The most profound realizations often come in our darkest moments. For the owners of FirstLight Home Care, personal experiences with family illness revealed the critical importance of compassionate in-home care. When one founder's mother battled cancer, suffering multiple falls and expressing her heartfelt wish to "just go home," it sparked a transformative journey into understanding how deeply our identities connect to our living spaces and familiar surroundings.
What makes their approach distinctive is the comprehensive understanding that quality home care benefits everyone involved. Adult children can return to being sons and daughters rather than full-time caregivers. Seniors maintain dignity and independence in their cherished homes. Families experience the profound relief of knowing their loved ones receive consistent, compassionate care even when they can't be present. That familiar refrain—"I should have done this a year ago"—echoes in their offices as families discover the weight lifted from their shoulders.
Their commitment to accessibility sets them apart in a crowded market. Understanding that not every family can afford extensive care, services begin with just one three-hour shift weekly, ensuring even those with limited budgets receive essential support. Their nationally accredited caregivers undergo training exceeding state standards, with specialized programs in memory care that address both physical needs and emotional well-being. Most remarkably, the founders worked as caregivers themselves for nearly a year before launching their agency, giving them unique insight into both the challenges caregivers face and the profound difference they make. This perspective transforms their business approach, creating genuine connections where clients become like family. Serving the entire Denver metro area and surrounding mountain communities, they remain dedicated to their mission: helping seniors stay where they belong—at home.
Ready to discover how home care could transform your family's situation? Contact First Light Home Care today for a free, no-obligation assessment and join the many families who've found relief and renewed relationships through professional support.
View More at HomeCareMarketingNews.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So we first came into First Light because of an
experience with my mother.
I do not have a healthcarebackground at all, I'm not a
clinician, but I've been in theposition where I've been a child
making a concern call for aparent.
My background is actuallymergers and acquisitions.
I'm an MBA, which is the exactopposite of what we're doing now
.
But a few years ago my mom gotsick.
(00:22):
She had cancer and she wasvisiting my siblings in Utah
we're from Boston and she felland during that process, while
she was going through chemo, shefell and she broke her femur.
So she had to go into rehab andwhile she was in rehab she fell
again and broke her shoulder onthe opposite side.
(00:45):
And so at that point we learnedthat the chemo had metastasized
and that she was a fall riskand she needed a lot of care.
And I didn't know what acaregiver was, what a CNA was,
what an LPN was, what an RN was.
But I knew that there werethese nurses that were coming
into my mom's room every daythat we loved and trusted, and I
(01:11):
really felt like they weretaking care of us emotionally
and my mom physically, sorry.
So we started hiring thembecause we didn't want to
restrain my mom at night.
So we started hiring them andmy mom kept saying I want to go
home, I just want to go home,and at that point I had the
realization that my mom wasnever going to go into the home
she loved again that so much ofwhat made her comfortable and
familiar and that she loved wasnow gone.
(01:32):
And it's simple.
Things like she wouldn't besurrounded by her bookshelves
anymore, with the book she lovedand the painting that my she
and my father got on theirhoneymoon, and the neighbors
that would pop in and the trailsthat she loved to watch all of
those things that were sofamiliar to her were now gone.
And so I started researching howto bring my first Google search
into anything with home carewas how to bring someone home to
(01:52):
die.
And that's when I found homecare, and I researched it for
about a year and a half before Ieven brought Lindsay into it.
I wanted to make sure that Iknew.
I knew all about it, and it'smy background too.
Before I even brought Lindsayinto it, I interviewed four home
care companies and thentogether we interviewed another
(02:13):
three, so we interviewed sevenbefore we decided on First Light
, and so we really did ourresearch before we did and and
it's great because it was toolate for my mom but I do feel
every day we're making adifference in the lives of
people just like my mom andchildren, just like us.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
It's a very fulfilling industry and I'm so
grateful to be a part of it andI'm glad that Deena brought me
on board.
I come to it with a little bitdifferent perspective.
I don't have any home care orhealth care background either,
but I worked in an assistedliving community as a teenager
and I loved it.
I always tell people I had atmy graduation I had nine
(02:54):
residents in a row with likesigns cheering for me and I
loved it.
So I'm so happy that this iswhere my career has landed me
again and I love.
We do different things in thebusiness, but I get to talk to
the new clients when they callin on the phone and I get to
talk to the daughters.
And my personal associationwith home care is my mom took
(03:16):
care of my grandma for fiveyears and during that time she
couldn't really come out andvisit us.
It really impacted ourrelationship in a negative way.
She's not as close to my kidsas she is with my sister's kids
who live down the road, becauseshe couldn't travel and she
wasn't able to travel.
So I love to talk to thefamilies and be like if you can
get the help, it will increaseyour quality of life, make you a
(03:40):
better wife, a better grandma,et cetera.
So we love what we do andhelping people every day.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
That most of the folks I talk to do have some
kind of story that is, havebrought them to this decision to
open a home care agency.
