You get much more than an individual caregiver, you get an entire Care Management Team
Here are Right at Home Northwest we take a team approach to proving and supporting our clients and their families with the very best care 24-hrs a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. We do this by providing multiple layers of back up and supervision designed to ensure that all our clients have the care they need, when they need it.
Lori Kindlund - Care Manager
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Lori Kindlund - Care Manager Whatcom County
Lori joined Right at Home in November 2014, having previously worked as a Certified Nurse Assistant for more than 20 years. Lori rose up through the ranks, first as Caregiver, then Lead Caregiver, Field Supervisor, Assistant Care Manager, and is now a Care Manager. Lori loves serving her clients and supporting her caregivers and she prides herself in the quality of care provided. On her own initiative, Lori facilitates monthly grief support groups in our Bellingham office that are open to our clients and Care Associates. Lori lives in Bellingham with her husband, Max, and her two teenaged daughters, Alexia and Emeliah. Lori likes going for walks with Max and her two dogs, Baby and Lily, and likes ‘chill out’ with Netflix when possible.
Terri Jenkins - Care Manager
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Terri Jenkins - Care Manager Whidbey, Fidalgo and San Juan Islands
Terri has worked for Right at Home Northwest since August 2015. In 2011 she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services from Western Washington University. Terri completed her certification as a Home Care Aide in December 2017. Prior to working for Right at Home, Terri worked in the medical office field for 14 years. As a Care Manager for Right at Home, Terri supervises care associates, creates custom care plans for clients, and does marketing and outreach to promote Right at Home. Working with a variety of populations while doing medical office work, Terri realized the unique needs of elderly and disabled adults. This discovery inspired Terri to focus her attention to helping elderly and disabled adults. Terri has lived on Whidbey Island most of her life and continues to live in Oak Harbor with her granddaughter Marley. She is currently an Ambassador for the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce and is working towards becoming a Certified Senior Advisor.
Marisa Franco - Quality Assurance Coordinator
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Marisa Franco - Quality Assurance Coordinator
Marisa obtained her CNA license in 2002 then went on to earn an Associates Degree in Respiratory Therapy. She spent eight years working in the medical field including working as a CAN/HHA for a Hospice and Palliative Care providers before taking time to start her family. Marisa returned to the ‘non-family’ workforce in 2014 working in a Pharmacy Customer Care Center of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in Houston, TX. Marisa relocated to Bellingham and joined Right at Home in December 2017. As the Quality Assurance Coordinator for Right At Home Northwest, Marisa’s primary job is to manage the Staffing Coordinators and Schedulers to match the right Care Associate to the right client. She also works with the Care Managers to ensure quality care for our clients by making home visits and assisting with training our Caregivers. Marisa prides herself on providing the best care for our clients and brings all her years of experience and passion to the table.
Rob Kraus - Care Services Administrator
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Rob Kraus - Care Services Administrator
Rob joined our team in May 2015 as Care Services Administrator after finishing his degree at Health Sciences from Walla Walla University. Rob’s decision to pursue a career in the home care industry was largely influenced by his own experience of being a family caregiver. Coming from the experience of having caregivers in his home caring for multiple family members, Rob understands first-hand what it can be like to need some extra support. His experiences led him to understand that having reliable and trustworthy people looking out for his loved ones really helps to make a difference. Whether he is helping our clients and their families understand the services available to them, or managing their accounts or insurance needs, Rob’s goal is to make navigating the world of in home care as easy and seamless as possible. In his free time, Rob likes getting outdoors, bike riding, exploring with his dog, Oji, and chilling out during the summer months at Bellingham’s Downtown Sounds.
Alisa McHarness - Office Manager
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Alisa McHarness - Office Manager Bellingham
Alisa started with Right at Home this 2019 New Year as our Front Office Manager, making sure that supplies are always ready and available for our staff and working on projects that help the office run smoothly. Alisa has worked in nutrition sales and commercial insurance prior to being with Right at Home and enjoys the opportunity to work as part of a team and the variety of tasks and projects to work on. Alisa lives in Lynden with her daughter, Caiah, and a gold fish named Sammy Parchman. Alisa enjoys traditional lace making, archery, tabletop games, and spending time with her daughter having adventures.
Sonia Narwal - Human Resources
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Sonia Narwal - Human Resources Coordinator
Sonia was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. There, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management. After finishing school, she obtained a position at Canada’s largest department store as a Human Resources Administrator. In late 2016, Sonia got married and moved to Bellingham. She joined Right at Home Northwest in January 2017. As Human Resources Coordinator she is responsible for Care Associate recruitment, development, satisfaction, and retention. In her free time, Sonia enjoys outdoor activities, watching movies, and spending time with her family.
