Meet Our Team

Rich Southard brings 25 years of management experience to Home Instead Senior Care. He chose to join the Home Instead team because he wants to develop the talent of CAREGivers to make a difference in seniors' lives. Working with clients and their families, he and the Home Instead Whittier team want to provide care consultations to ensure the best lives for our clients.

Rich earned his bachelor's in International Politics from Georgetown University. He then received his J.D. from Southern Methodist University and passed the bar exam in Texas. Rich offers experience leading sales, sales operations, finance and strategic planning efforts for a variety of companies from start-ups to Fortune 500s. He led efforts to develop cellular phone companies in several countries in Latin America, working in both Spanish and Portuguese, including two years as an expatriate in Venezuela.

Growing up, Rich spent a lot of time with his great-grandmother playing cards and Scrabble. A broken hip limited her mobility and meant that a family member always had to provide care for her. Soon after Rich graduated, his father suffered a stroke and Rich was able to return to Illinois to care for his dad through six months of occupational and physical therapy until he could live on his own. These experiences made him sensitive to how a senior's needs affect the whole family and not just the individual. When the opportunity with Home Instead Senior Care arose, Rich recognized that the values and guiding principals were those he shared and so he pursued the chance to lead this business that has been an important part of the Whittier-Santa Fe Springs-Norwalk communities for 15 years.

For years, as the office grew, Leslie answered almost all of the calls, solving problems for clients and Care Professionals alike. For her 17 years at Home Instead, Leslie has enjoyed “solving puzzles.” This attitude towards scheduling enables her to make great matches so consistently that it is said that she has a magic wand.

Phanny manages billing the clients and paying the Care Pros – two vital things to keep the business going. In her 17 years, she has developed an expertise in helping clients and their families to process insurance claims to pay for care. She readily and efficiently answers questions and keeps the office on track.

Marcela has been part of the team for two years. She works on scheduling so that all of the shifts are filled. Many of our families know Marcela as she calls to confirm details and to coordinate needs. We have trouble keeping Marcela in the office because so many clients appreciate her efforts and want her to come out and be their caregiver. She now provides such great client support that she manages the on-call duties half of the time.

The newest member of the team pitches in to provide care when needed. You will recognize her sunny disposition when you call the office. Her ability to organize us has provided a boost in productivity allowing us to better serve the Seniors of Whittier/Norwalk/La Mirada.