Meet Our Team

​Working with seniors is something that was instilled upon me from a young age by my mother. When my mother was a volunteer visitor I would occasionally join her on her visits to see Katarina when I was about 8 years old. Katarina was Russian and spoke only a little bit of English. I still remember that Katarina would be in absolute amazement when I would put the straw in my drinking box – she had never seen anything like it and I would show her how it worked! In sharing the same passion with my mother, I continued on during my high school years volunteering at a Long Term Care facility & volunteer visiting also. Later in life when my grandmother was in Long Term Care, just over an hour away, I regularly went to visit her with my three children until she passed away in 2010. Seeing the enjoyment that she would get watching the children run around and engage her was priceless and truly memorable. Being the owner of Etobicoke’s Home Instead allows me to work at my passion and sincerely feel like I am making a difference in a senior’s life. I am honored to have the privilege to provide services to our clients and it is something I take very personally.

For over 10 years Paul has been a great resource to family caregivers and community partners.  He is a great listener and empathetic to the demands placed on spouses, daughters and others who jump to the call of supporting an aging loved one.  He does his best to understand your unique situation and will provide you with options that address the challenges you and your loved one face.  He can help you navigate a hospital to home discharge, speak to the value of one-to-one support in retirement or long-term care or assist you in finding a compatible caregiver to support your loved one in any place that they call home, whether those needs be minimal to complex.  He is highly responsive and thinks outside the box; you are in great hands with Paul!  His favorite things: matcha, cycling, travel and his nephews … but not necessarily in that order. 😉

Andrew is a people person that is always up for a chat. Building meaningful relationships is something that comes very naturally to him. While working towards his Business degree at Wilfrid Laurier University he immersed himself in entrepreneurship, launching his love for connecting with people and solving problems. He prioritizes his quality of life through healthy eating and real-ationships, and loves to share his learnings with his community. He believes when everyone around him is doing better, the world becomes a better place. Andrew also loves learning from other people, and often finds that connecting with seniors within his community provides the most insight. Through constantly teaching and learning, Andrew strives to be a positive force in his community. Outside of his professional endeavours, Andrew is an avid Toronto Maple Leaf’s fan, who hopes one day to see them raise the cup (fingers crossed). Andrew also enjoys spending quality time with his beloved bulldog, Monty. Whether it's going for walks in the park or simply lounging at home, Andrew cherishes the companionship and unconditional love of his furry friend. Lastly, Andrew has a love for books, ranging from classic literature to self-improvement guides.

Maria pursued a RPN designation in 2013 but decided to put that on hold and grew within a career in service, working for various companies who specialized in imports and exports. During this period, Maria continued to be involved in the health care field; for a few years she even worked as a personal support worker in long term care. Maria has since completed the practical nursing refresher program at Humber College and is now excited to work with Home Instead as a client care coordinator. She is looking forward to making a difference in lives of our clients and family caregivers. Outside of work, Maria is a mom to 2 beautiful girls. Maria likes to stay active by joining annual marathons and enjoying the outdoors through camping and hiking with her friends and family.

From a young age, Shanyce had a passion to work with older adults. She has always felt that there aren’t enough people advocating for them, so she made it her duty to find herself a career that benefits older adults and enhances their quality of life. Shanyce has over four years of practicum and volunteer experience in the senior care field. She has experience volunteering in long term care homes, retirement residences, and assisted-living homes. During her time there, she gained many skills as she worked with social workers, activation-coordinators, personal support workers, and memory care workers. She also has a strong customer service background having previously worked in retail in and the hospitality industry. Shanyce holds a Social Service Work-Gerontology diploma from Sheridan College. She is excited at the prospect of assisting older adults live comfortably in their home with the assistance of Home Instead CAREGivers.

