Meet The Team | Senior Helpers of Greater Chicagoland, IL

Meet the Greater Chicagoland Office

More than 90% of seniors want to age in their own home with dignity but getting the right type of care can seem daunting. At Senior Helpers Greater Chicagoland we believe that getting the best care for your loved ones should not be complicated. Our office is committed to delivering the best possible in-home care to seniors in the surrounding Chicagoland community.

We take in-home care seriously and make it a priority to provide the highest level of client service possible. Over the years we have built an exceptional team of care professionals, each committed to remaining at the forefront of the in-home care industry through our proprietary ongoing training and education programs.

Our History

Senior Helpers was founded in 2002 by Tony Bonacuse with the help of Peter Ross after their firsthand experience in caring for their respective family members. Tony and Peter identified a need that was not being filled properly by the other companies. They realized that most seniors would prefer to age in their own home rather than move into an unfamiliar institution. Unfortunately, the options available to most seniors were very limited. Most seniors did not have access to well-trained, dependable and affordable in-home care. This was the mission-driven spark that started Senior Helpers.

The first office opened in Baltimore, and quickly developed a reputation for delivering excellent in-home senior care with their well-trained staff of professional caregivers. Based on the success of the Baltimore location, the company began to expand. Over the past 13 years, the Senior Helpers family has grown to include a network of more than 300 locally owned and operated franchises across the United States.

Senior Helpers of Greater Chicagoland, like every other owner, is fully-committed to the original goal of providing dependable and affordable in-home care with well-trained caregivers. Nothing is more important to us than being the best available resource for seniors and families in our community.

We have been lucky to serve hundreds of seniors in our community over the years, and we are committed to continuing to provide uncompromising levels of care to all our families.

Our process

The first step in the process is a complimentary, initial in-home care assessment with a Senior Helpers consultant. This assessment can help you understand the true needs of your loved one, and your options. Together we can discuss their needs, our senior care services and determine what’s best for your entire family.

We will cover:

Your family's specific goals

Your loved one's daily plan design and schedule

Pricing and payment methods

Implementation process

Ongoing communication and follow-up plan

Meet Our Team

Mary O'Connor

General Manager

Mary has been in senior care for 10 years. She cared for her mother who passed away from ALS and watched her aunt’s rapid decline with Alzheimer’s. She has worked in many aspects of the company, including caregiving, scheduling, and client services; Mary is now the Director of Operations. Her favorite part of working with seniors is hearing their story – she really enjoys the fascinating stories they share.

Rosemary Gerstner

Marketing and Sales Director

Rosemary was introduced to the company in 2012 when she needed assistance caring for her grandmother and great-uncle. In 2018, she joined the Senior Helpers team as a Client Service Manager. Rosemary worked alongside clients, families, and caregivers to create safe and nurturing home environments. Currently, as Marketing and Sales Director, Rosemary's mission is to grow the reach of Senior Helpers's quality care throughout the community.

Lynn O’Linski

Director of Sales and Client Care

Lynn is our Director of Sales and Client Care and has served older adults since 2011. She enjoys working with and developing a staff of professionals whose primary relationship and goal is to ensure that the Client Services and Marketing team work in unison to communicate with our referral sources and clients to provide the physical, emotional and social activities that will enhance the quality of life for those under our care.

Ana Goldman

Senior Client Service Manager

Ana has been with Senior Helpers for 4 years, after taking care of her mother who suffered with Alzheimer’s for 7 years. As a former teacher and current CNA, she believes in the education Senior Helpers provides for our caregivers as well as our clients. Ana believes that Senior Helpers stands alone with our commitment in providing quality care with educated caregivers who lead with their heart. She enjoys spending time with her family, baking and enjoying nature whenever possible.

Suzanne Welsch

Client Service Manager

For five years, Suzanne took care of her mother, who suffered from Dementia; in fact, she started with Senior Helpers as a client. After her mother passed away, Suzanne came to Senior Helpers to work part-time as a caregiver and then went full-time as a Scheduling Coordinator and Client Service Manager. As of January 2018, Suzanne is a full-time Client Services Manager, and as of 2019, Suzanne is a CNA. She loves the quality of care that Senior Helpers provide to our clients and the training that we provide our caregivers. Suzanne is grateful to have a rewarding job and one in which she feels she is giving back to the senior community.

Aisha Pineda

Client Service Manager

Aisha has spent the last 8 years working in various roles in the home care and home health industry. She has experience with operations and human resource management, as well as hands on experience as a CNA. She joined the Senior Helpers team in 2017. Aisha has a passion for aiding seniors and promotes successful relations with clientele. She provides support to our clients and caregivers, constructs care plans, and facilitates resolutions.

Sharon King

Accounting Manager

Sharon is a businesswoman with over 20 years of experience in health care & the private sector. She specializes in finance, contracts, and billing. Sharon enjoys good food and college football.

Betsy Kopec

Staffing Coordinator

Betsy joined Senior Helpers as a Staffing Coordinator in 2017. Her responsibilities include interviewing and hiring our outstanding staff of caregivers as well as ensuring that caregiver training and documentation is kept up to date. Betsy enjoys interacting with the caregivers and the office staff with a focus on customer service.

Jodi Miller

Scheduling Coordinator

Jodi Miller recently joined Senior Helpers as a Scheduling Coordinator. She has a family history of Alzheimer’s and Dementia and helping her elderly relatives. One of her favorite things is conversing with her 95-year-old father-in-law. She has deep compassion for working with seniors as well as the special needs community. Jodi also has personal experience as a caregiver and advocate having raised a son with severe autism. She loves building relationships with seniors and caregivers, and having a career working daily, helping others. Finding the perfect caregiver to match each client’s individual needs is very important to her. In her spare time, Jodi volunteers in the community, loves gourmet cooking, home projects, crafting, and enjoying time with her family and friends.

Alyson Goldman

Training Manager

Alyson has worked with seniors for over 20 years. She has training as a CNA, MA, and DSP. Since 2011, Alyson has held many positions Senior Helpers; currently, she enjoys scheduling and leading caregiver orientations.

Meet the Greater Chicagoland Office

Our History

Our process

Meet Our Team

Images from the Greater Chicagoland Office

Areas We Serve