Meet Our Team

Working with seniors is something that was instilled upon me from a young age by my mother. When my mother was a volunteer visitor I would occasionally join her on her visits to see Katarina when I was about 8 years old. Katarina was Russian and spoke only a little bit of English. I still remember that Katarina would be in absolute amazement when I would put the straw in my drinking box – she had never seen anything like it and I would show her how it worked! In sharing the same passion with my mother, I continued on during my high school years volunteering at a Long Term Care facility & volunteer visiting also. Later in life when my grandmother was in Long Term Care, just over an hour away, I regularly went to visit her with my three children until she passed away in 2010. Seeing the enjoyment that she would get watching the children run around and engage her was priceless and truly memorable. Being the owner of Newmarket’s Home Instead allows me to work at my passion and sincerely feel like I am making a difference in a senior’s life. I am honored to have the privilege to provide services to our clients and it is something I take very personally.

Greg, father to Liam and Ava, and husband to Shelley, is well known in the field of home care, but his roots have simple beginnings as his earliest recollections of senior activism refer to a time when his mom was involved with charities like Meals on Wheels and encouraged him and his siblings to do the same. Today, his sits on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Home Care Association, has strong ties to the Alzheimer Society Peel (including partnership in the Caregiver ReCharge Program) and focusses the efforts of the Guelph, Cambridge, Caledon, Orangeville office on philanthropy, public education and community outreach. He is an author of the book Trusted Transitions, was presented the Advocacy Award by Home Instead Corporate for his tireless efforts, and since 2009 has driven Home Instead to exceed the expectations of over 1000 seniors and their families, by striving for service excellence.

Larissa comes to us with previous Home Instead experience. She has returned determined to show the Guelph community what “Living Home Instead,” truly means. Larissa has a RPN Diploma which gives her a valuable perspective and assists in supporting our CAREGivers. She believes that building trusting relationships with aging adults and their families is a privilege and should not be taken lightly. Originally with a background in customer service, Larissa found herself gravitating towards the health and senior care in college and she finds working with families and getting to know clients on a more personal level both beneficial and extremely rewarding. She strives to be an approachable leader and always tries to put herself in others’ shoes. Larissa is a wife and mom of two girls and in her spare time she works in her studio as a woodworking artist.

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For over 10 years Paul has been a great resource to family caregivers and community partners.  He is a great listener and empathetic to the demands placed on spouses, daughters and others who jump to the call of supporting an aging loved one.  He does his best to understand your unique situation and will provide you with options that address the challenges you and your loved one face.  He can help you navigate a hospital to home discharge, speak to the value of one-to-one support in retirement or long-term care or assist you in finding a compatible caregiver to support your loved one in any place that they call home, whether those needs be minimal to complex.  He is highly responsive and thinks outside the box; you are in great hands with Paul!  His favorite things: matcha, cycling, travel and his nephews … but not necessarily in that order. 😉

Ariel Pavao is family orientated, bubbly, and personable nurse who graduate with honors from Conestoga College.  Ariel has also continued her education and completed micro credentials in Infusion Therapy Nursing as well as Community Care. Ariel hopes one day to continue her education and get her master’s in nursing. Nursing is Ariels second career as she previously went to school for hearing instrument specialist and dental hygiene.

Ariel has several years experience working as a RPN and PSW both in the community as a nurse and in various nursing residences through travel nursing. She is passionate and specialize in Neurobehavioral science.Furthermore, Ariel was born in raised in Cambridge, Ontario and is an active part of the Portuguese Community. On her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, reading, and hiking, she is currently working on her own cookbook. On her weekends off she spends time at her family’s cottage with her nieces and nephews.

 

Agna Subbaiah, Homeinstead's Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator, holds a postgraduate degree in HR Management. With three years of HR experience, Agna's expertise lies in employee onboarding, talent acquisition, and vendor management. Her dedication to finding compassionate CAREGivers who share Homeinstead's commitment to senior care is unwavering. Agna brings a proactive approach and strong multitasking skills to her role, making her a vital asset in building a compassionate caregiving team. Her genuine and caring nature aligns perfectly with Homeinstead's mission, ensuring that clients receive not just excellent but quality care. Agna is passionate about helping family caregivers by addressing their service inquiries, providing service options, and valuable resources. Her commitment to enhancing the lives of seniors and their families is at the core of her work at Homeinstead.

