Home Care Benefit 

Jason and Debbie Baker have been Home Instead Senior Care franchise owners since 1999. Seventeen years later, the company has grown out of buildings but into the homes of over 2,500 clients. Their compassion to help those in need spills out of their daily lives and into the hearts of others. As a Physical Therapist, Jason has a vast understanding of the physical body, and in combination with his humility and graciousness, he exemplifies an extraordinary company owner. He and Debbie have six children together. They are loved by family, friends, the staff and the community. Their character and leadership makes us proud to say that Home Instead is the trusted source of companionship and in-home care of seniors in the San Diego area.

​Melissa Leon is our General Manager and fearless leader. She has successfully directed and coordinated all activities for our franchise for the past 5 years. Under her leadership, we have seen enormous service area growth and development of our business. Her achievements come from her service-oriented, joyful heart, and her genius for motivating the Key Players within our office. Her passionate drive and knack for problem-solving motivate her to create profitable solutions and generate innovative ideas. Her heart for people, the Lord, and her work is evident in how she manages our Franchise 158. When she is not promoting new opportunities for our business’s development, you can find her spending time with her large family, being Nana to 3 beautiful grandchildren, or enthusiastically hunting for new treasure at local estate sales.

Dianna Hillaker is our office Human Resources Manager. Multitalented, Dianna oversees the recruiting department and CAREGiver engagement department, as well as finances and Long-Term Care Claims. Her wealth of knowledge stems from her previous experience working in the areas of After-Hours support, Staffing, and Recruitment. She welcomes daily the opportunity to work for a respecting, caring, God-fearing and people-loving corporation like Home Instead. When she is not devoting her purpose-driven work ethic in our office, you can find her devoted to her family, or to attending Hill Country Community Church, or braving the early mornings at Planet Fitness.

​Robin Kennedy is our Training & Engagement Coordinator. She utilizes her previous experience as a Caregiver and San Diego Hospice volunteer to connect with our caregivers and help them understand they are a vital part our company. Her dedication to Caregiver inspiration and engagement results in our Caregivers providing the most professional, caring service to our clients. When Robin is not mindfully connecting with our Caregivers, you can find her using her inventive mind to create jewelry and paintings, enjoy time with her dog, or travel to exciting places.

​Pamela Boswell gives our franchise a competitive advantage in her role as the Recruitment Coordinator. Her exceptional organization skills and attention to detail enable office life to run smoothly and all others to perform at their best. She is known for her welcoming spirit and is the first face seen when you walk in our office doors. When Pam is not answering phone calls or bettering the work environment, you can find her spending time with her husband at the beach or enjoying the many hiking trails in San Diego.

Tim Norris is the Community Liaison and Home Care Consultant for our office. Tim establishes strong work relationships with clients, the public, and local organizations. His successes have been instrumental to our location’s development. His gregarious nature and influential work ethic solidify his importance to our team. He productively invests his time in the office and enjoys contributing to the Home Instead Big Picture. When Tim is not dedicating his enthusiasm to our Franchise, you can find him dedicating time to his family, roasting mallows at a nightly family bonfire, or Penny-Boarding Carlsbad Village with his friends.

Mary Cortez serves as our Service Manager, overseeing the staffing department. She works daily with our CAREGivers and Clients to keep the ongoing schedule running smoothly and flawlessly. She enjoys building and creating the schedules for our new CAREGivers and Clients. She uses her servant’s heart to provide best care solutions for our seniors, while also strategically finding the best solution to the care-schedule’s constantly moving puzzle pieces. Her ability to maintain calm in high stress situations and adapt to sudden changes with effective solutions gives her the title of our scheduling wizard. When Mary is not working her magic in our office, you can find her hanging out with her best friends, enjoying time with her family, or proving to be a fierce teammate and opponent in her coed softball and dodgeball teams.

Ruby Magana operates as our Service Coordinator. She started with our Franchise as a Caregiver 5 years ago and now works in our office. Her kind-heart and talent for scheduling help her succeed at handling the difficulties of staffing. She has always had a desire to serve seniors. She loves keeping them company and empathetically sharing in the family’s precious moments. Her passion translates into her work. She always goes the extra mile to assure the Client’s family that they have the Home Instead family to rely on now so they can enjoy being family members, assured that Home Instead is here to do the caretaking. When she is not sharing her heart or in dedicated service to our CAREGivers and clients, you can find her serving as a mom, friend, or master craftswoman as she completes a complex knitting project.