And and your stories are bothvery touching and I would agree
that also on the if I weretaking care of my mother here in
(04:08):
my home, it would be reallyhard for me to go visit my kids
and their children, mygrandchildren.
Who are you going to leave?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
her with.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
What are you going to do?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
about that?
Are you going to take her with?
That's, the whole thing isright.
So allowing the adult childrento live their lives and to be an
adult child and not a caregiveris so impactful.
And to help people get back tohome who you didn't think were
going to be able to get back tohome, that's crazy good.
That's so nice that I know that, like you said, it was too late
(04:40):
for your mom, but so manypeople just want to go home and
they can if they have the rightresources and they have the
right people to talk to and asimportant as getting back to
home is staying home yeah, yes,not having to worry, and also, I
think, the whole fall thing.
I know there's tons and tons ofresearch about senior falls.
(05:01):
I think that, being in thisbusiness for a long time, any of
us will realize that oncesomebody falls and breaks their
hip and they may fall and have asmall injury or a little thing,
but when that starts happeningon a regular basis or they have
a traumatic injury that requiressurgery, it's time, it's past
(05:22):
time to start looking at how tomake their home safer, how to
make them safer and to get somehelp in the house.
I think and falling is, it'shard for us as adult children to
realize that something elsemight be going on just because
grandma fell or our mom fell,but she didn't really hurt
anything this time but it's asign.
(05:45):
It's a signal Not a little fall, but it keeps happening.
So tell us when an adult child,or any family member for that
matter, or senior, calls youroffices.
They call you, they comethrough your website.
However, they find you.
When that happens, what canthey expect?
What happens?
What's the process?
(06:05):
How do things get started?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Sure, we've trained everybody in our office to be
able to take those intake callsand help families.
So we try to just listen rightStep one.
Just listen to their story,listen to what's happening,
listen to the stressors that aregoing on and then, first of all
, address the stressors.
Let them know I hear whatyou're saying.
(06:29):
It is so stressful.
I talk to people all the timein your shoes that are going
through this and guess what wecan help?
We can provide a little bit ofrespite care and then we just
give them the opportunity to asktheir questions.
Ask me whatever questions youhave and I'll answer, and if we
can't help you, I'll point youto the person in the community
(06:49):
that I'm friends with that canhelp you.
Let me just be a resource foryou.
So we've trained everybody inthe office to listen first and
then allow them to ask questionsand then we'll answer the
questions as they come to us.
But I feel like the familiesthat call do have some standard
questions that they ask First.
They always want to know theprice and we are very
(07:11):
transparent here.
We do give that to them overthe phone and explain, like the
whole process and assessments.
They want to know like whatservices that we offer?
And we list those, and so oftenit's things that they didn't
even think of and they're like,oh my gosh, your caregiver will
make meals.
That's amazing.
That would really help.
My dad only eats peanut butterand jelly, so going through the
(07:34):
list of services helps them seemore and more value that could
be added into their loved one'slife, but their life also.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, and then we go out and we do a free assessment
at their house, and that's greatbecause they get to meet the
team and the environment thatthey're most comfortable in.
And then we get to see theenvironment that the caregiver
will be going into or the nurse,so we get to cater care
directly to them.
Our assessments are free,there's no commitment and it's
(08:04):
personalized to everything thatthe client needs.
It is personalized directly tothem.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
That's amazing.
I would imagine that you get alot of comments after care has
been going on for a little while.
I should have done this a yearago.
I should have done this twoyears ago.
We should have done this a yearago.
I can't believe how much stresshas been lifted off my
shoulders.
I don't have to be here everysingle day.
I love my mom, but I can comeevery other day or on the
(08:34):
weekends, where her caregiversbud during the week.
It's nice to be freed up.
Imagine that you guys hear thata lot, the amount of relief
that folks feel that there'ssomebody with them when I or the
adult child can't be there.
So that's great.
So you do the assessment.
Somebody goes out to the homeand does the assessment and then
(08:55):
how?
I know?
One of the questions that wehear a lot is how soon can
services start and what is thatexpectation?
Everybody's a little different.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah, we always tell families that we can start same
day if needed, but we like a oneto two day notice.
So that's the way that we wordthat.
But we do hire every singleweek.
We're a big operation so we tryto always have the staff
necessary to sign any clientsame day when needed.
Sure.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I think a notice is great.
And then continuity of care.
We also get that question a lot.
I know most home care agenciesstrive to try to keep the same
caregivers, the ones that youlike, with the family.
I also know that sometimeseverybody needs a day off and
sometimes you know somebody elseis available.
So how do you address thosekinds of things?
(09:46):
Can they have the samecaregiver, or is it usually a
team of two or three, or howdoes that work?
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah, we staff in teams of two to three.
Exactly what you said.
They'll have a primarycaregiver who will be
responsible for the care plan,and so they'll be the ones
coordinating with the othercaregivers as well.
