Alumni Update: Where are they now?
Name: Larissa Stepanians
Degree(s) Received: MSG, Certificate of Long Term-Care Administration '98
Job title: Geriatric Care Manager
Company: Huntington Home Care
Location (city and state): Pasadena, CA
Please briefly describe your position and your company:
I am the co-founder and Geriatric Care Manager for Huntington Home Care (HHC). HHC provides in-home assistance and services for elders in San Gabriel Valley, West LA and San Fernando Valley. We offer a holistic approach in our services, which include day to day activities like meal planning and preparation, grocery shopping, transportation and escort, medication oversight, light housekeeping, laundry and also bathing/dressing if needed. We are also capable of transfer and standby assistance, 24/7 and live-in care. Our business also offers an assortment of specialized services including range-of-motion exercises, Alzheimer’s care, and post-surgical and family respite care. Rehabilitation assistance and memory exercises are also available.
For more information on Huntington Home Care, please visit their website at www.huntingtonhomecare.com.
Why did you choose to study gerontology at the USC Davis School?
I completed my bachelor’s degree at USC and minored in gerontology. By the time I completed my B.A., I knew I wanted a master’s degree in gerontology. To say the Davis School is a like a family couldn’t be more true. I don’t think you get that with other departments on the USC campus.
How did you learn about your current position? Was it through an internship, a previous job, or a connection through USC?
The former dean, Dr. Ed Schneider, thanks to his access to Andrus Center Board Members, put me in contact with the owner of Country Villa Health Services, Diane Reissman. I started out as an administrator-in-training with Country Villa and then became a licensed nursing home administrator by passing the state and federal exams. I ran buildings with good quality care and good department health surveys. Soon I was promoted to senior administrator and then vice president of operations.
Please briefly describe how the USC Davis School’s curriculum helped prepare you for your current position.
It was important for me that I worked for the Davis School of Gerontology while I was studying here. I was able to gain guidance and knowledge in a professional setting, as well in the classroom setting. I would recommend that students work with professors as well as for the school.
What advice would you offer to a prospective student interested in studying gerontology at USC?
Get involved with volunteer work. Get involved with the professors. Get involved with the School. Get involved with the community. More than just the class work, get involved with what the School offers. Talk to the Andrus Volunteers, they are a rich resource for students to learn the issues of elders directly from the source.
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