SYNERGY HomeCare is pleased to announce our new Caregiver of the Month, Danya Colon-Gomes. I had an opportunity to interview Danya and learn more about her as a caregiver. Danya has been a caregiver for twelve years. She started working with her great grandma who needed care and really liked being there for her and wanted to continue doing this type of work professionally.

Danya enjoys helping people who cannot help themselves. With one client, in particular who has trouble walking, Danya helps her by doing a stand-by assist and the client is so appreciative and always says thank you. On a typical day, Danya helps her clients with breakfast, showering, medication reminders and cleaning house. She enjoys tidying the client’s homes and keeping it organized because this is something they aren’t able to do on their own. 

Being a caregiver is not an easy job. It is very hard when the client has to go to the hospital, or gets very ill or passes away. Like many caregivers, Danya gets attached to her clients and is working on having such instances not take such an emotional toll on her. 

When asked what Danya enjoys most about working at SYNERGY, she says that she has the flexibility to pick her own schedule and she can choose which clients she wants to work with. 

With one 94 year old client, “Claire-Bear,” Danya shares how they would dance together to all types of music. “Claire-Bear” walks on her own and though she has moved on to a nursing home, these are the moments that are special to Danya. These are the moments that motivate her to do well everyday and why she is our Caregiver of the Month. 

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This letter is to announce a new beginning at SYNERGY HomeCare in Westwood.  Peter and Shannon Sakellariou are ending their time with the agency to attend to some family needs, and they thank you from the bottom of their hearts that you continue to work with SYNERGY to collaborate and provide high-quality care to our clients. We are deeply grateful for your partnership and referrals.

The exciting news is that SYNERGY HomeCare of Westwood will continue to provide excellent services to our current clients and to grow under the new ownership of Uma Das Munshi, effective September 20, 2022.  Uma has an extensive background working with homecare, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.  She will be joined by her colleague Joan Sirois, who will manage the daily operations and coordinate with our current office staff Marcy and Violane for marketing, recruitment of caregivers and scheduling of services.

Peter and Shannon will be actively assisting Uma and Joan for 60 days of transition, as they begin their management of this agency, and Director of Sales & Marketing, Marcy Leiman, will introduce Uma to you in person at upcoming meetings. Uma and Joan look forward to working collaboratively with you!

Please feel free to call or email if you have any questions.
Warm regards,
Peter and Shannon Sakellariou
SYNERGY Franchise Owners
May 2016 – Sept 2022

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We are so excited to announce that Cindy Lauture Jean Jacques is our new Caregiver of the Month.  Cindy has been a caregiver for close to seven years. She originally got into the field to become a nurse and obtaining her CNA license was the first step. This allowed her to learn English and begin providing home care. She really enjoys working with the clients and being a companion. She loves helping people and she finds that it’s easy to get along with her clients.  Two elderly sisters who were clients called her Little Sister, making her part of their family. 

It can sometimes be difficult when unexpected things arise and she needs to manage it all. She says that she does the best she can and puts her client’s safety and comfort first. Typically, she helps her clients with their activities of daily living and makes sure that they are comfortable throughout the day. 

Cindy really enjoys working at SYNERGY and feels that every employee is taken care of. She says that she is informed ahead of time about the client and after every first shift, the office checks in to see if things are working out or if any changes need to be made.  

If someone wants to become a caregiver, Cindy says it’s really important to love people and get along with people. She has had many good moments with her clients, but one in particular didn’t even feel like work. She cared for one woman after a surgery and she really enjoyed her time with this woman. She was a companion for the client and helped her walk and get dressed. It was a very relaxing environment and it almost felt like she was “on vacation” because she enjoyed her time so much. 

We are so lucky to have Cindy as a part of our care team. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor!

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Marie Damite Prospere has been a caregiver with SYNERGY HomeCare of Greater Boston longer than any of our other employees — for more than 6 years! She joined our agency in 2016 and has been in the home care field for ten years. She decided to become a caregiver because she loves  to provide care for people, especially the elderly. She considers them like her parents or grandparents. She believes that since “they used to take care of us, it’s time we take care of them.”

Marie enjoys talking with her clients. There are rarely any challenges because she’s been doing this job for so long and knows how to approach them. If something is too big to handle, she seeks advice from the office staff. She tries to do her best every day with her clients and enjoys the conversations she has with them. It’s important that she gives them choices and when they are happy, she is happy. 

She enjoys working at SYNERGY and especially likes the management team. They are very responsive and are an inspiration to her. If she ever decides to open her own agency, she will model her management skills after them, as they treat the caregivers well and their leadership skills are superb and rare. 