But, to your point, the reasonwhy a team is so important is
because people do go onvacations or they get sick.
We used to really focus on thatone caregiver, one client model
(10:15):
but COVID was a game changer forthat.
And as important as that onecaregiver is and certainly they
are the consistency of care iswhat's important, and so that's
where the care plan comes in.
That's where the coordinationwe're doing supervised visits in
the client's home every 60 dayswith our client care
coordinator, and she'smonitoring to make sure that
there is that consistency ofcare.
(10:37):
And here's the benefit too, isthat you want to make sure mom
and dad, especially if they'repost-op or if they have memory
care, that they do haveconsistent care.
That means that it's really thebest thing for them is to have
one to two caregivers that comein.
Now, many of our clients haveprimarily one caregiver, but we
(10:59):
always make sure that secondcaregiver maybe third, depending
on how often it is alwaystrained and ready to go in
seamlessly.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
That's great.
Yeah, I think the two to threecaregiver model where there you
see a couple of faces that arefamiliar, two or three faces,
and they all know what's goingon here.
I think that's the best waybecause, you're right, people
need a break, or they're sick,or their child is sick and
they're not able to work today.
So having that model is great.
(11:27):
I know COVID changed a lot ofthings about the way we work in
home care and in health care ingeneral, and so another question
that folks have is what are theminimum number of hours that we
can have care in the homeduring the week?
Is it four, eight?
What's the minimum?
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yeah, we try to make ourselves a little different
than the competition.
There's a lot of home carecompanies in Denver and we feel
like every senior should havethe opportunity to get home care
services in their home.
We used to have a higherminimum requirement, but the
truth of the matter is sometimesthey only really can afford one
(12:08):
shift a week.
So we changed our model almostimmediately after we opened to
just one shift a week, onethree-hour shift a week, and
that way, when someone's budgetdoesn't allow them to get more
care, they're at least able tohave eyes on them, have a
wellness check, help them in andout of the shower.
So we do keep that minimum low.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
And that's nice and I will say I know that is not
easy to do.
So it is a testament to yourcommitment to your community and
also your caregiver'scommitment.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
It's hard from a managerial standpoint in the
office sometimes to have a lotof little clients, but we do
feel like it's the right thingto do as human beings and
business owners, so we've justkept it that way over time.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
It's hard because caregivers want to work a full
eight hours and it's you have to.
You have to do a lot oflogistics when you have short
visits, but the fact that you'rewilling to do it is really nice
.
I've just talked to somebodyelse who was willing to do those
short shifts because sometimesit is just the shower and the
(13:14):
grooming once a week or twice aweek, or just getting that
grocery shopping done, or justthere's some little things that
end.
Having eyeballs on that personat least once a week is really
nice, even if they're doingpretty good.
So commend you for that,because I know that it's not an
easy thing to do.
(13:34):
So the fact that you do it is abig commitment, so thank you for
that, because I know that it'snot an easy thing to do, so the
fact that you do it is very it'sa big commitment, so thank you
for doing that it is hard forpeople to afford eight hours of
care every single day.
That's.
There are people who do that,but it is sometimes.
It's what we can manage.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah, we do that also .
We do have clients that are 12hour shifts, eight hour shifts,
overnight, 24 seven, so we cando anything in between.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
That's awesome.
That's part time care, fulltime care.
That is great that you guys areable to do all of that.
What else do you think folkswould want to know, or what
other questions do people askyou when they call on the phone
or you're in their living roomand you're doing that big intake
, what is on their minds?
Is it background checks andsafety, or what else comes?
Speaker 2 (14:23):
up.
I feel like those questionsdefinitely come up.
They definitely they alwayswhen they're first doing their
research there.
They always want to know aboutthe strangers coming into their
house and I put strangers in airquotes because they're not
strangers for long, right, butfor the senior citizen it's
(14:43):
really scary and they alwayshave lots of questions about our
hiring process, our trainingprocess.
Who are these people cominginto our homes?
And we love to let them knowwe're nationally accredited.
We train to the highest like.
We pull background checks tothe highest degree.
These people coming into ourhomes and we love to let them
know we're nationally accredited.
We train to the high like.
We pull background checks tothe highest degree.
I think it goes back like sevenyears across multiple states.
(15:04):
We run their name on a nationaldatabase of caregivers.
We do all sorts of differentthings here as an accredited
agency to make sure that theyare getting a safe person that
they can trust in their home.
But we also always let themknow too if you don't like
someone, you can call us.
Not everyone's personalitiesmatch.
So they have a lot of say inwho their caregiver is and they
(15:27):
have a lot of say as to theirschedule and what time they want
their shifts to be.
So as long as they communicatewith us, we'll find somebody
that they like.
But I do think questions aboutthe caregivers and the training
process and hiring is on almostevery single phone call.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Oh yeah, safety, stranger danger.
And, of course, the only likesto tell us about all the
negative, crazy things thathappen in the world, not all the
beautiful, wonderful peoplethat are out there committing
themselves to be greatcaregivers.