I completed my MBA in India specializing in Human Resources. For the following two years, I worked in various HR roles before moving to Canada in 2019. Here, I obtained my post-grad diploma in Strategic Marketing Communication. Prior to Home Instead I worked in customer service but now I’m happy to return to a field that I am passionate about. I am excited to be able to recruit and mentor the best CAREGivers in Etobicoke and in turn support the aging community of Etobicoke. In my spare time, I love travelling to new places and listening to music.

Shayanne has always had a passion for people. In her previous roles, she has provided exceptional service in care fields for people of all ages. Shayanne realized her love for helping others at a very young age and throughout her life she always found ways to do what she loved to do. From owning a home daycare and taking care of children, to helping people with terminal illnesses, and to working various hospitals, she found joy and fulfillment in making people feel good in any situation. Shayanne knows how important it is for families to feel secure in the services they seek for their loved ones and will always strive to give you peace of mind. Her hobbies include, singing/songwriting, volunteering within her community, cooking and learning new things/fun facts.

 

Leading up to working for Home Instead, Sarah has displayed a passion for working with seniors since age 16, engaging in various roles for retirement communities such as Dietary Aide, Office Administration, Personal Support Work, and now as a Service Coordinator. Sarah is excited to grow in this industry to develop strong meaningful relationships with clients to make a difference in their lives. Working together as a team to help those who are vulnerable is significant to Sarah as she is devoted to supporting those in times of need. Outside of the office, you’ll find her in the kitchen baking mouth watering goods, binge watching drama or thriller shows, or with her cat, Jupiter!

Karen has worked in customer service for over 35 years. She chose to work at Home Instead because she is very passionate that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect no matter what age they are. Karen likes to take on challenges and will do her best to get the job done properly. She takes pride in any job she does. I am a very compassionate and caring person with a bubbly fun personability. I am also a very trust worthy and honest person. And I am honoured to be working with such an amazing company and great co-workers.

As a Registered Nurse, Belinda has a strong focus in gerontology and is committed to allowing our aging community to be treated with dignity and empathy while preserving a person’s independence and self-respect. In her role Belinda's if focused on delivery of service and ensuring top quality care for our clients. Her nursing background is a highly valuable asset when assisting clients and their families to develop the right Care Plan for their specific needs. Belinda evaluates the Care Plan with the Care Team, the client and the family to ensure delivery of high quality care and client satisfaction.

Kristin has spent the past 10 years working in various levels of hospitality and restaurant management, where her constant mantra was ‘we are here to be in the service of others’. This rang especially true in her last position within Toronto Pearson Airport, where simply being present and approachable led her to assisting people of all ages and cultures with anything from directions to medical emergencies and everything in between. An ever-increasing passion for helping others paired with a close relationship with her grandparents and great-grandparents and watching them go through various stages of assisted care, made the opportunity to join Home Instead an easy decision. In her free time Kristin enjoys cooking with her husband, with her specialty being pasta from scratch. She also loves being outdoors, especially if it involves hiking a fun trail or swimming at the beach.

Dan connects community partners with home care resources, so that they can assist families find solutions to their unique challenges. He is focused on helping seniors live active lives as independently as possible. Dan is routinely “out and about” in the community, conducting in-service presentations and sharing Home Instead's public education programs (i.e. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and palliative care). Additionally, Dan plays an active role in supporting non for profits, including Be a Santa to a Senior, Give Tuesday and Give 65. In his spare time, Dan enjoys a good game of golf.

Rosie has an extensive background in customer service. She previously worked as a manager in the hospitality industry an it was there that she first learned how to build valuable lasting relationships. Rosie wanted to apply her skills to a field where she could make a bigger difference and help others in her community. She began her journey with Home Instead, as a Service Coordinator and in this role she built strong ties to clients and CAREGivers. Because of her success in that role and because opportunity met with skill and training, she was promoted to Recruitment Coordinator and years later she was earned her current role as Recruitment & Retention Specialist. Rosie earned her diploma in Human Resources from Sheridan college, so she will bring both experience and education to this role and continue to build on our roster of exceptional CAREGivers. She will focus on CAREGivers that build trust, take the lead and who share their heart.