Jess is a dedicated and optimistic person who always express gratitude about little things. A graduate of Centennial College, holding a post-secondary degree that reflects his commitment to education and personal growth. A passionate basketball player who finds joy and inspiration on the court, embodying qualities such as teamwork, discipline, and a competitive spirit. What sets Jess apart is his profound respect for elders and the wisdom he carries. He firmly believes that listening to the elderly imparts invaluable life lessons and experiences. This respect has been instilled in him since childhood, as Jess fondly recalls the tradition of holding his grandparents' hands and placing them to their foreheads as a loving gesture of respect. Jess was excited to join in Home Instead as he has experience in ISO certification and has a decade of experience in customer service and administration. He has an adventurous spirit who nurtures a deep appreciation for travel and culinary exploration.

I am an experienced and dedicated professional who has spent years working in the healthcare industry. Armed with a degree in psychology conferred by Wilfrid Laurier University, I have honed my skills in working with seniors, providing them with the care and support they need to live a happy and healthy lives. Throughout my professional journey, I have developed a deep understanding of the unique challenges that seniors face, from physical health issues to emotional and mental health needs. As a compassionate and skilled professional, I strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the seniors I serve. I am passionate about helping them achieve their goals, promoting healthy and fulfilling lives, and ensuring that they receive the care and attention they deserve. With a focus on empathy, understanding, and expertise, I am dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of seniors everywhere.

Zac connects community partners with home care resources, so that they can assist families find solutions to their unique challenges. He is focused on helping seniors live active lives as independently as possible. Zac is routinely “out and about” in the community, conducting in-service presentations and sharing Home Instead's public education programs (i.e. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and palliative care). In his spare time, Zac enjoys an active lifestyle which includes working out, playing tennis or doing anything outdoors.

Jerry is an enthusiastic brand champion and after researching Home Instead felt an instant connection to their guiding principles of building trust, taking the lead, and sharing your heart. Jerry is an experienced operations leader with a demonstrated history of success building great teams and growing businesses. Jerry has spent the last 20+ years in operations growing his passion for service excellence and uses his positively outrageous service to delight and astound clients. Jerry specializes in building strong supportive teams while coaching a people first culture across the organization to ensure we are making a difference in people’s lives daily. Jerry is always looking for ways to grow his skillsets and can often be found engaging in conversations with co workers and industry professionals while stepping outside his comfort zone to try something new. Jerry married his high school sweetheart, and they are now parents to 3 amazing children. Jerry spends as much time outdoors with his family as he can swimming, hiking, playing sports and enjoying nature.

Geeve has had a lengthy career in the hospitality industry working with several national brands, occupying various roles including General Manager, Regional Manager and Executive Director of Operations. As an entrepreneur, he has owned and operated several independent pubs and restaurants throughout Southwestern Ontario. Geeve has a passion for growing businesses and understands that for successful business growth managers must grow their people first. Accordingly, Geeve has spent his career building teams and relationships, by engaging with all levels of an organization to achieve success together and works hard to be a servant leader. Geeve is excited to work at Home Instead, to give back to the community and supporting you and your aging loved ones. He is married to a Registered Nurse and he and his wife have two beautiful children along with a rambunctious chocolate lab named Portia. He has a passion for cooking, as the kitchen in his home is where you will find him most of the time making an Asian inspired meal, or just baking some delicious butter tarts! Geeve is an avid runner and has competed in several marathons along with many other races across Ontario.

Dan connects community partners with home care resources, so that they can assist families find solutions to their unique challenges. He is focused on helping seniors live active lives as independently as possible. Dan is routinely “out and about” in the community, conducting in-service presentations and sharing Home Instead's public education programs (i.e. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and palliative care). Additionally, Dan plays an active role in supporting non for profits, including Be a Santa to a Senior, Give Tuesday and Give 65. In his spare time, Dan enjoys a good game of golf.

