Meet Our Team

​Shannon Carithers and his wife Melody are the owners of Home Instead Senior Care of Charleston. Shannon is a Registered Nurse and previously worked at the Medical University of South Carolina. Melody's background includes marketing and sales in senior communities and the medical industry. He and his wife are South Carolina natives, and together they have 40 years combined healthcare experience. Shannon is responsible for the day to day operations of the business. He works closely with both clients and Caregivers to ensure the best care.

A North Carolina native, Kenzie started her journey with Home Instead as a Caregiver during her years at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC. She graduated magna cum laude from Catawba, and went on to earn a Master’s degree in human resource management. With an extensive background in human resources and the senior care industry, Kenzie joined our team in 2015 as the Human Resources Manager. In 2016, she was promoted to the role of General Manager and now serves as Director of Operations. As Director of Operations, Kenzie works with all departments to manage day-to-day operations as well as client and Caregiver satisfaction. Her knowledge, work ethic and warm heart make her an excellent leader for our Charleston & Summerville teams. In her spare time, Kenzie and her husband Ryan enjoy traveling, attending concerts, and spending time with their three fur babies.

​Melinda was born in Augusta, Ga but has called Charleston home for over 18 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a minor in speech from Augusta State University. Melinda has over 20 years experience in sales and marketing with the majority of it in the healthcare field.

In her spare time she enjoys watching college football, gardening, and spending time with her husband and 6 year old twins.​

​Anne was born into a military family and was raised in Germany. She moved to the United States in 1989. She studied Business Administration and Management, Computer Information System Analysis's and Medical Terminology at Lake Sumter Community College in Central Florida. She started working in the medical field in 1998.  Anne started working for Home Instead in 2017 as a Client Care Coordinator and was promoted to Client Care Director in 2019. She provides our client's and their families a warm smile and a shoulder to lean on.  Anne enjoys the outdoors, exploring historical sites and traveling. Her oldest son is in the Navy and she is a proud Navy Mom. In addition to him, she has 2 other children and 2 step children with her husband Travis.

Laura grew up as a military child and later became a military wife.  After living in Charleston for 10 years, her and her family decided to permanently call our beautiful city “home.”  Laura thoroughly enjoys the Senior citizen community.  She feels there is no better way to serve their needs and help improve their quality of life than to be on the “front lines” with them. As our Registered Nurse, Laura works with other care team members to build supportive relationships with our clients, families and caregivers. She addresses concerns of clients, families, and caregivers and provides solutions along with additional community resources. She has a background in caregiving and hospice work.  Laura has taken several classes on Dementia to increase her knowledge on this subject.  In Laura’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering to facilitate her favorite game, BINGO, at local assisted living facilities.

After retiring from the school system where she worked for over 33 years, Donna sat at home for seven months and knew she had more to offer. She wanted to embark on something new, different and rewarding. That's when she found Home Instead Senior Care. As the Inquiry Specialist, Donna educates our families on the many facets of home care. Donna is warm and compassionate, so it's no wonder that families express time and time again how at ease they feel when speaking with her. In her spare time, Donna loves working out and spending time with her family and fur baby.

​Jessica Merlo was born in Guam. Growing up, she traveled the world with her father who served as a airman for the United Air Force. In 2017, Jessica moved to Georgetown, SC and began working as a Caregiver for the Murrells Inlet Home Instead office. She loved her job as a Caregiver so much, that she asked to join our team when she relocated to Summerville, SC a year later. Jessica excelled as a Caregiver and was quickly promoted to Scheduling Coordinator in 2019. As a Scheduling Coordinator, Jessica ensures our clients are matched with exceptional caregivers. Her patience and caring demeanor are traits that allow clients to feel safe and comfortable. In her free time, Jessica enjoys going to the gym, playing video games and spending time with her boyfriend and friends.

Carlesse was born and raised in York, PA with a twin brother and older sister.  Carlesse decided to make the big move to Charleston to enjoy the warmer weather and beautiful beaches. She started out as a Home-Health Aide then became a CNA. Carlesse has worked in nursing homes as well as hospitals. She began her journey with Home Instead as a Caregiver, was promoted to Lead Caregiver and is now a Scheduling Coordinator. In her spare time, Carlesse loves to travel  and spend time with her family and friends.

Alaina was raised all over the world as her parents were both in the Air Force.  Anytime her mother was stationed somewhere her and her siblings could not go, she lived with her grandmother in Charleston.  After graduation, she moved from Georgia back to Charleston where she worked in the hospitality field for 23 years.  Alaina decided to make a change in her career and came to Home Instead of Charleston as our Administrative Coordinator managing billing, payroll and long term care insurance claims.  She also assists our human resources team with recruitment and orientation.  In her free time, Alaina loves to travel and spend time with her husband Cleve, daughters Jada, Jordan and Jurnee, and stepson Trindon.  

Tiera is a Johns Island, SC resident known for her humor and outgoing personality. As the Human Resources Coordinator at Home Instead, Tiera responds to employee relations concerns and trains newcomers on the various policies and procedures of the Company. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management and is an alum of Charleston Southern University. Tiera joined the team in November of 2022 and is happier than ever meeting new CAREGivers who are eager to provide care to seniors in their communities. When not at work, Tiera is most likely to be found shopping in metropolitan areas, getting her nails done, or rushing to Starbucks for a quick snack.

For many years, Glenda's career as a pharmacist was a satisfying blend of her love of science and her innate desire to help and care for others -- especially the many seniors she encountered. Her patients knew she would always go the extra mile for them. She now brings the same commitment to Home Instead in supporting caregiver training and retention as well as quality assurance outreach to clients. As a teen she experienced the permanent disability of one parent followed by the death of her other parent, all within a year's span. Now, with Home Instead, Glenda helps our caregivers provide clients the kind of support her own family needed. "There was nothing like Home Instead available then. Reliable caregiving help can absolutely change the lives of clients and their families." Glenda is a native of Charleston. In her free time, she enjoys friends and family, reading, keeping up with healthcare news, and sports (MLB and college basketball).