment, orientation, and performance training, building systems that support both employee success and consistent quality of care.

Traci Ward is a dedicated Client Care Specialist at Home Instead, where she excels in assessing client needs, developing personalized care plans, and conducting quality assurance to ensure the highest standard of care for clients. As a former CNA , and with over a decade of experience as the Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Kansas Department on Aging, (now known as KDAD)Traci brings invaluable knowledge and insight into elderly care, ensuring that clients receive compassionate and effective support.

Responsible for planning, implementing, and monitoring the company’s digital marketing and social media campaigns. Includes the creation of engaging and relevant content, including video for the company website and social media platforms. 

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