If someone wants to become a caregiver, Marie advises that nothing is easy with this job. “Do what you have to do with your heart and see the clients first before the money.” It’s important to treat clients the way you want other people to treat your parents or family members. Each time she visits a client, it is a special and unique experience because Marie cares for them deeply. 

We are so blessed to have Marie Damite Prospere on our care team!  It is her heart and enthusiasm that inspire other caregivers and that make our clients feel so comfortable and loved. It is a privilege to have her on our staff. Thank you for all that you do, Marie!

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We are so excited to announce Islyn Sprott as our new Caregiver of the Month. Islyn has been a caregiver with SYNERGY since 2019. She met Peter Sakellariou (the owner) while she was working privately with a man in Boston doing part-time caregiving. She liked the work and decided to go to school to get certified as a Home Health Aide. 

Islyn loves her job and tries to go above and beyond her role with each client. She says that safety comes first. She has learned a lot from working with SYNERGY and is up for any challenge that may come her way. She stays focused, mindful and humble, and that allows her to conquer any difficulties. 

When Islyn arrives at her current client’s home, she gets breakfast ready and helps with her shower. They have a good routine going and Islyn makes sure her client stays hydrated and eats well. Around 3:00 pm, they sit together and enjoy some companionship. Islyn checks on the laundry and makes sure her client is comfortable with the way she does any task.

Islyn recommends working at SYNERGY and says that the management is great. They have always been able to work well together and she’s proud to represent the agency as a lead caregiver. If someone wants to become a caregiver, Islyn advises that it’s important to love what you do. “Your heart and mind have to be in the right place.”

Islyn remembers one client, in particular, who called her Isabella and always requested her. She said that she was beautiful. They had a special bond and Islyn said she was her light. With each client, she tries her best to make them comfortable and to laugh. It is clear that Islyn’s heart is in the right place and she is so deserving of this honor. Congratulations!

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We are so excited to announce Islyn Sprott as our new Caregiver of the Month. Islyn has been a caregiver with SYNERGY since 2019. She met Peter Sakellariou (the owner) while she was working privately with a man in Boston doing part-time caregiving. She liked the work and decided to go to school to get certified as a Home Health Aide. 

Islyn loves her job and tries to go above and beyond her role with each client. She says that safety comes first. She has learned a lot from working with SYNERGY and is up for any challenge that may come her way. She stays focused, mindful and humble, and that allows her to conquer any difficulties. 

When Islyn arrives at her current client’s home, she gets breakfast ready and helps with her shower. They have a good routine going and Islyn makes sure her client stays hydrated and eats well. Around 3:00 pm, they sit together and enjoy some companionship. Islyn checks on the laundry and makes sure her client is comfortable with the way she does any task.

Islyn recommends working at SYNERGY and says that the management is great. They have always been able to work well together and she’s proud to represent the agency as a lead caregiver. If someone wants to become a caregiver, Islyn advises that it’s important to love what you do. “Your heart and mind have to be in the right place.”

Islyn remembers one client, in particular, who called her Isabella and always requested her. She said that she was beautiful. They had a special bond and Islyn said she was her light. With each client, she tries her best to make them comfortable and to laugh. It is clear that Islyn’s heart is in the right place and she is so deserving of this honor. Congratulations!

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I had an opportunity to interview SYNERGY HomeCare owners, Peter and Shannon Sakellariou, to learn more about how they got into home care and their journeys caring for seniors. They shared both the joys and challenges working in the industry and their visions for the future.

      1. How long have you been working in the elder care industry?

Peter started working with seniors 9 years ago when he served as a hospice chaplain. He visited with clients in their homes or at facilities, listening to their concerns and offering support. 

      2. Why did you decide to start SYNERGY HomeCare in Greater Boston?

Through his hospice chaplaincy experience, Peter saw up close the environments in which seniors were living their final days.  He saw how difficult it was for some and how much more comfortable they’d be in their homes.  As a chaplain, he also didn’t have much time with each client.  The idea of home care was inspiring: to provide services that helped people stay in their homes–or get one-on-one attention wherever they lived–and to be a resource for all different needs.   We have gotten to know our clients’ histories, their families, and how to make their lives more comfortable and secure. And Peter has been on hand many times with his hospice experience to provide that support to Synergy clients.  

     3. What motivates you to work on behalf of seniors?  

Shannon has been a teacher for more than 20 years, so she’s a real people person.  She enjoys getting to know each client, as well as the caregiver team.  It’s so satisfying to see the sense of relief and peace of mind on a client’s face when they start services.  They know that they have a whole team of people who are working for their well-being.  Both Peter and Shannon have received so much joy getting to know clients, and it’s meaningful to them to know that their efforts truly make a difference in their lives. 

