Meet Our Team

Eric grew up in Joliet, IL. In 1998, he joined the United States Coast Guard and went on to career in construction for a steel company. Eric joined Home Instead alongside his wife, Courtney, in 2012.

"Courtney & I are so fortunate to have such an amazing Administrative Team and incredible Care Professionals that are committed to the seniors in our community and to the Home Instead mission. It is so rewarding to know that I have the opportunity every day to make a difference in the lives of seniors and their families in the very community I grew up in. Additionally, I get to meet so many fascinating people- clients and Care Professionals alike- everyone has a story and I get to hear it. Building strong relationships with clients and Care Professionals is a primary focus every day. Often times we are the shoulder to lean on whether it is a potential client, existing client, client family or employee. I am honored to be a trusted source to help people find solutions."

eric.pucel@homeinstead.com

Courtney holds a BS from Illinois State University and an M.Ed from DePaul University. She grew up in New Lenox, IL and has been with Home Instead since 2004.

"It is an honor to provide quality care to seniors throughout our community. Everyday I get to work side by side with an Administrative Team that focuses on client and Care Professional needs. We have the common goal of providing seniors with quality Care Professionals who will assist in maintaining each client's integrity and needs in mind. We do all that we can to give families peace of mind whether they are near or far. It can be really daunting on a daughter / son / spouse over time when they become the primary caregiver for their loved one. We put great emphasis on doing what we can, as the care provider, to help them maintain their role as a loved one. We have a compassionate team in place that understands both personally and professionally what this means. Daughters need to be daughters, sons need to be sons, and spouses need to maintain their role as husband or wife. We are proud of what we do and continuously seek out the most compassionate people to carry out our mission; to enhance the lives of seniors and their families through trusted quality care and allowing every senior to age successfully."

courtney.pucel@homeinstead.com

Crystal joined our team in 2017 as a Care Professional. Crystal was promoted in 2017 to Office Coordinator. She has brought great value to our team and has grown within the organization. From Office Coordinator, Crystal was promoted to Client Care Coordinator and her success in that role naturally progressed into her current role as Home Care Manager.

As the Home Care Manager, Crystal is responsible for meeting with clients and families to build the best plan of care. She is the face of Home Instead in the community and works closely with our referral providers. She builds partnerships with trusted resources in the community to better meet the needs of our clients.

crystal.nava@homeinstead.com

Grisel joined our team in 2021 as Service Coordinator. As Service Coordinator, Grisel is responsible for scheduling clients and meeting Care Professional desired hours.

As Service Coordinator, it is crucial that client and Care Professional matches are successful. Grisel works day in and day out to ensure these matches are a success, working closely with the team to know and understand the various needs. 

grisel.navarrete@homeinstead.com

Alyna joined our team in 2023 as Office Coordinator. As Office Coordinator, Alyna works closely with all departments by providing additional support. She primarily works with Grisel, who happens to be her mom, in scheduling.

Alyna is a graduate student working toward her degree in the medical field with a goal of becoming a Doctor. She is a great asset to our team!

alyna.navarrete@homeinstead.com

Sidney joined our Home Instead team in 2021. As Recruitment & Engagement Manager, he focuses on identifying, onboarding, and retaining qualified Care Professionals to join our Home Instead family. Sidney works closely with the team to ensure the needs of our Care Professionals and clients are met.

Sidney is a University of Illinois graduate with a focus on Healthcare Administration. In addition, he has an extensive background working in retail management.

sidney.brooks@homeinstead.com

Robin joined Home Instead in 2023 as a Care Professional. The professionalism and knowledge that she displayed in caring for her clients did not go unnoticed. After several months working as a Care Pro, Robin joined the Administrative Team as Training & Retention Coordinator.

As Training & Retention Coordinator, Robin focuses on initial and ongoing training for Care Pros, ensuring they are set up for success. Robin also provides additional support with payroll and billing. She brings with her an extensive background in corporate training and HR.

robin.ewing@homeinstead.com

Ester joined our Home Instead family in 2011 as a Care Professional. Ester has always been compassionate, hard-working, and intuitive when it came to her clients and making her in high demand per client request. As a Care Professional, she touched and changed the lives of so many seniors and their families.

Ester balanced raising her beautiful family while caregiving for over 10 years with Home Instead. In 2021, she joined our team as Client Care Coordinator. As Client Care Coordinator, she works with the Client Care Team ensuring each client's Plan of Care is properly being served while also overseeing that Care Professionals have all the tools needed to be successful in the home. Ester brings extensive experience and compassion to her role ensuring both client and Care Professional needs are met.

ester.maldonado@homeinstead.com

Tia joined our team in 2022 as a Care Professional. Her compassion and professionalism lead her to a role on our Administrative Team as Client Care Coordinator.

As Client Care Coordinator, Tia ensures both clients and Care Professionals are set up for success by ensuring the Plan of Care is being met and proper training and support is provided.

tia.webster@homeinstead.com

Andrea joined our team in 2024. She has resided in the Midwest her entire life and is a graduate of the University of Iowa. Andrea has an extensive history in medical sales.

As Home Care Consultant, Andrea is responsible for building relationships with our Referral Providers. Not only does she educate the community on our services, but she also builds partnerships so that our Home Instead team can provide resources to the seniors and families we serve. At Home Instead we believe in guiding our clients and their families not only in the realm of our care, but also in other areas of senior care in which they may need additional resources.

andrea.grutzmacher@homeinstead.com

Nicole joined our Home Instead family in 2015 as a Care Professional. Nicole is compassionate and professional when working with our clients.

As a Lead Care Professional, Nicole supports our Care Professionals, Clients, and Administrative Team by being there when needed. Whether it be to introduce Care Professionals & Clients, mentor a fellow Care Professional, or fill-in at a time of emergency, Nicole takes the lead.

nicole.desavieu@homeinstead.com