Meet The Team | Senior Helpers of Tri-Cities and SE Washington

Meet the Tri-Cities and SE Washington office

More than 90% of seniors want to be able to age in their own home with dignity but getting the right type of care can seem daunting. At Senior Helpers of Tri-Cities and SE Washington we believe that getting the best care for your loved ones should not be complicated. We recognize the growing need for in-home care services, and with our passion for helping others, we are committed to delivering the best possible care to seniors in the Richland community.

We take the opportunity to provide care in your home seriously and make it a priority to provide the highest level of client service possible. 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. You can feel confident that your loved one is in good hands with Senior Helpers.

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 accessible in-home care. This was the mission-driven spark that started Senior Helpers.

The first office opened in Baltimore, Maryland, 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 Tri-Cities and SE Washington was proud to join the system in 2021. Like every other owner, we too are fully-committed to the original goal of providing dependable and accessible 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 are lucky to serve hundreds of seniors in our community, and we are committed to continuing to provide uncompromising levels of care to all our families.

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 Richland Washington Team

Mandy McCollum

Owner

Mandy has worked in the healthcare system for over 16 years, starting as an in-home caregiver herself. After seeing families struggle to find quality care for their loved ones, Mandy searched to find a solution to provide better care. She wanted to create something that supports both the caregiver and the senior. She achieved her dream of becoming a Registered Nurse and has extended training in Functional Nutrition; Alzheimer’s/Dementia; Mental Health; and Chronic Disease Management, such as Chronic Heart Disease (CHF), COPD, Insulin Resistance, Pre-Diabetes, and Diabetes; Parkinson’s Disease; Health Coaching, specializing in Healthy Keto, and Intermittent fasting; Advance Care Directives; and Safety Home Evaluations through LIFE Profile.

Her goal is to give caregivers the tools they need to excel in the job that they love doing. This allows seniors to stay in their home safely while providing the family members the break that they deserve - they become the family again instead of the "caregiver."

"Senior Helpers provided the platform to create a new and unique opportunity that lined up with my ideas of how both groups, caregivers and seniors, should be treated."

Ami Valier

Office Manager and CNA

Ami is the Office Manager/CNA at Senior Helpers of Tri-Cities and SE Washington. She has been licensed as a CNA for a little over a year. In the four years prior, she worked as a private caregiver. Ami has wanted to be in the medical field since she was a child. Her dream career was to be a doctor one day. Although that might still happen, there are obstacles and setbacks in life that prolong dreams. Ami has never given up on her dreams, no matter the challenges.

Ami is currently working towards her Nursing degree and going through the process of applying to nursing programs. Ami has always been known as a caretaker and “The Mom” of the group since she was a child. She is drawn to helping people and doing what she can to assist when needed.

What first made Ami choose the HCA route was caring for her grandmother, who was suffering from numerous health problems and declining fast. When Ami was a freshman in high school, she saw how her grandmother lived day to day with hospice coming in to care for her. Unfortunately, the caregivers were not very attentive, which made her want to work in the senior care industry but do it better than anyone has ever experienced.

Ami worked in a skilled nursing facility for nine months before coming onboard with Senior Helpers, and she is very excited to grow with this company and experience the laughter and joy they will bring to every one of our seniors.

Denise Avery

Community Relations Coordinator

Denise has been involved with Senior care for 30+ years. Her passion for caring for Seniors was born at an early age. In addition to caring for family members, Denise has worked as both a private in-home caregiver and a live-in caregiver. Her passion for assisting seniors has grown over the years into a commitment to being a powerful advocate. She also serves as a valuable resource for the seniors in the community. In addition to caregiving, Denise has a background in social work, marketing and has training in Dementia Care. Her warm, outgoing personality makes her a natural fit for building relationships in the community with seniors, their families, and the business partners that support them.

Having been both a professional caregiver and family member caring for a loved one full time, Denise has firsthand experience of the difficulties faced by clients, family members, and caregivers. She can help navigate solutions with compassion, understanding, trust, and professionalism. Her commitment is to help seniors and their families find the best possible resources to meet their specific individual needs.

“My favorite part of working with seniors is the amazing stories they share about their lives and seeing the joy on their faces when you engage with them in a meaningful way that makes them feel loved and valued.”

Meet the Tri-Cities and SE Washington office

Our History

Our process

Meet the Richland Washington Team

Areas We Serve