Meet The Team | Senior Helpers of Erie
Skip main navigation
Serving Erie and surrounding areas.
Type Size
Serving Erie and surrounding areas.
Past main navigation Contact Us

Meet the Erie Office

More than 90% of seniors want to age independently in their own home. But if they need assistance in being able to do that, finding the right home care agency can be a daunting task. At Senior Helpers Erie, we believe getting the best care for your loved ones should not be complicated. The local office of Senior Helpers first opened in 2008, over the the past decade our local reputation for quality care and reliability has spread throughout Erie and nearby counties. We take the responsibility of providing in-home care seriously and make it a priority to provide the highest level of client service possible.

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 existing 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 caregivers or dependable and affordable in-home care. This was the mission-driven spark that started Senior Helpers.

The first office opened in Baltimore, and Senior Helpers 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 Erie was proud to join the system in 2008. Like all locations, 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. 

Our local Senior Helpers has grown to 19 team members, and over 250 caregivers. We have served hundreds of seniors in our community over the years, and we are committed to continuously provide uncompromising levels of care for 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 the Staff

Paul Pilatowski

Paul Pilatowski

Executive Director

Paul joined the Senior Helpers staff in late 2018 as the recruitment manager.  After a year in that role, he was promoted to Director of Operations in January of 2020, and finally to Executive Director in March of 2023.  Paul has many years of experience in sales, marketing and operations, mostly in the sports management field working for the local Erie sports team for 18 years.  Paul is excited to be a part of the Senior Helpers team and enjoys meeting all the caregivers and talking to clients daily.  He feels it is a wonderful field that truly makes a difference in the daily lives of the seniors we have they pleasure of serving.  Paul is an avid sports fan, especially all things Pittsburgh.  He lives in Erie with his wife Colleen, their 4 children and 2 dogs.

Jennifer Bliss

Jennifer Bliss

Marketing and Business Development Director

Jennifer Bliss moved to Russell, PA, in 1991 with her parents and sister. In 2001 she moved to Warren, PA, and has lived in the city since. Jennifer has been married since 2002 and has adopted many “furkids” throughout the years. She enjoys volunteering throughout Warren County and spending time with her niece as much as possible. After over 21 years in radio, Jennifer entered a new chapter in her life with Senior Helpers Erie as the Business Development Coordinator for the Senior Helpers Warren location in early 2020. She continues to spread the word of the Senior Helpers brand and the many services they offer. She also assists with the hiring of new caregivers for the Warren County area and is available for client and home assessments. Jennifer is eager to show our community the quality of home care that Senior Helpers provides with her strong background in Community Relations and Advertising/Marketing.

Patricia Nutt

Patricia Nutt

Director of Care

Patty Nutt joined Senior Helpers as the Director of care in 2022.   Patty graduated from Mercyhurst University in 2000 and became a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant.  Over the past 23 years  her diverse career  as  a clinician, educator and  roles in management led her to Senior Helpers.    Patty is fortunate to have experience and resources to educate families and caregivers to provide optimal care to our Geriatric population. Patty has been part of the Summit Community for 35 years raising four daughters with husband Fred. 

Stephanie Machowski

Stephanie Machowski

Client Services Director

Stephanie joined the Senior Helpers team in the fall of 2022 as the Caregiver Enrichment Manager.  Just recently, she accepted the position as the Client Services Director. 

As we all know – “There’s no place like home.”  She works each day to ensure our clients our treated with compassion, understanding, and kindness to help them stay at home. 

Stephanie is originally from Boston.  She lives in Erie County with her family.  She loves her family time, fur babies, Bills football and the Boston Red Sox. 

Susie D'Aurora

Susie D'Aurora

Office Manager

Susie Joined Senior Helpers in November 2013 and is a Front Desk Office Assistant. Susie is happy to help with a smile on her face and in her voice. Susie lives with her family in Erie and enjoys spending her time with her family, especially her granddaughter and fur babies.

Rene Nowak

Rene Nowak

Survey Specialist

My name is Rene Nowak. I have been with Senior Helpers since 2013. As a Survey Specialist, I make monthly client satisfaction calls. I enjoy listening to some of their stories they have shared with me, and I hope I am making a difference with their daily life in representing Senior Helpers.

Jane Hilbert

Jane Hilbert

Registered Nurse

Jane has been the registered nurse at Senior Helpers for the past 7 years. As one of RN’s on staff Jane does case assessments at the client’s homes as well as trains our newly hired Caregivers in our learning and training center. She enjoys her job at Senior Helpers, especially the interactions with the clients and staff.

Jane has been a nurse for 52 years, lives in Millcreek with her Husband and has 3 children and 7 grandchildren.

Linda Krauza

Linda Krauza

Registered Nurse

Linda has been employed as a Registered Nurse with Senior Helpers since 2016. As an RN she enjoys working with the Options Personal Care program and doing in-home assessments with the clients. When needed she will be called on do to adult special assessments for Senior Helpers. She always enjoys her times with the clients and their families. Linda is originally from Ashtabula Ohio and currently resides in Erie. She is married and has 3 children and 7 grandchildren. Linda is retired from UPMC Hamot where she worked for many years.

Ashley Santana

Ashley Santana

Scheduling Coordinator

Ashley Santana joined the Senior Helpers staff in August of 2023 as the Scheduling Coordinator. During her role she has already shown to have extensive knowledge in many other areas of the business. Ashley has several years of extensive experience in the Home Care Industry. She has worked in several positions during her career including DCW, DCW Manager, Scheduling Manager, Billing Manager, Payroll Manager, HR Manager, Intake Coordinator, Recruiter and stand in for Operations Managers as needed. Ashley also holds a PA Professional License as a Health/Life Insurance Broker. This gives her extensive knowledge in dealing with Medicare/Medicaid issues and working with consumers daily. From her first day in the industry Ashley’s passion has always been helping anyone who needs her and remembering that going the extra mile is what sets us apart from the rest. Ashley resides in Fairview with her husband Josh, their 5 kids and dog Hemi.

Gabriella Ruiz

Scheduling Coordinator

Gabriella Ruiz was hired late October 2023 as a Scheduling Coordinator. Gabriella has a year of experience as a Scheduling Manger and seven years of experience in home health care. Gabriella Finds her work to be very rewarding and enjoys working with clients and caregivers to make sure all scheduling needs are being met. She looks forward to growing into her position here at Senior Helpers while striving to make a difference in the daily lives of those we care for and represent.

Carol Lee Wojtkielewicz

Office Assistant

Carol Lee joined Senior Helpers in January of 2021 and is a Receptionist/Office Assistant. Carol Lee is always happy to help in any way she can.  She lives in Millcreek with her husband and fur baby Maggie. She enjoys spending time with her grown children and their families. She is a Buffalo Bills and Yankees fan.

Areas We Serve

Senior Helpers Erie provides a full array of home care services for you or your loved one. Our services include, but are not limited to - companionship and home support, personal and respite care,  specialized care such as Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s, assistance with end of life care, transition care and more.

Senior Helpers Erie serves most of Northwestern PA including:

  • Erie
  • Millcreek
  • Fairview
  • West County
  • Harborcreek
  • North East
  • Waterford
  • Union City
  • Corry
  • Titusville
  • Pleasantville
  • Centerville
  • East Hickory
  • West Hickory
  • Grand Valley
  • Oil City
  • Spartansburg and Meadville