     4. What are the most challenging aspects of your job?

The hardest part is when we have to say we can’t meet needs.  Sometimes we aren’t able to match a client with a caregiver for specific hours, as hard as we try to constantly expand our caregiver team.  Also, we are a non-medical care agency, and sometimes we aren’t able to provide the skilled nursing services that a client needs.

     5. Where would you like the business to be in the next 10 years?

We are pleased that Synergy’s reputation has really grown and we get calls all the time saying, “I’ve heard about you.  Someone recommended you to me.”   Our goal is that we can continue to grow our business so that we can always say yes to clients who need our services.  This means expanding our caregiver team and providing them with more training opportunities and other incentives to build their job satisfaction, as well as increase our community outreach.  

    6. How have your previous work experiences prepared you for your current position?

In addition to Peter’s hospice experience and Shannon’s (and Peter’s) teaching experience, we both care deeply about service to others.  We met in Albania where we both were working with the Orthodox Christian Church there to teach and to organize and lead youth activities, as well serve the community in other ways.  For us, home care is an extension of this service in a new way. 

     7. What does success look like for SYNERGY?

Success for SYNERGY is happy clients, happy caregivers, and happy office staff. The word “synergy” means working together, and we really see that the whole team is important to provide care that satisfies the clients.  

To learn more about SYNERGY HomeCare, give us a call at 781-762-1114.

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We are thrilled to announce that Judith Mbabazi has been nominated as the 2021 Caregiver of the Year by SYNERGY HomeCare of Greater Boston. Judith Mbabazi is an extremely valued caregiver for our clients. Every client that she has worked with has loved her. She always makes sure that her clients feel safe and cared for and goes above and beyond for our agency including covering for other caregivers during snowstorms and staying as a live-in caregiver for 7 consecutive weeks while another caregiver was out on a medical leave (that is 7 weeks of not being with her own family)! She is committed to her role and enjoys keeping her clients comfortable and making life easier for them.

Judith knows that she has earned her client’s trust and that makes it easier to communicate with the family members. She is also very communicative with the office staff and updates us regularly on her client’s well-being. Judith earned our internal Caregiver of the Month award in Jan. 2022. During that time, she shared with us that it’s vital that her clients know that when they wake up, she will be there. It doesn’t matter if it’s day or night, she will be there when they open their eyes. This is trust and being there for the client. She laughs with her clients and enjoys their stories. During a recent Quality Assurance Visit, photos were taken of Judith with her client, and she made sure that the client’s hair was nicely groomed and that she was clean and presentable. Finally, Judith is dedicated to her profession. She participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s after working an overnight shift with a client and brought her family members with her for the Walk as the Alzheimer’s Association is a meaningful organization to her and her clients. Judith is a compassionate and professional caregiver and is very deserving of the Caregiver of the Year award. Way to go, Judith!

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SYNERGY HomeCare of Greater Boston is pleased to announce our new caregiver of the month – Gladys Koranteng. Gladys has been a dedicated caregiver for fifteen years and has been with the agency since 2019. Prior to this career, Gladys was a social worker working with people who had behaviorial issues. Once she had kids, she wanted a job that allowed for more flexibility, so she made the change into caregiving. 

Gladys enjoys the opportunity to work one-on-one with clients. She likes it when the client appreciates what she does and when she knows that she’s doing the right thing for the client. At times, it can be a challenge when the family wants her to do things in a different way, but she tries the best she can to keep everyone pleased. 

A typical day involves Gladys going into the client’s home early and helping the client with eating breakfast. She then chats with the client, gives him/her the medications and when the client is ready, she helps with toileting. She washes, cleans and changes the clients clothes and helps get ready for bed. She likes to give the client choices when it comes to picking out pajamas. It helps the client feel in charge. 

Gladys really enjoys working at SYNERGY and feels that the owners, Peter and Shannon, are really good listeners. They put her first and care about her. Through tears she said she “is treated like family.”

If someone wants to become a caregiver, Gladys advises that the person follow the rules of the agency. If they have questions, it’s best to ask the office directly. Everything should go through the agency. 

Gladys has had many special moments with clients. She shared that she enjoys when the clients get excited to share their stories. Even if she’s heard them 20 times, it gives them pleasure to tell the stories over and over. She especially likes it when her clients tell the stories of how they met their spouse. This brings them great joy. 

It is clear that Gladys Koranteng is dedicated to her role as a caregiver. She is loving and caring and puts her all into her career. We are so grateful to have her on our team and she is quite deserving of this terrific honor.

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SYNERGY HomeCare of Greater Boston is proud to announce that it has received both the 2022 Best of Home Care® – Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice Awards from Home Care Pulse for providing outstanding homecare service.

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