Heather Walton - Staffing Coordinator
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Heather Walton - Staffing Coordinator
Heather began her CNA career in 2008 when a friends dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. After providing in home care for 4 years, Heather took a break from the work force to be with her children. She joined the Right at Home team in April of 2015. She has worked as a Care Associate for the past 4 1/2 years while continuing her education in the field, until advancing into the position of Staffing Coordinator. She received the Gold Star Caregiver of the year award in 2017 and was nominated for National Care Giver of the year in 2019. She is passionate about providing the best care for each client. She is fun, energetic and comes with a positive mindset every day. Heather's goal is to provide every client with a smile and outstanding care. With her experience and by getting to know the clients and Care Associates she is able to provide the right match. In her spare time Heather enjoys spending time with her family and dog Roscoe! She likes spending time outdoors, geocaching and enjoying the town she grew up in.
Laurie Stewart - Care Manager
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Laurie Stewart -Care Manager
With over 12 years of experience, Laurie joined the team at Right At Home in the Fall of 2019. She began her career driven by her compassion for those in her care and her natural ability to connect with everyone she meets. Though her journey originated from in home caregiving, Laurie has mapped her experience by working in the many diverse settings of healthcare; including home health, skilled nursing and assisted living. From CNA to Home Health Liaison, Laurie is an established member in Whatcom County. And just as her journey started she has found her calling at Right At Home as a Care Manager, where she strives to best serve those in her care. In her downtime Laurie can be found volunteering for Dementia Northwest, time with her family and Olivia her havanese.
Sharon Morris - Owner/Care Services
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Sharon Morris - Owner & Care Services Director
Sharon is a former elementary school teacher with over 10 years teaching experience in international schools in Singapore. She holds a Masters degree in Education from George Mason University and Bachelors in Psychology degree from Regents College. Sharon and her husband, Steve, relocated to Bellingham, WA established Right at Home Northwest in 2012. Sharon is in charge of the quality of care and client satisfaction. Sharon actively serves in the local care community as a board member of the Elder Services Providers, Health Ministries Network, and Palliative Care Institute. She is a Certified Senior Advisor © and provides free workshops to help members of the public understand the importance of, and complete their Advance Care Directives. Sharon loves to quilt, garden, and going on long trail walks with her two dogs, Tashi and Bandit. She is recently new to grand mothering and is loving it!
Steve Morris - Owner/Agency Admin
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Steve Morris - Owner & Agency Administrator
Steve is a former corporate leadership coach and management consultant with over 35 years of management, marketing and service delivery experience. Steve set up his own leadership consultancy in Singapore in 1998. He sold the business in 2012 and relocated to Bellingham, WA in order to establish Right at Home in Northwest Washington. Steve holds a PhD in Integral Health, a Masters Degree in Economics, and a BA Degree in International Relations. As Agency Administrator, Steve’s primary role is to lead the agency in its continuous improvement while ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. Steve is an elected representative for Right at Home’s western region franchisees and serves on the Right at Home Franchise Advisory Council and Right at Home CEO’s Strategic Planning Group. Steve offers free talks and storytelling related to life, love and the pursuit of happiness. He helped establish Bellingham at Home, a non-profit community of volunteers that help and assist its members to age in place with dignity and grace. Steve loves to learn new things and has attained skills and certifications as a SCUBA instructor, private pilot, bareboat captain, catamaran captain, EFT practitioner, and as a Certified Senior Advisor©.
Multiple Team Roles to Support Continuous Provision of Quality Care
A Primary Care Manager is assigned to each client. Care Managers conducts the initial in home assessment and develop the initial Plan of Care. They serve as the primary contact between our clients, their care partners, and our agency. Care Managers are well known in the broader care community and can help identify additional support resources, if needed. Care Managers review the daily care logs of their clients’ caregivers, conduct home visits and supervisory visits. Care Managers monitor and verify reported Changes-in-Condition and inform a client’s care partners, as appropriate.
A Secondary Care Manager is assigned as a back up should the Primary Care Manager be unavailable for any reason.
On Call Care Managers are available by phone every night and on weekends and holidays. They are trained to handle emergency care situations and will alert the client’s Care Manager is a Change-in-Condition is reported.
Our Care Associates are professional caregivers and, as such, are trained and certified to provide non-medical care in the privacy of the client’s home. They are supervised by their local Care Managers.
Schedulers are assigned to each client and Care Associate and work under the Direction of the client’s Care Manager to find the right match between a client’s needs and preferences with the abilities and work preferences of our Care Associates. They are our Right matchmakers!
In addition to the Care staff dedicated to support each client, our Regional Operations and Management Team is there to support our clients, our care staff, and our care community. They are all cross-trained to support every care role, including direct care provision. All our staff undergoes a thorough background checks and are licensed and insured as required by Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (WA DSHS).