Meet The Team | Senior Helpers of Greater Chicagoland, IL
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Serving Greater Chicagoland and surrounding areas.
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Serving Greater Chicagoland and surrounding areas.
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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

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

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

Rosemary Gerstner, CDP

Rosemary Gerstner, CDP

Executive 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. As Marketing and Sales Director, Rosemary's grew the reach of Senior Helpers's quality care throughout the community. Now, as Executive Director, Rosemary coordinates office efforts to provide the best home care in the Greater Chicago area.

Fauzia Alavi

Fauzia Alavi

Director of Client Services

Fauzia has worked as a CNA for over 10 years. She has a passion for caring for seniors. She believes it is important to prioritize every senior’s care, so she pursued a Bachelor’s in Healthcare Management and Master’s in Public Administration. Other than her work life, she enjoys baking for her family and friends.

Chandra Gearring

Chandra Gearring

Director of Care

Chandra has been working in healthcare for more than 15 years. She started with Senior Helpers in Feb 2022 as the Compliance Manager of the Corporate Stores and in 2023 was promoted to Director of Care. Chandra loves to interact with Caregivers in Orientation, Caregiver Events, and Trainings. Her goal is to make sure All Caregivers feel appreciated for the work they do each day. Chandra has her master’s degree in Health Care Management and in her free time she loves to vlog about fitness and healthy eating.

Carrie Chavez

Carrie Chavez

Business Development Manager

Carrie Chavez, a graduate of Loyola University in Chicago has worked in healthcare for over 25 years.  Her passion is assisting seniors and their families in making the best possible living, aging and care choices. Together with her 8 siblings she cares for her 98 year old father and 92 year old mother.

Kelly Bianchi

Kelly Bianchi

Business Development Manager

Kelly spent the last 8 years doing social work in both the community and the senior living setting. In doing so, she has seen first-hand the pivotal role home care plays in allowing a senior to age in place safely. Kelly’s passion is servicing the geriatric population and she is excited to continue helping seniors while pursuing her career in home care. When she’s not working, Kelly enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband and their Labrador Retriever, Bruce.

Jose Cardenas

Jose Cardenas

Client Services Manager

Jose enjoys playing futbol and basketball. He loves his family, his newborn, traveling and getting the job done! He comes from social work and operations, but overall, he knows how to help clients and the organization. He is very happy to be part of the Senior Helpers team!

Brittany Hendricks

Brittany Hendricks

Care Engagement Manager

Brittany is the Care Engagement Manager here at Senior Helpers. Brittany has been in the healthcare industry for 13 years starting as a Certified Nursing Assistant. During her time as a CNA, she worked at a skilled nursing facility, home care, assisted living, and the hospital setting for six years. Brittany graduated from Illinois State University in 2018 with her bachelor’s degree in community health education and promotion. Brittany has a passion for senior care and want to continue to help in any way possible. She believes that our caregivers can help our seniors live their best quality of life. Brittany’s vision and goals at Senior Helpers to help set caregivers up for success so their clients are well taken care of. Brittany enjoys taking vacations and hanging out with friends and family. The most adventurous hobby she ever did her life was skydiving.

Paige Johnson

Paige Johnson

Recruiting Coordinator

Paige is a new graduate from the University of Illinois here in Chicago and started her career at Senior Helpers in July 2023 as the Recruiting Coordinator. She previously did a Human Resource internship with a non-profit that focused on helping Individuals with disabilities. As the first contact for new caregivers, she gets to interact and meet new people every single day, helping them get started here at Senior Helpers. Her goal is to find amazing caregivers for our amazing clients. Paige received her bachelor’s degree in applied psychology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and preparing for her next convention.  

Jenelle Dayrit

Care Coordinator

Laarni Ramos

Care Coordinator

Areas We Serve

Senior Helpers of Greater Chicagoland 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 Chicagoland serves the cities and towns of:

  • Addison
  • Antioch
  • Arlington Heights
  • Bellwood
  • Bensenville
  • Berkeley
  • Buffalo Grove
  • Deerfield
  • Des Plaines
  • Downers Grove
  • Elk Grove Village
  • Elmhurst
  • Fort Sheridan
  • Franklin Park
  • Glencoe
  • Glenview
  • Grayslake
  • Great Lakes Gurnee
  • Highland Park
  • Highwood
  • Hillside
  • Itasca
  • Lake Bluff
  • Lake Forest
  • Lake Villa
  • Libertyville
  • Lincolnshire
  • Lombard
  • Melrose Park
  • Mount Prospect
  • Mundelein
  • North Chicago
  • Northbrook
  • Oak Brook
  • Palatine
  • Prospect Heights
  • Rolling Meadows
  • Schaumburg
  • Stone Park
  • Vernon Hills
  • Villa Park
  • Wadsworth
  • Waukegan
  • Westchester
  • Wheeling
  • Winnetka
  • Winthrop Harbor
  • Wood Dale
  • Zion