So talk about training just fora minute.
When a new caregiver comes onboard, every state's a little
(16:05):
bit different in how they in therequirements for someone who's
walking into the house.
Sometimes they have to be CNAsor HHAs, sometimes they don't.
So what is the criteria andwhat do you?
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Yeah, it'll depend on their diagnosis, their ICD-10
code, whether they get acaregiver or a CNA.
Some clients just prefer a CNA,and a CNA is just a different
level of training.
But because we have our ACHCaccreditation, we train above
Colorado state standards, so wetrain above federal standards
too.
That goes into your home, hashad hands-on training prior to
(16:46):
entering your home.
Not only have they beenbackground checked and drug
tested and all of that, but thequality of training they have is
double the standards that arerequired, which we pay for,
because we feel like if they'regetting great care, then they're
happier.
And not only does that traininghappen before they even enter
your home, then they're takingre.
And not only does that traininghappen before they even enter
your home, then they're takingreaccreditation courses
(17:08):
throughout the entire year.
We also have a memory careprogram, because so many of our
clients are trained in memorycare and memory care is not just
redirecting, it's realizingthings like their emotions.
Their sensors are different,like that coffee cup that
they've been picking up for 50years.
Suddenly they've lost theability to pick up the coffee
(17:29):
cup in the same way.
And our caregivers are trainedto aid them so that they can
re-grip that and learn how to dosomething that's been so basic
to them.
But it's not just the physicalcare.
There's also an emotionalcomponent to this, because
you've had someone who's livedtheir life independently for
seven to eight decades andsuddenly everything is changing
(17:51):
for them and that's scary.
And so we also train them inthe emotional care which I think
is really important so thatthey're truly a companion.
And one thing that we reallyemphasize is that a change in
condition Suddenly and this iswhy the consistency of care is
so important Suddenly Mr Smith,who our caregiver has been
(18:11):
seeing now for seven, eightmonths, comes in and you've
noticed that there's a speechpattern that's a little
different or he's walking alittle differently.
Our caregivers are trained tolook for that, and then we're
communicating with theirchildren or their spouse to say
we have this concern now.
So we take our training veryseriously because it's making a
(18:33):
difference in the home and wehave mentors that are going out
all the time.
One of the things that wasimportant to Lindsay and I is
that we were caregivers.
We volunteered to be caregiversfor almost a year before we
even bought the company, and sowe understand what it's like to
make what they were making.
We know what it's like to be acaregiver.
We know what it's like for thetraining and it has changed our
(18:54):
perspective in our business,like we're not just business
owners.
We've been there.
We know what to look for theclients.
We also know what to look forthe caregivers to keep them
happy too.
And a happy caregiver giveshappy care, and that's so
important.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
That is great.
I didn't know you guys workedin the business as caregivers.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
That is amazing.
It was for a franchise neighbor.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Even little things like there's certain terms that
in the beginning we would gigglewhen we would say them, and now
we're like we can talk aboutwhat our caregivers can talk
about.
It was really a greatexperience.
Hard, and that's the point.
It was hard and now weunderstand that.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Oh yeah, oh, absolutely.
That's hard.
Those shifts are not alwaysit's a lot.
It can be a lot of work in oneshift.
Eight hours can fly by becauseyou are moving and doing stuff
around that house that needs toget done and helping the client
and being their friend and beingtheir companion, and there's so
much to it.
Yes, it's, it's, makes it'shard on the body and it's also
(19:54):
taxing up here.
It makes you tired it's, butit's such a rewarding part of
this whole home care business isseeing the happiness of the
client and their family, sothat's awesome.
That is something thatdefinitely.
It's lovely to hear that.
I know that owners often willfill in a shift or do this or
(20:16):
that, but to have worked for awhile in this business is pretty
, pretty great.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I'm going to give an example of how it makes us
different.
Lindsay was a caregiver for aclient who we love.
We started off caring for hiswife and now we care for him.
And he was just in rehab andshe and her family go visit him
all the time, even in rehab.
And we're about to get him backand literally, as our caregiver
you've, he's become family toyou.
(20:43):
He would go to her son'sfootball games with them.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Yeah, I couldn't avoid it.
I'd adopt every senior dog andI would have those people come
to all our family stuff.
I couldn't help it.
My husband would be like who'sthat?
What's happening?
Speaker 2 (21:03):
It's easy to love.
Oh yeah, oh, they're so cool.
I feel like that's the easypart of the business.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Yes, that is, yeah, that human connection will never
go away, that need for humanconnection and socialization.
So that's so great.
You guys are amazing.
So, yeah, thank you for doingwhat you do and serving the
people of your communities.
Speaking of that, tell us allthe places that you can serve in
(21:31):
your franchise.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Sure, so we have one physical office location but we
cover five different.
First Light Home Careterritories.