Farhiyo is Home Instead’s Business Development Associate. She comes from a very strong background in Health Care, completing a bachelor’s degree in in Health Studies at York University with a certificate in Health Informatics. Farhiyo has a passion for the Health Care Industry, and along with being a genuine and caring person, which will be strengths that will make a positive impact to the clients we serve. Farhiyo loves helping others, listening to their concerns and is very passionate about providing not only excellent but quality care to clients and spreading awareness.  She is excited to help family caregivers by addressing their service inquiries and providing service options and resources.  Farhiyo will also be the point person for all items related to Facebook and Instagram and will work with each office to manage their Local Pages.

Rosie has an extensive background in customer service. She previously worked as a manager in the hospitality industry an it was there that she first learned how to build valuable lasting relationships. Rosie wanted to apply her skills to a field where she could make a bigger difference and help others in her community. She began her journey with Home Instead, as a Service Coordinator and in this role she built strong ties to clients and CAREGivers. Because of her success in that role and because opportunity met with skill and training, she was promoted to Recruitment Coordinator and years later she was earned her current role as Recruitment & Retention Specialist. Rosie earned her diploma in Human Resources from Sheridan college, so she will bring both experience and education to this role and continue to build on our roster of exceptional CAREGivers. She will focus on CAREGivers that build trust, take the lead and who share their heart.

​As the Enterprise Administration Manager, Ramona recognizes the importance and value of providing high-quality services to our CAREGivers, our office employees and our clients. Her extensive experience as office manager and her background in accounting are serving her in managing the payroll, accounting, client invoicing and all other day to day office challenges here at Home Instead. Ramona loves multi-tasking and helping people. She is very excited to be part of the Home Instead team because she gets to do what she loves. In her spare time, Ramona likes to get outside and spend time with her family.

​"I am a greater believer in luck, and I find that the harder I work the more I have of it" is a quote by Thomas Jeffreson that Ray identifies with and which inspires him. Ray finished his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in the Philippines and has since had extensive experience in accounts payable and accounts receivable. He furthered his skills by successfully completing courses in accounting and payroll administration. During those years, he worked for various companies providing accounting services. He also developed strong interpersonal skills and an natural ability to build strong and lasting relationships. Ray knows his talents are the right fit with Home Instead, and in his own unique way, will support the business and provide service excellence.

Erika recently completed her Business Administration – Accounting degree at Brock University. The opportunity to join Home Instead was the perfect next step. She connected with our mission to provide personal care to seniors. She has always enjoyed helping her grandparents with whatever they need and spending time with them, whether that be talking with them over a meal/coffee or playing cards. Providing great customer service has always been important to Erika, as she has always looked for ways to help others in all her past personal and professional experiences. She looks forward to continuing to provide great customer service through her role at Home Instead.  In her spare time, Erika likes to knit and sew, crafts which she picked up from her grandmothers.

 

Erin has joined Home Instead as Manager of Quality & Standards after a lengthy career in the Food Service industry. For over 20 years Erin has had many roles such as lead trainer for Canada opening up new franchisee restaurants, to working within the Franchisee head office in various roles, to finally owning 2 franchise’s along with her husband. She also started a separate food and beverage catering company working with private clubs for the past 11 years. During the course of time, Erin was honoured to be involved with numerous charities such as Heart and Stroke Foundation, Relay for Life, MS Society, and the Canadian Breast Cancer Run for the Cure. Erin is very excited to join Home Instead as her passion for Seniors started from a young age, by volunteering at a retirement home doing odd jobs for those who needed help. But quickly discovered the Seniors wanted more of companion. Erin was extremely fortunate to grow up having both sets of grandparents very active in her life with weekly visits, As she grew older, she started to see their health challenges take over which caused her to be even more involved in their lives. Erin is excited to complete the full circle working with such an amazing organization helping Senior’s continue to live their best life.