Meet The Team | Senior Helpers of Milwaukee
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Serving Milwaukee and Surrounding areas.
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Serving Milwaukee and Surrounding areas.
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Meet the Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee we believe  getting the best care for your loved ones should not be complicated.  We are committed to delivering the best possible in-home care to seniors in the Milwaukee 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 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 Milwaukee was proud to join the system.  Like every other owner, 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.  

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.

Eric Gustafson

Eric Gustafson

Executive Director

Eric began his career serving seniors after graduating from college. He has worked in most health care domains including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, independent living and assisted living communities. He finds himself now with Senior Helpers, the premiere Home Care provider in Milwaukee because he sees an incredible opportunity to serve seniors in their homes and keep them safe.  Eric states, “The Life Profile assessment is the single most effective tool I have seen in 25 years of senior care management to prevent seniors from injury at home and reduce hospital readmissions. I love working with Senior Helper’s Milwaukee because the talented team below is dedicated to making your experience with us great!  If you are weighing your options and have questions about assisted living communities or home care, please call. I’d be happy to share my life-long journey helping seniors thrive.”

Christine Soderberg, LPN

Christine Soderberg, LPN

Director of Client Services

Christine started her career with a bachelor’s degree in a non-healthcare field and later went back to school for nursing because she was drawn to help others.  She chose to work in many types of nursing over the last 15 years because she believes in expanding her knowledge to better help those that we serve.  Christine has experience in skilled care, rehab, hospice, assisted living but has found her passion with home care and strives to keep seniors living in their homes longer and making sure quality care is being given.  Many times, you will hear her say that the favorite part of her job is meeting and getting to know our seniors and still feels laughter is the best medicine.  Outside of work, Christine spends time with her 5 children and their activities.  She also enjoys being outside, taking walks, sitting with friends talking around a fire pit, going on day trips or camping when time allows.

Cindy Manzara-MPT

Director of Care

Cindy joined the Senior Helpers family in March of 2022 as the Director of Care. She brings several years of experience as a Physical Therapist. Although she has worked with every age population, seniors have always been one of her favorites! She loves listening to their stories and their life experiences, appreciating the knowledge she obtains through these relationships and has always compared it to "like having a history book  come to life in front of my eyes." As Director of Care, she has a tremendous amount of respect for the Caregivers, and has seen the compassion, patience, and the genuine "love" andd concern they have for the Clients. She respects each and every Caregiver, striving to make them feel appreciated and an integral part of the Senior Helpers family. Outside of work, she loves planning weekend getaways with her husband and 2 children, and continues to cherish her 30-year friendship with a core group of girlfriends who "make me laugh unntil I cry" every time. 

Jessica Huisken

Jessica Huisken

RN Program Manager

Jessica is our RN Program Manager. Jessica was driven to get her degree in nursing when she visited her grandmother in the nursing home and noticed some caregivers don’t value someone’s desire for independence and to have their living space cared for as their own home. When she became a PCW in nursing school, she always said she’d be a PCW with an RN degree if she didn’t love being a nurse as much as she loved being a PCW. Jessica has a diverse nursing background and has practiced in many settings including hospitals, home health care, clinics, school, and case management for managed care organizations. Jessica has 3 kids and 2 dogs and enjoys volunteering and being outside. Jessica joined the Senior Helpers family because she saw the strength of the Life Profile Assessment in assisting with health and safety in the home and the quality of the caregivers trained in the hands-on environment of the Center of Excellence training center. 

Brooki

Brooki

Scheduler

Meet our scheduler, Brooki. She has worked in health care for over 25 years, including medical surgical floors, as a certified nursing assistant, and in the ER as an emergency room technician. Later in life, she worked in home care with daily operations and found her passion for scheduling. Brooki prides herself in “working the puzzle” to find the perfect caregiver match for our clients. In her free time, she likes to spend time at home in Tichigan with her 3 children, boyfriend, and Goldendoodle. You will always see her with a smile on her face.  Brooki strives to make sure she has a positive outlook when doing her job and makes the most of every day.

Archie Pettigrew

Archie Pettigrew

Recruiter

Our recruiter, Archie Pettigrew, has been recruiting and staffing for over 10 years. He is a certified staffing professional through the American Staffing Association. He enjoys meeting and hiring dedicated caregivers to meet the needs of our clients. He also loves showing caregivers our center of excellence training center.  Archie comments, “Caregivers get excited to see where they will train and learn new skills to take care of our friends at home. To match the right caregiver to the perfect client, I created a book of caregiver biographies. We share a snapshot of our caregiver personalities with our clients before we begin providing care. The caregivers share the activities they like to do with our clients so we can match their skills with the client’s interests. Nothing makes me happier than to put the right caregiver into the right client home!”

Silvia

Silvia

Office Administrator

Silvia joined the Senior Helpers family in February 2021 as the Office Administrator.  Over the years she has learned all aspects of the business with her primary focus on Billing and Payroll. Silvia has over 20 years of customer service experience and a passion for helping others. Silvia says, “I pride myself on making sure every billing statement and employee paycheck is perfect!” Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband and 4 kids, living life to the fullest.

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 your loved one's needs, our senior care services and determine what is 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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee serves the cities and towns of:

  • ​Milwaukee
  • Mequon
  • Menomonee Falls
  • Bayside
  • Fox Point
  • River Hills
  • Brown Deer
  • Glendale
  • Whitefish Bay
  • Shorewood
  • Wauwatosa
  • West Allis
  • West Milwaukee
  • St. Francis
  • Greenfield
  • New Berlin
  • Elm Grove
  • Brookfield
  • Cudahy
  • Greendale
  • Hales Corners
  • Oak Creek
  • South Milwaukee
  • Franklin
  • Grafton
  • Granville
  • Victory Center
  • Thiensville
  • Cedarburg
  • Lakefield
  • Butler
  • Bay View