So we go all the way up northto Thornton Only people
listening to this who know theDenver area and then all the way
down south to a couple zipcodes in Highlands, ranch, out
(21:53):
east to Aurora, to C470.
And then we cover a couplemountain towns, also on the west
side, so we'll go up toEvergreen or Morrison.
So big territory basically.
Dean always says everythingthat the light touches.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
My family and I were hiking once and we were at a
mountain and we saw some seniorshiking down and I was joking
with my family I'm likeeverything that you can see here
, we can help them.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
So big territory.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
That's great.
So you guys are a big home careagency.
That is amazing because that isa huge territory the Denver
area.
Obviously you know better thanI do, but it spreads out quite.
The metro area is quite large.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
It is, it's big Thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Thank you for being on the show telling us your
story, telling us how you dobusiness and what folks can
expect when they call youroffice.
I really appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Thanks for having us.
So we first came into First Light because of an
experience with my mother.
I do not have a healthcarebackground at all, I'm not a
clinician, but I've been in theposition where I've been a child
making a concern call for aparent.
My background is actuallymergers and acquisitions.
I'm an MBA, which is the exactopposite of what we're doing now
.
But a few years ago my mom gotsick.
(00:22):
She had cancer and she wasvisiting my siblings in Utah
we're from Boston and she felland during that process, while
she was going through chemo, shefell and she broke her femur.
So she had to go into rehab andwhile she was in rehab she fell
again and broke her shoulder onthe opposite side.
(00:45):
And so at that point we learnedthat the chemo had metastasized
and that she was a fall riskand she needed a lot of care.
And I didn't know what acaregiver was, what a CNA was,
what an LPN was, what an RN was.
But I knew that there werethese nurses that were coming
into my mom's room every daythat we loved and trusted, and I
(01:11):
really felt like they weretaking care of us emotionally
and my mom physically, sorry.
So we started hiring thembecause we didn't want to
restrain my mom at night.
So we started hiring them andmy mom kept saying I want to go
home, I just want to go home,and at that point I had the
realization that my mom wasnever going to go into the home
she loved again that so much ofwhat made her comfortable and
familiar and that she loved wasnow gone.
(01:32):
And it's simple.
Things like she wouldn't besurrounded by her bookshelves
anymore, with the book she lovedand the painting that my she
and my father got on theirhoneymoon, and the neighbors
that would pop in and the trailsthat she loved to watch all of
those things that were sofamiliar to her were now gone.
And so I started researching howto bring my first Google search
into anything with home carewas how to bring someone home to
(01:52):
die.
And that's when I found homecare, and I researched it for
about a year and a half before Ieven brought Lindsay into it.
I wanted to make sure that Iknew.
I knew all about it, and it'smy background too.
Before I even brought Lindsayinto it, I interviewed four home
care companies and thentogether we interviewed another
(02:13):
three, so we interviewed sevenbefore we decided on First Light
, and so we really did ourresearch before we did and and
it's great because it was toolate for my mom but I do feel
every day we're making adifference in the lives of
people just like my mom andchildren, just like us.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
It's a very fulfilling industry and I'm so
grateful to be a part of it andI'm glad that Deena brought me
on board.
I come to it with a little bitdifferent perspective.
I don't have any home care orhealth care background either,
but I worked in an assistedliving community as a teenager
and I loved it.
I always tell people I had atmy graduation I had nine
(02:54):
residents in a row with likesigns cheering for me and I
loved it.
So I'm so happy that this iswhere my career has landed me
again and I love.
We do different things in thebusiness, but I get to talk to
the new clients when they callin on the phone and I get to
talk to the daughters.
And my personal associationwith home care is my mom took
(03:16):
care of my grandma for fiveyears and during that time she
couldn't really come out andvisit us.
It really impacted ourrelationship in a negative way.
She's not as close to my kidsas she is with my sister's kids
who live down the road, becauseshe couldn't travel and she
wasn't able to travel.
So I love to talk to thefamilies and be like if you can
get the help, it will increaseyour quality of life, make you a
(03:40):
better wife, a better grandma,et cetera.
So we love what we do andhelping people every day.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
That most of the folks I talk to do have some
kind of story that is, havebrought them to this decision to
open a home care agency.
And and your stories are bothvery touching and I would agree
that also on the if I weretaking care of my mother here in
(04:08):
my home, it would be reallyhard for me to go visit my kids
and their children, mygrandchildren.
Who are you going to leave?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
her with.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
What are you going to do?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
about that?
Are you going to take her with?
That's, the whole thing isright.
So allowing the adult childrento live their lives and to be an
adult child and not a caregiveris so impactful.
And to help people get back tohome who you didn't think were
going to be able to get back tohome, that's crazy good.
That's so nice that I know that, like you said, it was too late
(04:40):
for your mom, but so manypeople just want to go home and
they can if they have the rightresources and they have the
right people to talk to and asimportant as getting back to
home is staying home yeah, yes,not having to worry, and also, I
think, the whole fall thing.
