Meet Our Team

Hello! My name is Jamie and I am the proud co-owner of the Home Instead Senior Care that serves Central Suffolk County. I am married to my wonderful wife Maria and we have two amazing girls.

I have what some think is an unusual path to Home Instead ownership. I grew up on Long Island and worked at the “family business” (a 55 and older community in Suffolk County) for most of my youth and for a couple of years after I graduated from Marist College in 1995. Thereafter, I received a law degree from Hofstra University School of Law in 2000 and a Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University in 2001. I worked in Manhattan as an attorney at two major law firms for years when I started to feel like my work life was missing something. While I love the law, I struggled with a lack of personal interaction with my clients and with a feeling that there must be something more. That’s when two things happened that led me to Home Instead. First, my wife’s grandmother’s health declined and we started researching home care options. I saw firsthand how having a senior loved one that needs help can create stress, angst and affect all aspects of a person’s life. Second, my brother and his wife opened a Home Instead in New Jersey and I got a chance to see Home Instead from an owner’s perspective. From those two experiences (and my experiences of working with seniors when I was younger), it quickly became clear to me that Home Instead was not only a wonderful resource in the community, but would provide the personal experiences that I craved. With the encouragement of Maria, I made the career change and I opened my Home Instead office in April of 2008. It was one of the best decisions that I ever made.

I truly love what I do as a Home Instead owner. I love meeting families and helping them find a solution to their needs, whether it’s Home Instead or another resource in the community. I love finding meaningful work for great CAREGivers. I love visiting clients on a Quality Assurance visits and hearing how the client-CAREGiver bonds have grown. I have learned that I love making a difference in people’s lives and with Home Instead I get to do that on a daily basis.

I have been a Home Instead owner since my husband and I opened our Hauppauge office in 2008. Our office is a licensed home care agency and my role as Administrator is to ensure compliance with all New York State Department of Health regulations and guidelines. Jamie and I have always strived to provide the best home care in Suffolk County and to be a resource in the community for seniors and their loved ones. I know from personal experience how overwhelming it can be when researching home care options. Providing care for seniors truly is personal for us. We love what we do and find it rewarding to bring together great CAREGIvers and clients.

I joined Home Instead Senior Care in October of 2016 as Director of Patient Services. I am a New York State licensed Registered Nurse and in my current position, I am responsible for managing all clients who require hands-on personal care. That responsibility includes conducting a nurse's assessment at the beginning of each case to develop an individualized care plan, working with a client's health care professionals and monitoring client needs to determine if the care plan should be adjusted. In addition, I handle all Care Pro new hire and ongoing training as well as supervise our home health aides and personal care aides on all personal care cases. In addition to my many years of experience as a home care RN providing quality care for seniors, I was also a staff nurse and nurse manager at St. Francis Hospital.

I started out with Home Instead as a CAREGiver in 2015. A few years in, I was offered an administrative position in the office. I am now the Client Care Coordinator for our Home Instead. I work with both potential and current clients to get them the best possible care. I schedule our CAREGivers and find the best fit for new clients. I love what I do! I have 2 amazing daughters and currently reside in Port Jefferson Station. 

I began working with Home Instead in 2021 as a Care Pro. While I was working as a part-time Care Pro, I also worked full-time as a recruiter. I graduated in 2017 from SUNY Oswego with a dual Bachelor's in Sociology and Psychology with a focus on senior care. When I saw an opening for recruitment coordinator here at Home Instead, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to bring my passion for senior care and skills as a recruiter together. In my former role as recruitment coordinator, I searched for Care Pros that can become a part of our team. In my new role as Training and Quality Coordinator, I work with current Care Pros to ensure that annual trainings are completed and help to make sure we provide our clients with the best care possible.

Laura Johanson is responsible for promoting Home Instead throughout our service area of Central Suffolk. She networks with area hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, senior centers, elder care attorneys, financial planners and various other senior organizations to ensure that the community knows who we are and how we can assist folks by providing quality in-home care.
With more than 25 years of advertising, marketing and public relations experience, as well as deep roots in the community, Laura strives every day to not only promote Home Instead as a company, but also be an advocate for older adults wishing to age in place with comfort and dignity.

I started my home care journey in January 2010. I spent many years managing the coordination of seniors’ services. Working so closely with aides and seniors is what fueled my desire to switch gears and focus on recruitment. I love meeting new CAREGivers and getting them excited to be a part of the company as well as provide excellent service to our clients. As of March 2024, I am the new Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator for the Home Instead Hauppauge office. I am super excited to bring my passion for senior care and recruitment into this role. Outside of my professional life, I am a dedicated wife and I have two amazing children. They are my motivation to be the best I can be in all aspects of my life.