Meet The Team | Senior Helpers of San Jose
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Serving San Jose, Santa Cruz and surrounding areas.
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Meet the Senior Helpers San Jose 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 San Jose we believe getting the best care for your loved ones should not be complicated. Opening in 2008, Senior Helpers San Jose staff and caregivers have a passion for helping others and are committed to delivering the best possible in-home care to seniors in the San Jose community. 

We take in-home care very seriously and make it a priority to provide the highest level of client service possible. Over the past 14 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

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 20 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 San Jose was proud to join the system in 2008.  We too are 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.  

As so many other Senior Helpers owners, Alay Yajnik and Shad Schidel were drawn to Senior Helpers due to their own experience with caring for loved ones and needing help to do it properly.  We have experienced both sides of the home care equation and know the importance of quality caregivers, good communication with the family and focused care.   We know the challenge the family and client face and we see ourselves as partners with the family in providing the best possible care.

Our team has grown to include over 60 caregivers and staff. We have been honored 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

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

Areas We Serve

Senior Helpers San Jose provides a full range of senior home care services for you or your loved one—from companionship and housework help, to more complex care services, including disease management, Live-In and 24-hour care services.

Senior Helpers Greater San Jose serves the cities and towns of: 

Meet the San Jose Team

Alay Yajnik

Alay Yajnik

Owner

Alay joined the Senior Helpers family in 2021 after helping his mom recover from bypass surgery. This personal experience helped him to understand how other seniors in his community could benefit from caregiving services. Alay is passionate about his incredible staff of caregivers. Many of his caregivers have been with the Senior Helpers San Jose office for several years. Alay believes that taking good care of your staff and caregivers will result in them taking good care of the seniors they serve. In addition to Alay’s lifelong dedication to service, he has been a business owner and entrepreneur since 2013 with 17 years of Silicon Valley business experience. Alay earned an MBA from Santa Clara University and a BS in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego. Alay is married with two children and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Shad Schidel

Shad Schidel

Owner

Shad joined Senior Helpers in 2022 with a focus on Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. Shad has a background in family nursing and medical technology. Shad enjoys movies with the family, dinner with friends, books, boardgames, and solving problems. He lives in the Santa Cruz mountains with his wife, four kids (two girls, two boys), two dogs, one cat, 21 chickens, an uncountable # of fish, and one extremely large gopher snake.

Laura

Laura

Community Relations Manager

Laura is honored to work with the seniors in our community and their families. She enjoys developing creative ways to engage and relate to our seniors and community. Laura believes that caregiving is a calling of the heart, and it requires empathy, perseverance, love...and humor! Laura is an avid golfer and golf instructor. She also loves hiking,biking, gardening, fine dining, and anything new.

Mang

Mang

Care Manager

Growing up, Mang was cared for by a community of seniors who were not her relatives. Her passion is to care for them as they cared for her. She enjoys having conversations with seniors and hearing their stories. Mang is a talented artist and loves all things related to crafting and creating like knitting, sewing, drawing, painting, and paper crafts.

Monique

Monique

Scheduler

Monique loves working with seniors because, in her words, "Every time I’m with a senior, I see a piece of my grandma. And that’s why this work means so much to me." Monique has two beautiful girls and a handsome boy, plus a fluffy cat named Nimbus and an American Bully named Sushi who thinks she runs the house! She loves camping with the family, longboarding/skating, and getting lost in a good fiction book.

Gwen

Gwen

Scheduler

Gwen works with seniors because it reminds her of how she took care of her grandparents, especially her grandfather, and how much she values having time with the elderly. Gwen is an accomplished singer and enjoys performing. She loves relaxing with her three dogs and a cup of coffee.

Cindy

Cindy

Long-Term Care and Admin

Cindy appreciates working with caregivers because they have incredible resilience, patience, and empathy. Being around them is a powerful reminder of human strength and dedication. Cindy has two daughters and loves spending time with her family, whether it's traveling or laughing and talking together. She loves Japanese food!

Lyza

Lyza

Recruiter

As our Recruiter, Lyza brings caregivers into the Senior Helpers family. She has a soft spot for seniors because she is close to her grandmother. Lyza finds seniors to be full of wisdom and insight, and she believes that they deserve all the compassion in the world. Lyza enjoys fried chicken, listening to music, and going on walks with her two wonderful dogs.

Candy

Candy

Operations Manager

Candy works with our entire team and often backs up people when they are away. She enjoys working with caregivers because they’re incredibly dedicated and compassionate people. She likes being someone whom they can count on for support. Candy has two energetic boys, and likes to go to the beach to relax.

Senior Helpers of San Jose Featured on the Guiding Grief Podcast
PODCAST FEATURE

Senior Helpers of San Jose Featured on the Guiding Grief Podcast

We’re proud to share that our Community Relations Manager, Laura Nenada, was recently featured on the Guiding Grief Podcast as part of the “Talking About Tomorrow” series.

In this heartfelt conversation with host Nicholas Welzenbach, Laura discusses the importance of compassionate in-home caregiving—highlighting how families can preserve dignity, nurture emotional connection, and find peace of mind when caring for aging loved ones.

Listen To Podcast

This is why we do what we do...

Recently a client wrote this heartfelt note to our caregivers and our office team—This is why we do what we do! 💜

Santa Helpers 2024