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

Meet the Arlington/Alexandria 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 of Arlington/Alexandria we believe getting the best care for your loved ones should not be complicated. Owner Bella Desai opened the Senior Helpers of Arlington/Alexandria office in 2018 because of her commitment to aging in place and passion for helping others. Bella is committed to delivering the best possible in-home care to seniors in the Arlington/Alexandria and Mt. Vernon communities. 

We take in-home care very seriously and make it a priority to provide the highest level of client service possible. Since our opening, we have built an exceptional team of care professionals. Each is 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.  They 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 Arlington/Alexandria was proud to join the system in 2018. Like every other owner, we are fully-committed to 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 their families in our community.  

Bella Desai, owner of Senior Helpers Arlington/Alexandria, was drawn to this company because of its focus on providing each and every caregiver the tools and knowledge to succeed when working with a senior. Bella’s  own experience with the variety of caregivers during her grandmother’s final years only highlighted the crucial role caregivers play in a senior and their family’s life. In our office caregivers are able to learn and share with each other, further complementing formal training.

Our team has grown to 35 caregivers over the past year. We have been lucky to serve seniors in our community, 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 the Arlington/Alexandria Team

Bella Desai, MPH

Bella Desai, MPH

Owner/ Operator

Bella moved to the Northern Virginia area a little over a decade ago from Austin, Texas, and fell in love with being able to experience all four seasons. She quickly came to appreciate the density, diversity and endless opportunities that stem from living so close to our nation’s capital. Bella decided to open Senior Helpers in Arlington-Alexandria after helping care for her grandmother and seeing the various types of caregivers that came through. 

After almost 15 years in marketing, communications and business development, Bella decided to refocus her energy and commitment to our community’s senior population. She knows the struggle to provide care for your loved one is real – and finding the right caregiver that blends in (and cares) like a family member more so. 

Bella is driven by and committed to the mission and vision of Senior Helpers by providing dependable service, continuity of care, peace of mind for the family, a quality of life for your loved one, and independent living in-home. 

Kyra Miller, RN

Kyra Miller, RN

Director of Nursing

Kyra brings her energy, passion and experience to help carry on the mission of Senior Helpers. She is dedicated to helping clients maintain quality of life and independence. Senior Helpers service and value to clients have resonated so deeply with Kyra due to her experiences with aging family members and seeing the positive effect that this could have had in their lives. Kyra has served as an RN at both Inova Fairfax and Veteran Affairs Medical Centers in the DC area. In these roles, she has gained a great deal of experience in caring for seniors and understanding their unique needs.

She grew up in Georgia and has been in the Northern Virginia area for a little over 2 years. In her spare time she enjoys running, visiting various Smithsonian museums and events in the Sculpture Garden. Kyra holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duke University and a Master of Public Health from The University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Shannan Butler

Shannan Butler

Director of Operations

Shannan was born and raised in Northern Virginia – so she is as Native as they come. She has been in the human service industry for over 20 years...with direct focus on senior care for the last nine.

Shannan started out as a caregiver which she thoroughly loved. But after her client moved into an Independent Living Facility, she found she really enjoyed recruiting and working with caregivers. As she transitioned into a new administrative role, she realized that while children may be the future, seniors are our history.

Shannan’s passion for senior care came about when she was a young girl spending summers with her grandparents. She saw how caring and compassion truly go hand in hand. She knows as you get older in life you don’t want to worry about every little thing. You’ve spent your whole life doing that. Shannan understands that the services Senior Helpers provides is so personal and customized that it allows your loved one to continue their journey with ease.

Not only does this job provide you an opportunity to give back to the community and that generation, you give back to yourself and the next generation.

Areas We Serve

Senior Helpers of Arlington/Alexandria 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 of Arlington/Alexandria serves the cities and towns of:

  • Alexandria
  • Arlington
  • Baileys Crossroads
  • Belleview
  • Cameron Station
  • Crystal City
  • Engleside
  • Falls Church
  • Fort Hunt
  • Fort Myer
  • Franconia
  • Huntington
  • Del Ray
  • Kingstowne
  • Lincolnia
  • Potomac
  • Rosslyn
  • Mt. Vernon

Quick response, experienced staff, caring climate, and responsive to caregiver and client needs.