Over the course of several years, Mikaela has established genuine and trustworthy relationships with CAREGivers, so transitioning from Key Player Assistant to Education Coordinator was an easy. She recognizes that providing CAREGivers with education helps them take the lead with their clients, will empower them and allow them to provide specialized support. Her main goal is to ensure that Home Instead CAREGivers feel prepared before their shifts and that they recognize their unlimited potential!

Erika recently completed her Business Administration – Accounting degree at Brock University. The opportunity to join Home Instead was the perfect next step. She connected with our mission to provide personal care to seniors. She has always enjoyed helping her grandparents with whatever they need and spending time with them, whether that be talking with them over a meal/coffee or playing cards. Providing great customer service has always been important to Erika, as she has always looked for ways to help others in all her past personal and professional experiences. She looks forward to continuing to provide great customer service through her role at Home Instead.  In her spare time, Erika likes to knit and sew, crafts which she picked up from her grandmothers.

 

Erin has joined Home Instead as Manager of Quality & Standards after a lengthy career in the Food Service industry. For over 20 years Erin has had many roles such as lead trainer for Canada opening up new franchisee restaurants, to working within the Franchisee head office in various roles, to finally owning 2 franchise’s along with her husband. She also started a separate food and beverage catering company working with private clubs for the past 11 years. During the course of time, Erin was honoured to be involved with numerous charities such as Heart and Stroke Foundation, Relay for Life, MS Society, and the Canadian Breast Cancer Run for the Cure. Erin is very excited to join Home Instead as her passion for Seniors started from a young age, by volunteering at a retirement home doing odd jobs for those who needed help. But quickly discovered the Seniors wanted more of companion. Erin was extremely fortunate to grow up having both sets of grandparents very active in her life with weekly visits, As she grew older, she started to see their health challenges take over which caused her to be even more involved in their lives. Erin is excited to complete the full circle working with such an amazing organization helping Senior’s continue to live their best life.

Geeve has had a lengthy career in the hospitality industry working with several national brands, occupying various roles including General Manager, Regional Manager and Executive Director of Operations. As an entrepreneur, he has owned and operated several independent pubs and restaurants throughout Southwestern Ontario. Geeve has a passion for growing businesses and understands that for successful business growth managers must grow their people first. Accordingly, Geeve has spent his career building teams and relationships, by engaging with all levels of an organization to achieve success together and works hard to be a servant leader. Geeve is excited to work at Home Instead, to give back to the community and supporting you and your aging loved ones. He is married to a Registered Nurse and he and his wife have two beautiful children along with a rambunctious chocolate lab named Portia. He has a passion for cooking, as the kitchen in his home is where you will find him most of the time making an Asian inspired meal, or just baking some delicious butter tarts! Geeve is an avid runner and has competed in several marathons along with many other races across Ontario.

Jerry is an enthusiastic brand champion and after researching Home Instead felt an instant connection to their guiding principles of building trust, taking the lead, and sharing your heart. Jerry is an experienced operations leader with a demonstrated history of success building great teams and growing businesses. Jerry has spent the last 20+ years in operations growing his passion for service excellence and uses his positively outrageous service to delight and astound clients. Jerry specializes in building strong supportive teams while coaching a people first culture across the organization to ensure we are making a difference in people’s lives daily. Jerry is always looking for ways to grow his skillsets and can often be found engaging in conversations with co workers and industry professionals while stepping outside his comfort zone to try something new. Jerry married his high school sweetheart, and they are now parents to 3 amazing children. Jerry spends as much time outdoors with his family as he can swimming, hiking, playing sports and enjoying nature.

Prior to working for Home Instead, Jennifer had an extensive history in in customer service and administration.   Specifically, she worked with seniors and children and has the compassion and understanding necessary to support family caregivers and their senior loved one.  She aspires to grow in this field to pave the way to a better future.  Jennifer lives in Etobicoke with her two sons who are attending elementary school.  She looks forward to gaining experience, and is excited to give back to the community.