Meet Our Team

Right from an early age Amen enjoyed problem solving and this led to her interest in pursuing a specialization in Business and Economics. While completing her studies Amen first confronted the challenges of ageing, as her grandfather had a fall followed by deteriorating cognitive and physical health. This impacted Amen deeply and she took time-off from college to care for her ailing grandfather. She had cared for her grandfather for nearly a year by the time of his passing, and the experience left Amen with a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of others, especially the elderly.

Amen's work before Home Instead involved roles in a variety of industries including financial services in India, apparel designer in New York and business solutions in Singapore. Through this time, she remained true to her quest of helping others by volunteering with organizations such as the Red Cross and Rotary. In coming to Home Instead, Amen was elated at the opportunity to manage her own business operation which also matched her strong passion for service to the senior community.

At work, Amen’s focus is on running a smooth operation, with an emphasis on quality care for our clients and the effective management of our caregivers. In her free time, Amen likes gardening, hiking, listening to music and spending time with her family.

Harpreet spent his prior working years as a corporate professional, holding roles within the consulting and banking industries, in a career spanning nearly two decades. Starting out he earned a CPA degree, and worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a top multinational consulting firm. He then moved to the USA to pursue business management from an Ivy League university and embarked on a banking career over the next decade, with Citibank, a large global financial institution. During this time Harpreet lived and worked in some of the most cosmopolitan cities around the world including New York and Singapore.

Through those years though Harpreet felt the growing pull of a recurring sentiment – that his work needed to be more than just a means to a paycheck and that through his efforts he should benefit the lives of those he connected with. This strong desire to make a difference and contribute to his community was the driving force behind Harpreet’s decision of giving up a successful career and joining the Home Instead family.

Presently, Harpreet spends most of his time interacting with his clients, learning life lessons from them and participating in making their golden years more comfortable. Outside of work, Harpreet enjoys meditation, cooking, writing and reading. He lives in Burnaby, BC, with his wife Amen and two delightful children. ​

​After working nearly 20 years as a child care professional, Shelley faced the difficult circumstance of caring for her ailing mother. Before her mother’s demise, Shelley spent two years diligently caring for her as her primary caregiver and her passing left a deep impact on Shelley, ultimately changing the direction of her life. Shelley realized her true calling in caring for seniors in her community and joined the Home Instead Senior Care family as a caregiver in 2016.

Right from her very first client Shelley’s passion for senior care shone through and she was selected as the ‘Caregiver of the Year’ for the Home Instead Senior Care (Burnaby & South Vancouver) office for the year 2018. Considering Shelley’s organized work approach, mature thinking and her deep understanding of the nuances and challenges of offering high quality senior care services, she was appointed to the role of Office Manager in Jan 2019.

In her current role, Shelley’s manages the efficient administration of Home Instead’s Burnaby and South Vancouver office, with a focus on hiring, training, mentoring and staffing the next generation of high-quality caregivers.

Being part of an amazing team that carries the same passion for seniors as hers is what keeps Shelley motivated. While family is the most important aspect of Shelley’s life, compassion and caring for others comes in as a close second. In her spare time, Shelley likes to volunteer her time and energy towards organizing youth football as well as adult flag football events.

Being a people’s person, Cassandra found the company of seniors as something to look forward to right from an early age. Growing up, she never missed an opportunity to visit her grandparents, spending time and learning from them. This later led to a host of volunteer activities and creative initiatives at her church that Cassandra participated in to benefit seniors within her community (also since some seniors gave candy to young church members!).

After finishing secondary school, Cassandra received a diploma as a Health Care Assistant (‘HCA’) and worked as a Care Aid for nearly 6 years. During this time, Cassandra travelled overseas to Malaysia, Australia, USA, and India and worked as a caregiver with multiple clients.

The passion to transform her volunteer efforts working for seniors into a career is what attracted Cassandra when she joined Home Instead’s team in the Burnaby and South Vancouver office. Cassandra’s responsibilities include office administration, scheduling, hiring, training and supervising the team of caregivers.

In her leisure time, Cassandra really enjoys spending time with family and friends, and engaging in nature-based activities, such as hiking, biking, kayaking, and snow skiing.

The fundamental trait that Amen and Harpreet look for in their caregivers is the passion for caring. “Would I be happy with this person caring for my parents?” is the key assessment they make, when interacting with someone keen on joining the Home Instead Burnaby & South Vancouver family. While potential caregivers end up being variedly experienced it is the vibe of passion for caring, that eventually determines their selection.

Through diligent efforts Amen and Harpreet have put together an eclectic team of passionate, kind hearted and reliable caregivers. These wonderful individuals from all walks of life, with diverse cultural backgrounds, language capabilities and life experiences, are united in the singular cause of enhancing the lives of ageing adults in their community.