Kristen Garcia is our office’s Client Care Manager. Kristen serves to create quality and personalized experiences for our clients and their families. Her daily tasks consist of quality assurance visits, introducing Caregivers to Clients, and creating trusting relationships. Kristen understands the importance of meeting people where they are. She is perceptive and modifies our service care plan to best support the on-going needs of the clients so they can improve and enhance their quality of life. Kristen is a Certified Nursing Assistant and uses these skills to recognize needs in our clients and find valuable, lasting solutions. When she is not using her ingenious to improve the well-being of our clients, you can find her travelling, dancing, spending time with her family, or bonding with her fur baby.

LaTasha Haynes is the Client Care Coordinator in our office. As a former Caregiver, LaTasha recognizes the importance of building great relationships with Clients and their families. She uses this insight to recruit quality Caregivers, create new community partnerships, and recruit new staff who share our vision and values. She exemplifies the compassion and values of Home Instead while conducting personal care training and being a supportive team member for Caregivers. When she is not engaging the community or being diligent within our office, you can find her engaging in family time at the beach with her kids or delighting in being a much-loved grandma.

Candis Johnson serves as our Client Care Coordinator and On-Call Coordinator. She provides quality assurance calls, reaches out to clients and their families, addresses any concerns, and provides resources as they are needed. As On-Call Coordinator, she serves as after-hours staff on weekends- addressing scheduling needs for Clients and CAREGivers. She began her interest in aging adult care when she worked at an assisted-living facility during high school. From there she turned toward residential care services where her passion for CAREGiving ignited. Since then, she has gained experience as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant in the hospital, and as a CAREGiver for Home Instead before she joined our office. If she is not joyfully fielding phone calls, you can find her home with her family, game night, or lounging with her pets.

Hemi Jeong serves as Office Coordinator for Home Instead. She was a Home Instead CAREGiver for almost 1 year before joining our office. Her previous experiences working in fashion for about 10 years as an assistant fashion designer, technical designer, design room coordinator, fashion stylist, production coordinator, and visual merchandiser have helped her thrive in her position as our Office Coordinator. Her keen attention to detail, love of meeting new people, and award-winning smile, all help her share her heart- not only with our sweet senior clients but also with fellow colleagues and anyone reaching out to the Home Instead office. If Hemi is not cheerfully answering the phones or keep our office organized, you can find her enjoying the outdoors, traveling, cooking, and reading.

​Wade Curry is the Caregiver Administration Assistant in our office. Wade ensures that Caregivers’ certifications, insurances, and other documentation are kept current. A former caregiver himself, Wade is great in his role as a ‘master of ceremonies’ for client to caregiver introductions. Wade illustrates the honor and integrity of Home Instead. He appreciates Biblical values and knows those values are an advantage to the Caregiving culture. When Wade is not focusing on his duties at the office, you can find him imparting individualized insight to his family of seven, pastels or painting, or planning a fishing weekend to picturesque places, like the Eastern Sierras.

Joyce Shepard is our Lead CAREGiver & On-Call Coordinator. She started serving seniors as a Certified Nursing Assistant, PT aid for 35 years in the state of Rhode Island. In 2012, she moved to San Diego to start working for Home Instead. She loves how Home Instead makes it possible for her to be there for her clients. She is known for being there for not just her client’s needs but also their heart, listening to them, and listening to our CAREGivers whenever they place a call. Her hard work and dedication are apparent in the office, from her attention to clients’ needs in detail, even to her organization of the filing cabinets. If she were not at work, you can find her spending time with her grandkids as Grandma GG or finding a great bargain at Ross, Hobby Lobby, or the local shopping malls.

Sonia serves as the Marketing Coordinator for Home Instead San Diego. She enriches our online presence through social media, digital marketing communication, and website content development. She found out about Home Instead after her college graduation from Mr. Baker. She knew this would be a great opportunity to apply her marketing knowledge and serve aging adults, like her beloved grandparents. Her passion for Home Instead shows through her desire to depict Home Instead online as it is portrayed in person: a company that truly cares. When she is not enhancing our online presence, you can find her surfing at La Jolla shores, doing yoga on the Pacific Beach bluffs, or hanging out with her friends and family.