I know there's tons and tons ofresearch about senior falls.
(05:01):
I think that, being in thisbusiness for a long time, any of
us will realize that oncesomebody falls and breaks their
hip and they may fall and have asmall injury or a little thing,
but when that starts happeningon a regular basis or they have
a traumatic injury that requiressurgery, it's time, it's past
(05:22):
time to start looking at how tomake their home safer, how to
make them safer and to get somehelp in the house.
I think and falling is, it'shard for us as adult children to
realize that something elsemight be going on just because
grandma fell or our mom fell,but she didn't really hurt
anything this time but it's asign.
(05:45):
It's a signal Not a little fall, but it keeps happening.
So tell us when an adult child,or any family member for that
matter, or senior, calls youroffices.
They call you, they comethrough your website.
However, they find you.
When that happens, what canthey expect?
What happens?
What's the process?
(06:05):
How do things get started?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Sure, we've trained everybody in our office to be
able to take those intake callsand help families.
So we try to just listen rightStep one.
Just listen to their story,listen to what's happening,
listen to the stressors that aregoing on and then, first of all
, address the stressors.
Let them know I hear whatyou're saying.
(06:29):
It is so stressful.
I talk to people all the timein your shoes that are going
through this and guess what wecan help?
We can provide a little bit ofrespite care and then we just
give them the opportunity to asktheir questions.
Ask me whatever questions youhave and I'll answer, and if we
can't help you, I'll point youto the person in the community
(06:49):
that I'm friends with that canhelp you.
Let me just be a resource foryou.
So we've trained everybody inthe office to listen first and
then allow them to ask questionsand then we'll answer the
questions as they come to us.
But I feel like the familiesthat call do have some standard
questions that they ask First.
They always want to know theprice and we are very
(07:11):
transparent here.
We do give that to them overthe phone and explain, like the
whole process and assessments.
They want to know like whatservices that we offer?
And we list those, and so oftenit's things that they didn't
even think of and they're like,oh my gosh, your caregiver will
make meals.
That's amazing.
That would really help.
My dad only eats peanut butterand jelly, so going through the
(07:34):
list of services helps them seemore and more value that could
be added into their loved one'slife, but their life also.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, and then we go out and we do a free assessment
at their house, and that's greatbecause they get to meet the
team and the environment thatthey're most comfortable in.
And then we get to see theenvironment that the caregiver
will be going into or the nurse,so we get to cater care
directly to them.
Our assessments are free,there's no commitment and it's
(08:04):
personalized to everything thatthe client needs.
It is personalized directly tothem.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
That's amazing.
I would imagine that you get alot of comments after care has
been going on for a little while.
I should have done this a yearago.
I should have done this twoyears ago.
We should have done this a yearago.
I can't believe how much stresshas been lifted off my
shoulders.
I don't have to be here everysingle day.
I love my mom, but I can comeevery other day or on the
(08:34):
weekends, where her caregiversbud during the week.
It's nice to be freed up.
Imagine that you guys hear thata lot, the amount of relief
that folks feel that there'ssomebody with them when I or the
adult child can't be there.
So that's great.
So you do the assessment.
Somebody goes out to the homeand does the assessment and then
(08:55):
how?
I know?
One of the questions that wehear a lot is how soon can
services start and what is thatexpectation?
Everybody's a little different.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah, we always tell families that we can start same
day if needed, but we like a oneto two day notice.
So that's the way that we wordthat.
But we do hire every singleweek.
We're a big operation so we tryto always have the staff
necessary to sign any clientsame day when needed.
Sure.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I think a notice is great.
And then continuity of care.
We also get that question a lot.
I know most home care agenciesstrive to try to keep the same
caregivers, the ones that youlike, with the family.
I also know that sometimeseverybody needs a day off and
sometimes you know somebody elseis available.
So how do you address thosekinds of things?
(09:46):
Can they have the samecaregiver, or is it usually a
team of two or three, or howdoes that work?
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah, we staff in teams of two to three.
Exactly what you said.
They'll have a primarycaregiver who will be
responsible for the care plan,and so they'll be the ones
coordinating with the othercaregivers as well.
But, to your point, the reasonwhy a team is so important is
because people do go onvacations or they get sick.
We used to really focus on thatone caregiver, one client model
(10:15):
but COVID was a game changer forthat.
And as important as that onecaregiver is and certainly they
are the consistency of care iswhat's important, and so that's
where the care plan comes in.
That's where the coordinationwe're doing supervised visits in
the client's home every 60 dayswith our client care
coordinator, and she'smonitoring to make sure that
there is that consistency ofcare.
(10:37):
And here's the benefit too, isthat you want to make sure mom
and dad, especially if they'repost-op or if they have memory
care, that they do haveconsistent care.
That means that it's really thebest thing for them is to have
one to two caregivers that comein.
Now, many of our clients haveprimarily one caregiver, but we
(10:59):
always make sure that secondcaregiver maybe third, depending
on how often it is alwaystrained and ready to go in
seamlessly.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
That's great.
