The people behind our home care
PROPELLING LIVES FORWARD
If you’ve been searching for a home care agency for your care or your loved one’s care, then you know there is a sea of sameness in the dozens of home care choices, making it difficult to actually choose one. And we know that can be frustrating.
Gaye Aaberg, CEO
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Gaye Aaberg, CEOAs CEO of SYNERGY HomeCare of Central Illinois, Gaye Aaberg has dedicated her career to building one of the nation’s leading home care agencies—rooted in compassion, family, and experience.
Her journey began from a deeply personal place. In 2010, Gaye and her husband Jim found themselves caring for multiple loved ones: a terminally ill sister, four aging parents, an employee battling ALS, and a close friend who became paralyzed—all while raising two teenage boys. Through that season, she discovered the importance of balancing care with connection. “We realized we weren’t having relationships with our loved ones anymore,” Gaye recalls. “We had relationships with their illnesses.”
That realization inspired the creation of SYNERGY HomeCare of Central Illinois in 2013, built on the belief that families deserve help without sacrificing relationships. Under her leadership, the agency has grown to employ more than 400 caregivers and staff, serving communities across Central Illinois with a focus on independence, dignity, and human connection.
Today, Gaye continues to guide SYNERGY HomeCare with the same mission that started it all—to help people live fully, wherever they call home.
Grant Aaberg, President
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Grant had the unique opportunity to witness the impact Synergy has on those they care for from a young age. He knew he was passionate about making a difference and having a positive impact on people’s lives when deciding what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. That passion has grown even stronger during his time with Synergy, and in his spare time he volunteers as an assistant wrestling coach at Rochester High School. He considers himself fortunate to be able to share his passion with others and is looking forward to continuing his journey with Synergy HomeCare of Central Illinois.
Melana Reifsteck, Office Manager
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In 2021, Melana joined our Champaign staff. Five years have passed since Melana started working in long-term care. She discovered after working as a social worker that she loved helping people and had a passion for working with Alzheimer’s patients. Her objective is to carry on helping clients and working in a profession she enjoys.
James Byington, Client Care Supervisor
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James was born in 1983 in Indiana and grew up in Gas City, where he developed a strong work ethic from an early age—delivering newspapers and mowing lawns by the time he was 10. An active youth, James participated in a variety of athletics, including baseball, basketball, cross country, track and field, and wrestling.
He pursued his education through Heartland College, Ivy Tech, and additional coursework at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). Alongside his academic and professional pursuits, James also cared for his father, mother, and grandmother during pivotal moments in their lives. These personal caregiving experiences helped shape his ability to empathize, provide support with compassion, and exercise the patience needed to assist individuals during vulnerable times. They also instilled in him a deep sense of responsibility, ethical integrity, and a lifelong commitment to helping others.
Ethan Neville, Client Care Supervisor
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Ethan is originally from Sullivan, Illinois, where he spent most of his life growing up. He is a proud father to his three-year-old son, Colter, who is the joy of his life. Ethan is also a veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard, where he served for eight years, including a deployment to Ukraine in 2020–2021 during heightened tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
Between his years of military service, Ethan worked in several industries—from directional boring and roofing to agriculture—but always felt called to healthcare. He joined SYNERGY HomeCare as a caregiver and, after a few months of working closely with clients, was promoted to the administrative team and then to Client Care Supervisor. Ethan is grateful for his time at SYNERGY and is excited to continue growing with the company while helping clients receive the care and respect they deserve.
Aisha Terry, Client Care Supervisor
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Aisha brings extensive healthcare experience to her role, having worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant for more than six years. During that time, she gained both hands-on patient care expertise and valuable managerial experience, preparing her for success as a Client Care Supervisor.
Outside of work, Aisha is a devoted wife and mother of three young children. As the oldest of six siblings, she learned the importance of responsibility, leadership, and compassion early on—qualities that continue to guide her work today. Her passion for serving others and supporting families drives her commitment to ensuring that every client receives care with dignity, empathy, and excellence.
