Meet The Team | Senior Helpers of Northeast Atlanta

Meet the Northeast Atlanta office

More than 90% of seniors want to be able to age in their own home with dignity but getting the right type of care can seem daunting. At Senior Helpers of Northeast Atlanta we believe that getting the best care for your loved ones should not be complicated. We recognize the growing need for in-home care services, and with our passion for helping others, we are committed to delivering the best possible care to seniors in the Northeast Atlanta community.

We take the opportunity to provide care in your home seriously and make it a priority to provide the highest level of client service possible. 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. You can feel confident that your loved one is in good hands with Senior Helpers.

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 accessible in-home care. This was the mission-driven spark that started Senior Helpers.

The first office opened in Baltimore, Maryland, 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 Northeast Atlanta was proud to join the system in 2023. Like every other owner, we too are fully-committed to the original goal of providing dependable and accessible 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 are lucky to serve hundreds of seniors in our community, 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 the Northeast Atlanta Team

Yeraldine Riney

Owner

Yeraldine Riney, owner of Senior Helper of Northeast Atlanta, brings a heartfelt commitment to providing dependable care for individuals in need. Her personal journey into the world of home care began as the primary caregiver for her late husband, James Earl Riney, Jr. Faced with the challenges of finding quality care, Yeraldine recognized the significant need of high-quality in home care in the Northeast Atlanta community.

Having experienced the scarcity of trained professionals and the frustration of delayed services firsthand, Yeraldine was motivated to create a solution. In 2023, she opened Senior Helpers of Northeast Atlanta, finding the perfect opportunity to turn her personal struggle into a purposeful mission.

Yeraldine's vision is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves timely, compassionate, and expert home care. Her commitment to dependable care is fueled by the challenges she encountered during her husband's illness. With a deep understanding of the unique needs of individuals and families, Yeraldine and her dedicated team at Senior Helpers of Northeast Atlanta strive to bridge the gaps in the Cumming-Duluth community.

In her free time, Yeraldine Riney wears multiple hats as a devoted mother of two children and five dogs. She finds comfort and unity in her church where she can gather around her community. She is very active in the Cumming- Duluth community and is dedicated to giving back to others. During the holidays, she actively engages in charitable activities, such as spearheading food drives for families in need in Forsyth County. Last year, her commitment to making a difference was highlighted when she participated in a county-wide campaign that successfully collected over 350 gifts for children during the holidays. Yeraldine's altruistic spirit and community involvement reflect her deep-seated belief in making a positive impact in the lives of those around her.

Rosemary Pizza

Community Relations Coordinator

Rosemary Pizza is happy to join Senior Helpers Northeast Atlanta as a Community Relations Coordinator. She enjoys working with her local community to build relationships, network and to develop people and businesses.

Rosemary was born in Griffin, Georgia to a British mother and American father. She attended school in Georgia until her family relocated to Pennsylvania when she was a Junior in high school. She attended Penn State University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Humanities in Multi-Media Journalism with an emphasis on Advertising and Public Relations. After college, she moved to New Jersey where she began her career with Novartis Pharmaceuticals and worked primarily as a technical writer in the Research and Drug Development departments with her last role working in Project Management developing Training Materials for Novartis.

After moving back to Georgia with a job transfer with her family, she continued to work in the fields of corporate training and course development, as well as writing marketing and promotional materials for Akzo Nobel Coatings. She returned to the job force after staying home with her children for a few years as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative working contract positions for several different drugs.

Rosemary then transitioned to representing doctors, chiropractors and an attorney after being approached by them to help develop their businesses. She helped them grow to become successful and positive experiences for their clients and employees. She enjoys helping people find the services and care they need in northeast Atlanta and has lived in the area since 1996.

In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, live music, festivals, water activities and spending time with friends and her grown children, Zach and Isabella.

Colin Blenis, MSN, MBA, RN, FAWM

Director Of Nursing

Colin Blenis, a dedicated nurse leader, is committed to training caregivers in delivering exceptional care to older adults within the comfort of their homes. As our Director of Nursing, he ensures our caregivers recieve excellent training and provide high quality care to our clients. As an Atlanta native, Colin's nursing journey was ignited by a profound desire to give back to the communities that have shaped his life and family.

A graduate of Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Colin boasts a rich and varied practice background spanning emergency, critical care, behavioral health, home health, and wilderness settings. His expertise is underscored by board certifications in emergency and critical care nursing.

Beyond his clinical roles, Colin has shared his knowledge and holistic perspective on aging as an educator, teaching courses on lifespan human development and cognitive neuroscience at Cornell University. He has also presented research at national and international conferences. Colin's commitment to excellence has earned him recognition as a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, acknowledging his clinical prowess, dedication to teaching, and service to underserved communities.

Meet the Northeast Atlanta office

Our History

Our process

Meet the Northeast Atlanta Team

Areas We Serve