Yeah, I think the two to threecaregiver model where there you
see a couple of faces that arefamiliar, two or three faces,
and they all know what's goingon here.
I think that's the best waybecause, you're right, people
need a break, or they're sick,or their child is sick and
they're not able to work today.
So having that model is great.
(11:27):
I know COVID changed a lot ofthings about the way we work in
home care and in health care ingeneral, and so another question
that folks have is what are theminimum number of hours that we
can have care in the homeduring the week?
Is it four, eight?
What's the minimum?
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yeah, we try to make ourselves a little different
than the competition.
There's a lot of home carecompanies in Denver and we feel
like every senior should havethe opportunity to get home care
services in their home.
We used to have a higherminimum requirement, but the
truth of the matter is sometimesthey only really can afford one
(12:08):
shift a week.
So we changed our model almostimmediately after we opened to
just one shift a week, onethree-hour shift a week, and
that way, when someone's budgetdoesn't allow them to get more
care, they're at least able tohave eyes on them, have a
wellness check, help them in andout of the shower.
So we do keep that minimum low.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
And that's nice and I will say I know that is not
easy to do.
So it is a testament to yourcommitment to your community and
also your caregiver'scommitment.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
It's hard from a managerial standpoint in the
office sometimes to have a lotof little clients, but we do
feel like it's the right thingto do as human beings and
business owners, so we've justkept it that way over time.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
It's hard because caregivers want to work a full
eight hours and it's you have to.
You have to do a lot oflogistics when you have short
visits, but the fact that you'rewilling to do it is really nice
.
I've just talked to somebodyelse who was willing to do those
short shifts because sometimesit is just the shower and the
(13:14):
grooming once a week or twice aweek, or just getting that
grocery shopping done, or justthere's some little things that
end.
Having eyeballs on that personat least once a week is really
nice, even if they're doingpretty good.
So commend you for that,because I know that it's not an
easy thing to do.
(13:34):
So the fact that you do it is abig commitment, so thank you for
that, because I know that it'snot an easy thing to do, so the
fact that you do it is very it'sa big commitment, so thank you
for doing that it is hard forpeople to afford eight hours of
care every single day.
That's.
There are people who do that,but it is sometimes.
It's what we can manage.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah, we do that also .
We do have clients that are 12hour shifts, eight hour shifts,
overnight, 24 seven, so we cando anything in between.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
That's awesome.
That's part time care, fulltime care.
That is great that you guys areable to do all of that.
What else do you think folkswould want to know, or what
other questions do people askyou when they call on the phone
or you're in their living roomand you're doing that big intake
, what is on their minds?
Is it background checks andsafety, or what else comes?
Speaker 2 (14:23):
up.
I feel like those questionsdefinitely come up.
They definitely they alwayswhen they're first doing their
research there.
They always want to know aboutthe strangers coming into their
house and I put strangers in airquotes because they're not
strangers for long, right, butfor the senior citizen it's
(14:43):
really scary and they alwayshave lots of questions about our
hiring process, our trainingprocess.
Who are these people cominginto our homes?
And we love to let them knowwe're nationally accredited.
We train to the highest like.
We pull background checks tothe highest degree.
These people coming into ourhomes and we love to let them
know we're nationally accredited.
We train to the high like.
We pull background checks tothe highest degree.
I think it goes back like sevenyears across multiple states.
(15:04):
We run their name on a nationaldatabase of caregivers.
We do all sorts of differentthings here as an accredited
agency to make sure that theyare getting a safe person that
they can trust in their home.
But we also always let themknow too if you don't like
someone, you can call us.
Not everyone's personalitiesmatch.
So they have a lot of say inwho their caregiver is and they
(15:27):
have a lot of say as to theirschedule and what time they want
their shifts to be.
So as long as they communicatewith us, we'll find somebody
that they like.
But I do think questions aboutthe caregivers and the training
process and hiring is on almostevery single phone call.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Oh yeah, safety, stranger danger.
And, of course, the only likesto tell us about all the
negative, crazy things thathappen in the world, not all the
beautiful, wonderful peoplethat are out there committing
themselves to be greatcaregivers.
So talk about training just fora minute.
When a new caregiver comes onboard, every state's a little
(16:05):
bit different in how they in therequirements for someone who's
walking into the house.
Sometimes they have to be CNAsor HHAs, sometimes they don't.
So what is the criteria andwhat do you?
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Yeah, it'll depend on their diagnosis, their ICD-10
code, whether they get acaregiver or a CNA.
Some clients just prefer a CNA,and a CNA is just a different
level of training.
But because we have our ACHCaccreditation, we train above
Colorado state standards, so wetrain above federal standards
too.
That goes into your home, hashad hands-on training prior to
(16:46):
entering your home.
Not only have they beenbackground checked and drug
tested and all of that, but thequality of training they have is
double the standards that arerequired, which we pay for,
because we feel like if they'regetting great care, then they're
happier.
