About Us
Ascension Health homes provide a warmhearted home environment for your loved one, and peace of mind for you. We know that in order to continue to accomplish this objective, a team of compassionate, reliable, honest individuals with serving hearts is necessary.
The entire team, from the owner to management and support staff, provide conscientious, supportive and insightful care. Why? Because we enjoy taking care of others and have a passion to assist adults and seniors that can no longer live independently. Read the Owner Operations Director and Manager I, Manager II, Manager III biographies to learn more about who we are, what each of us provide for our residents, why we are passionate about working with seniors and adults, as well as our specialties and life quotes.
Meet the Team
Laura Esese
Owner & Licensee
Laura's bio coming soon!
Amanda Kohalisky
Operations Director
I first discovered that I had a passion to work with Seniors and Adults when I was 13 years old. I spent a whole summer caring for an Adult with disabilities. That summer opened my eyes to a different understanding of people. I realized my passion that summer, to pursue a career that would allow me to make a difference in people’s lives. And that is why I love my job and going to work every day. I am able to use my strengths and ensure that we provide the best possible care to our residence and give support to the team. It warms my heart to see the sparkle in a residents eyes when something I have said or done makes a difference in their quality of life. Through my job, I have mastered valuable skills including problem solving, verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as patience and compassion.Our company is family owned and operated and very much involved in the day-to-day flow of the homes. My work family is amazing, and I find laughing and working daily toward reaching our goals a fulfilling experience.
I am detail oriented, a creative problem solver and good listener. Some of my strengths include finding resources for those we serve as well as our staff, using creative solutions to solve problems, and being an effective verbal and non-verbal communicator.
I’m a firm believer in my life quote. “People may forget what you said, people will forget what you did, But people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Author Maya Angelou
Education, Training and Certifications- Health and wellness
- Medications Admin
- Medication Types Uses and Effects
- Cultural Competence
- Standard Precaution
- HIPPA
- PCP
- Corporate Compliance
- Mandt (Day 1 and 2)
- Limited English Proficiency
- Role of Support Provider
- Emergency Preparedness
- Nutrition
- Certified in CPR and First Aid
- AED for Adults and Children
- Management
- Leadership
- Mentoring and Certified Caregiver
- Annual continuing education to re-certify in all areas
Natasha Whipple
House Lead I
I first discovered my passion to work with seniors and adults when I started to give care for my Grandma over 22 years ago. I started at a young age watching over her and doing activities with other residents at the Nursing Home where she lived. Family and friends noticed my enjoyment and made comments that I was born to give care to others. That experience started a life long passion to care for others.
In 2017 one of my friends suggested I start working for a great company called Ascension Health Homes. They were hiring and thought I would love the environment, the management and the resident that needed help. Since that time I have worked at Ascension Health as support staff. Recently, I was excited to accept a promotion to Team House Lead at Ascension Health III.
Everyday I work I find great satisfaction in bringing joy to the women I care for. I focus on lifting their spirits while helping them remain as independent as possible. I use creative problem solving skills when presented with opportunities to solve challenges. I also enjoy providing leadership to the support staff that works with me.
My life verse highlights my vision and approach to life
“Sometimes you have to fall before you fly.” – Kellin Quinn
- Education includes CPR/First Aid
- Mandt System ®-how to support people not just their behaviors
- Lakeshore Caregiver Training
Heidey Merryman
House Manager II
My name is Heidey Merryman, House Manager for Ascension Health II. I take care of five love-able ladies in my home. We call ourselves a family because we all live together and get along.
Even as a child, I have always had a passion for helping people. I grew up in an Adult Foster Care environment with my family and learned at a young age to respect your elders and treat people as you want to be treated. I also learned that if someone was having a “bad” day, it was great to have someone to listen and help make them feel better. As a teenager, I realized I happened to be good at making a bad day a good one for the people I interacted with. This increased my desire and interests to pursue healthcare. I started as resident aid, successfully became a certified nurse assistant and medical assistant. I worked in nursing homes, resident homes and St. Mary’s Hospital for many years.
As time passed, I realized my desire was to help people through a one-on-one basis in an adult home setting. It gives me a great sense of pride knowing that I do my best as a caregiver and friend. My ‘girls’ know I take good care of their needs and keep them safe. I use my strengths of being a quick thinker and problem solver to find resolutions to situations or emergencies. I am calm and always focus on safety first.
Life Quote
“Respect your elders, and treat people as you want to be treated.” – Heidey Merryman
Specialties- Hands on total care
- Managing a very clean and well organized home
- Strong scheduling abilities which give residents a secure and safe environment
- Special experience assisting residents with Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, and many mental illnesses and physical disabilities
- Over 30 years experience in adult foster care
- Health and wellness
- Medications Admin
- Medication Types Uses and Effects
- Cultural Competence
- Standard Precaution
- HIPPA
- PCP
- Corporate Compliance
- Mandt (Day 1 and 2)
- Limited English Proficiency
- Role of Support Provider
- Emergency Preparedness
- Nutrition
- Certified in CPR and First Aid
- Annual continuing education to re-certify in all areas
Jaci Georgiades
House Manager III
My name is Jacqueline Georgiades, Assistant Lead at Ascension Health III. I am a Certified Nurse Assistant and love taking care of people. I am a compassionate, loving, strong-willed, hard-working professional, and a mom of three boys. I grew up with many females in my life that did nursing as a profession. I now look at them as my heroes, including my Mom, the strongest and most caring women in the world.
I love my job as a Assistant Lead and like making a positive impact on people’s lives. I identify myself as a healer, trying to help everyone I possibly can. The most impactful part of what I do is seeing the smile on the faces of residents I care for at Ascension Health III. Their reactions also make me smile and brings joy inside my soul.
Favorite Quote: “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together” – Marilyn Monroe
Education and Specialties:
- CNA
- Diabetes, Elderly and dementia
- Certified Caregiver
Our Approach
Our first step in providing effective care is to learn about you and your loved ones needs and goals in order to provide long term quality of life and peace of mind. Once a resident is admitted, we communicate and work as a team with professionals and family members or supports to maintain the health and personal care of each person that lives in our homes. Our approach to provide comprehensive care includes:
- Creating individualized and comprehensive care plans to improve the quality of life
- Providing comfort, care and compassion in a residential setting
- Scheduling Live in staff to reduce risk of COVID infection from multiple staff coming and going
- Screening of visitors for COVID symptoms to protect the residents within the home
- Placing individuals in the home best suited to meet their needs.
- Offering a comfortable, active environment
Our Story
In 2010, a vision was born to provide exceptional comfort, care and compassion to those that cannot live independently. With the help of experts in the adult care field, our family owned business was created and grew from one home to three. Our intent was always and continues to focus on creating a warmhearted residential home environment for our residents in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We take care of and support you or your loved one by offering long-term comfort, care and compassion in a home-like setting. Our dedication to our philosophy has resulted in homes that are known throughout West Michigan as having the best in service available.
Next Steps…
Warmhearted home environment for your loved one. Peace of mind for you.
For more information, contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you and are happy to answer any questions you may have.
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