Michelle Barclay, Client Care Supervisor
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Michelle has been serving as a Client Care Supervisor in the Champaign office, where she has already made a meaningful impact on both clients and caregivers. Her connection to SYNERGY began on a personal level when her own parents needed home care. The outstanding quality of care and communication she experienced inspired her to join the organization herself.
With a compassionate heart and strong sense of empathy, Michelle treats every client the way she would want her own parents to be cared for. She lives in Urbana with her spouse and their two cats and volunteers with several community organizations, including The Special Olympics, The Star Light Foundation, and Toys for Tots. Outside of work, Michelle enjoys traveling, camping, walking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Kam Pollett, VP Business Development
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Kam, Vice President, has been with SYNERGY HomeCare of Central IL since 2017. She is very passionate about homecare and the roles caregivers play in the lives of clients. Her mother received homecare services for 24 years and because of her wonderful caregivers, she was able to remain in her home and have a fantastic quality of life. Kam and her husband live in Normal and stay busy with their two children.
Amy Gould, VP Technical Operations
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Amy was raised in Island Lake, Illinois. While she attended Eastern Illinois University, she began her career as a Direct Support Professional. Her experience caring for her grandparents taught her that her passion was caring for others, particularly the elderly. She began working as a caregiver for Synergy in 2014. Since 2017, she has served as Client Care Supervisor, Office Manager, Assistant Director of Operations, and now Director of Operations, with the goal of expanding our current territories and assisting as many people as possible.
T.J. Aaberg, Operations Manager
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Born, raised and lived his entire life in Bloomington. From growing up and assisting grandparents to siblings with disabilities, helping anybody and everybody has just been naturally instilled into who TJ is. TJ joined SYNERGY in 2020 and enjoys working with clients and their families to come up with unique care solutions.
Shelby Webber, VP Human Resources
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Shelby was born and raised in Hudson, Illinois. She received her CNA certification in 2010 and began working with SYNERGY in 2016. Shelby joined Synergy HomeCare as an on-call manager and is currently the director of HR. She enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors. She resides outside of Bloomington with her husband and nine-year-old son.
MJ Wilson, VP Accounts
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MJ, who resides in Bloomington and has a spouse and two sons, was approached about working as an Account Assistant in the Synergy administrative office after spending 30 years working for the IRS. She was all too familiar with caring for elderly/ill loved ones because she lost her mother to cancer when she was 17, her father to COPD when she was 22, and her mother-in-law to dementia in 2014. Before taking the position as an accounts manager, MJ spent two years as an account assistant. She recently received a promotion to Director of Accounts, and she is looking forward to starting a new chapter while working for such a compassionate organization. Synergy HomeCare is the ideal fit.
Jenn Ziemer, Director of Accounts
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In June 2021, Jenn began working with our company as a caregiver. Later that year, she made a swift transition to the accounting division and is currently our Manager of Accounts. Before joining Synergy, she worked with the elderly population at a nearby nursing facility. Living in Normal, Jenn and her husband accompany their daughter while she plays volleyball.
Kaitlyn Stuart, Manager of Accounts
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Kaitlyn was born and raised in Bloomington as one of 12 siblings. Her passion for caregiving began early, caring for her younger brother with autism and later helping support her grandmother during the final years of her life. She graduated from Bloomington High School in 2021 and earned her CNA license through the school’s BACC program during her senior year.
Kaitlyn’s commitment to serving others extended into volunteer work at school carnivals and her first job at Habitat for Humanity ReStore. In July 2023, with guidance from MJ, she joined SYNERGY HomeCare—continuing her mission to make a positive impact in the community. Outside of work, Kaitlyn enjoys playing tennis, painting, and spending time with her long-term boyfriend and their two cats.
Elizabeth Sullard, Regional Community Liason
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Liz is a nurse, and she is passionate about assisting others with their medical needs. Since she started working in home care in 2014, she has taken great delight in seeing people she cares about live happily and age in place. Liz has served on the boards of the Young Professionals of Champaign Urbana, The Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Committee on Aging, Senior Task Force, and the Executive Club of Champaign County. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the community and seniors. Along with 40 Under 40, The Outstanding Young Professional, and Athena Young Professional awards, she has also had the distinction of receiving them.