And not only does that traininghappen before they even enter
your home, then they're takingre.
And not only does that traininghappen before they even enter
your home, then they're takingreaccreditation courses
(17:08):
throughout the entire year.
We also have a memory careprogram, because so many of our
clients are trained in memorycare and memory care is not just
redirecting, it's realizingthings like their emotions.
Their sensors are different,like that coffee cup that
they've been picking up for 50years.
Suddenly they've lost theability to pick up the coffee
(17:29):
cup in the same way.
And our caregivers are trainedto aid them so that they can
re-grip that and learn how to dosomething that's been so basic
to them.
But it's not just the physicalcare.
There's also an emotionalcomponent to this, because
you've had someone who's livedtheir life independently for
seven to eight decades andsuddenly everything is changing
(17:51):
for them and that's scary.
And so we also train them inthe emotional care which I think
is really important so thatthey're truly a companion.
And one thing that we reallyemphasize is that a change in
condition Suddenly and this iswhy the consistency of care is
so important Suddenly Mr Smith,who our caregiver has been
(18:11):
seeing now for seven, eightmonths, comes in and you've
noticed that there's a speechpattern that's a little
different or he's walking alittle differently.
Our caregivers are trained tolook for that, and then we're
communicating with theirchildren or their spouse to say
we have this concern now.
So we take our training veryseriously because it's making a
(18:33):
difference in the home and wehave mentors that are going out
all the time.
One of the things that wasimportant to Lindsay and I is
that we were caregivers.
We volunteered to be caregiversfor almost a year before we
even bought the company, and sowe understand what it's like to
make what they were making.
We know what it's like to be acaregiver.
We know what it's like for thetraining and it has changed our
(18:54):
perspective in our business,like we're not just business
owners.
We've been there.
We know what to look for theclients.
We also know what to look forthe caregivers to keep them
happy too.
And a happy caregiver giveshappy care, and that's so
important.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
That is great.
I didn't know you guys workedin the business as caregivers.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
That is amazing.
It was for a franchise neighbor.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Even little things like there's certain terms that
in the beginning we would gigglewhen we would say them, and now
we're like we can talk aboutwhat our caregivers can talk
about.
It was really a greatexperience.
Hard, and that's the point.
It was hard and now weunderstand that.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Oh yeah, oh, absolutely.
That's hard.
Those shifts are not alwaysit's a lot.
It can be a lot of work in oneshift.
Eight hours can fly by becauseyou are moving and doing stuff
around that house that needs toget done and helping the client
and being their friend and beingtheir companion, and there's so
much to it.
Yes, it's, it's, makes it'shard on the body and it's also
(19:54):
taxing up here.
It makes you tired it's, butit's such a rewarding part of
this whole home care business isseeing the happiness of the
client and their family, sothat's awesome.
That is something thatdefinitely.
It's lovely to hear that.
I know that owners often willfill in a shift or do this or
(20:16):
that, but to have worked for awhile in this business is pretty
, pretty great.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I'm going to give an example of how it makes us
different.
Lindsay was a caregiver for aclient who we love.
We started off caring for hiswife and now we care for him.
And he was just in rehab andshe and her family go visit him
all the time, even in rehab.
And we're about to get him backand literally, as our caregiver
you've, he's become family toyou.
(20:43):
He would go to her son'sfootball games with them.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Yeah, I couldn't avoid it.
I'd adopt every senior dog andI would have those people come
to all our family stuff.
I couldn't help it.
My husband would be like who'sthat?
What's happening?
Speaker 2 (21:03):
It's easy to love.
Oh yeah, oh, they're so cool.
I feel like that's the easypart of the business.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Yes, that is, yeah, that human connection will never
go away, that need for humanconnection and socialization.
So that's so great.
You guys are amazing.
So, yeah, thank you for doingwhat you do and serving the
people of your communities.
Speaking of that, tell us allthe places that you can serve in
(21:31):
your franchise.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Sure, so we have one physical office location but we
cover five different.
First Light Home Careterritories.
So we go all the way up northto Thornton Only people
listening to this who know theDenver area and then all the way
down south to a couple zipcodes in Highlands, ranch, out
(21:53):
east to Aurora, to C470.
And then we cover a couplemountain towns, also on the west
side, so we'll go up toEvergreen or Morrison.
So big territory basically.
Dean always says everythingthat the light touches.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
My family and I were hiking once and we were at a
mountain and we saw some seniorshiking down and I was joking
with my family I'm likeeverything that you can see here
, we can help them.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
So big territory.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
That's great.
So you guys are a big home careagency.
That is amazing because that isa huge territory the Denver
area.
Obviously you know better thanI do, but it spreads out quite.
The metro area is quite large.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
It is, it's big Thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Thank you for being on the show telling us your
story, telling us how you dobusiness and what folks can
expect when they call youroffice.
I really appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Thanks for having us.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.