Ensuring quality care for those in need has been part of Tom’s job for nearly 18 years. As the owner of Home Helpers Tom has helped to build a brand that people throughout Chicago’s Northwest suburbs trust with the health of their loved ones. Tom always puts quality of care first and foremost for those who wish to age at home. Tom is committed to delivering the quality of care for which Home Helpers is known while expanding that service to serve more people and their families.

Founded in 2008 by Tom and Lisa Merlin of Des Plaines, Home Helpers grew into one of the most successful and highly respected home care agencies in Illinois.

Tom has a passion for giving back to the community from being the board president for a local charity, the Center of Concern to offering his All God’s Creatures pet show over 70 times, to dozens of local senior facilities.

Tom and Lisa enjoy watching their children grow into adults with daughter Ashley being a teacher in Chicago and son Ryan heading off to Veterinary School.

Lisa met Tom on a sailboat in 1978 when she came down as part of a Sea Explore sailing event and Tom was one of the skippers.  They were married in 1985 and have two adult children and two Dogs Tucker and Phoebe and one Cat, Obie.  Lisa and Tom started Home Helpers in 2008 and have worked together building it up for over 17 years into one of the most respected agencies in the area.

Lisa helps with Marketing, Data Entry and Social Media for Home Helpers while working full time at the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

She shares Tom’s passion for helping those in need!

Maggie Hughes has been a member of the Home Helpers team since 2019, providing valuable behind-the-scenes support to Home Helpers.  She started out as a caregiver and her conscientiousness and attention to detail make her a perfect fit for this role. Maggie is a huge cat lover and a supporter of rescue shelters; she and her husband Pat have 4 rescue cats at home. She is also our assistant when we do our All God’s Creatures senior activity at Resident facilities.

Pulliam is a Certified Nurse Assistant and is one of the top Caregivers in this area. As Lead Caregiver, she helps get new clients started and handles on-call duties to support Caregivers who can’t make a shift. She also supports field training of Caregivers and Quality Check-in visits for clients. With nearly 20 years of Caregiver experience, she has seen it all and can do it all. Sharon truly enjoys helping people in need. “I try to be understanding, friendly and patient. I think of my clients as members of my own family and treat them with the same care and understanding I would offer my family.”

Tucker is the star of our All God’s Creatures senior resident activity.  He regularly starts the show and is happy to bring joy to everyone. With a raised paw or a welcome pat everyone enjoys a visit.

He regularly stops by to see both clients and residents at many of the local facilities.  Tucker goes out for hospice visits, to bring some happiness to both the patient facing life’s greatest challenge and to their families at a time of need.

Xavier joined the Home Helpers team in 2005. He works day to day with both clients and caregivers constantly striving to find the best caregiver for each of our clients.  He has worked in social services for over 20 years and is a former Marine which when combined makes for a tremendous asset to our office. With his client service focus.   Xavier is well equipped to handle any care management challenge that arises at Home Helpers.   Xavier has a passion for working with older adults. He is motivated “to assist seniors who wish to stay in their homes for as long as possible, ensuring their happiness and a good quality of life.”

Xavier is very family oriented and has been married 25 years with two adult daughters.