Awards and Recognitions
SYNERGY HomeCare of Central Illinois was founded on compassion and family values, built from personal experience caring for loved ones who needed support to stay independent at home. What began as a small agency with a simple mission—to help families focus on relationships, not responsibilities—has grown into the largest SYNERGY HomeCare franchise in the United States.
Over the years, our commitment to quality and connection has earned national recognition and community trust.
We are proud to be Best of Home Care – Provider of Choice recipients, a Home Care Pulse Preferred Provider for 2023, 2024, and 2025, and the Founders Cup Winners for both 2022 and 2023—honors that reflect our team’s dedication to excellence, compassion, and meaningful care.
Our offices in Bloomington, Champaign, Decatur, and Springfield employ more than 400 caregivers and administrative staff, serving clients wherever they call home. We are also proud to serve those who have served our country—In Service with the VA as contracted providers—and recognized as a Care Scout Preferred Provider for our continued focus on client satisfaction and integrity in care delivery.
SYNERGY HomeCare of Central Illinois has also been recognized by our local communities as Reader’s Choice Winners and Best of Home Care award recipients, further affirming our mission to provide trusted, relationship-based care across Central Illinois.
Active members of:
Bloomington-Normal Chamber of Commerce – https://www.bnchamber.org
Champaign County Chamber of Commerce – https://www.champaigncounty.org
Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce – https://www.decaturchamber.com
Home Care Association of America – https://www.hcaoa.org
Illinois Continuity of Care Association – https://www.il-coc.org
Lincolnland Home Care Association – https://www.lincolnlandhca.org
Springfield Chamber of Commerce – https://www.gscc.org
VA Community Care Network (In Service with the VA) – https://www.va.gov/communitycare
Our promise to you: care that moves you
Life is in constant motion. From the time we smile our first smile, ride our first bike, find our first home or embrace our first grandchild, it just keeps moving. And a moving life is a full one. But sometimes, life can take a turn that slows us down, or even stops us in our tracks. That’s where SYNERGY HomeCare comes in. To keep the basic needs of your life effortlessly moving forward. So you can focus on what moves you and get the most out of every day.
We guide with purpose
We take a strong lead with a kind hand in what can be a stressful, uncertain time in your life. By charting an assured course and making certain that you and your family members understand what’s happening, we can keep you comfortable every step of the way.
Great care comes from confidence, and confidence is contagious. We know what we’re doing and we’re always striving to do it better. One of the things we do best is relate to people on a personal level. And when you do something well, it breeds confidence. In you, and everyone around you. That’s why our clients, employees and franchise owners are so confident, too.
How we do it:
- We serve beyond the job description.
- We approach the job with a sense of adventure and purpose.
- We take ownership and responsibility over results.
- We quickly spot new opportunities for improvement and act on them.
We know individual people have individual needs
What we do:
We listen and ask questions. That’s the best way to learn how to impact an individual’s life. That’s how we do it. And that’s why we are recognized as an organization that shows an unwavering commitment to understanding people’s needs and providing the care option that best adapts to those needs. This is how we keep you and your life moving forward by being intuitively personal.
How we do it:
- We approach every encounter with compassion, personality and positive energy.
- We inspire others through words.
- We are curious. We ask questions and listen to what’s unspoken.
- We help you set goals. We make you feel as though we are walking with you on your care journey.
Life moves in one direction – forward. No matter your circumstances, SYNERGY HomeCare steps in with effective, comforting, life-affirming care that moves people emotionally and physically forward, from personal assistance and companionship to live-in and even family caregiver respite. We provide full support for fuller lives. Ultimately, we create a feeling of forward momentum, not just in lives but also in the home care industry.
Whether you’re a high-octane octogenarian who just needs a hand, someone confined to bed who needs a little more help, or a person dealing with lifelong disabilities who needs someone to walk beside them on their journey, we’re here to care with whole hearts and open arms.
We know you have questions. And we have answers. When the time is right for you, we would be honored to speak with you. We listen!
