The Arosa Blog
Faces of Arosa: Meet Derrick Manoly
A Care Specialist for Arosa Chicagoland
Some people find their way into senior care through a course they took, a job they stumbled into, or a moment of necessity. Derrick Manoly found his way in through a hallway. As a child growing up in the Chicago area, Derrick would visit his mother at work, a CNA at Saint Patrick’s Residence in Naperville, where she had built her career after immigrating to the United States from Haiti in the early 2000s. He’d bring her lunch, wander the community, and end up in conversation with the residents she cared for. His mother would introduce him, and Derrick would listen, really listen, as they shared their stories, their memories, and their lives. Those visits left an impression that never faded.
A Path That Kept Pointing in One Direction
Years later, during his senior year at Illinois State University, Derrick enrolled in a Gerontology elective on something of a whim. What he found was a field that mapped almost perfectly onto the experiences he’d carried with him since childhood. The course illuminated the many ways one could serve older adults — not just as a caregiver, but as an advocate, a coordinator, a connector. By the time he graduated, Derrick knew exactly where he wanted to go.
He joined Arosa shortly after, stepping into a role that would put every one of those instincts to work.
What a Care Specialist Actually Does
The title Care Specialist might sound straightforward, but the role is anything but simple. On any given day, Derrick is interviewing and evaluating prospective caregivers, coordinating staffing to make sure every client has consistent, reliable coverage, and fielding incoming calls from families, caregivers, and team members who need support. It is, as he describes it, a fast-paced environment, but one where the stakes feel meaningful at every turn.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to know everything we do contributes to keeping care running smoothly,” he says.
What makes Derrick particularly well-suited for this role is something that is difficult to teach: an ability to read a room, read a person, and understand early on whether a situation is going to work. He credits this instinct for helping him stay ahead of potential issues and make stronger decisions, not just for the organization, but for the people who depend on them.
Helping Families Through the Hard Moments
One of the most important parts of Derrick’s work happens before care ever begins — in those first conversations with families who are reaching out, often for the first time, often in the middle of a stressful or uncertain situation.
“Most families are really looking for peace of mind,” Derrick says. “They want to know their loved one is going to be safe, supported, and cared for by someone they can trust.”
He understands that anxiety well. Whether a family is navigating an urgent change in a loved one’s condition or simply trying to understand what home care looks like, those early calls can be overwhelming. Derrick makes it a point to slow down, listen carefully, and walk families through the process step by step, not rushing them toward a decision, but making sure they feel genuinely supported before one is ever made.
“Once that trust is there,” he says, “everything else becomes easier.”
The Art of the Right Match
Perhaps the most nuanced part of Derrick’s role is the process of matching caregivers to clients — a task that requires equal parts data and intuition.
It begins with building a strong caregiver pool. Derrick sources candidates through platforms like Indeed and starts with a phone interview, assessing not just experience and credentials but communication style, temperament, and overall fit. Candidates who stand out are invited in for a deeper conversation, giving Derrick a clearer sense of their personality and approach to care.
At the same time, he keeps a close eye on what each client needs: their level of care, daily routines, personal preferences, and the kind of personality they tend to connect with. A great caregiver on paper is only a great match if the relationship is going to work in practice.
“The goal is always to create a comfortable, successful, and long-term relationship for everyone involved,” Derrick says. It’s a standard he holds himself to with every placement he makes.
Life Outside the Office
When Derrick isn’t coordinating care or fielding calls, he’s most likely on his bike. Cycling is his way of clearing his head and staying grounded, and Saturdays are practically sacred — a long ride through the city or suburbs, a coffee stop somewhere in the middle, and, if the ride has been long enough, a pastry or two to make it worth it.
It’s a ritual that suits him: purposeful, rhythmic, and always moving forward.
Derrick Manoly brings to Arosa Chicagoland not just a resume, but a history — one rooted in a childhood spent listening to people who deserved to be heard, and a career built on making sure they still are.
Serving families across Chicagoland and the surrounding area.
To learn more or connect with Derrick: [email protected]
