Transcript WHEAT RIDGE 2.28.13
Wheat Ridge
February 28, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourwheatridgenews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 29, Issue 36
Owner drawn to caregiving as child New in-home care company opens in Wheat Ridge By Sara Van Cleve
svancleve@ourcoloradonews.com Though FirstLight HomeCare opened in Wheat Ridge just last November, it could be said owner Amanda Koch has been planning it since she was a little girl. “My passion goes back to my childhood,” Koch said. “When I was very young we lived with my grandparents because my grandmother contracted giambre, which is a couple stages pass the flu, and it paralyzed her from the neck down for nine months, so we lived with them so my mom could help my grandpa when she was in the hospital.” Koch said she remembers playing on the physical therapy balls and how nice the physical therapist was when her grandma went to therapy. Koch graduated from college with a degree in math, but soon realized her passion wasn’t numbers, but working with people. “I decided I needed to talk to people because numbers didn’t talk back to me,” she said. “I went into being a caregiver after college and just fell in love with it. I loved what I was doing, but I felt a need to touch more lives than just one client at a time, so that is what led us to owning this sort of business — the passion for caring for the elderly.” FirstLight HomeCare is a home care franchise based in Ohio founded by a team of care professionals with a combined 80 years of experience. FirstLight provides services to all adults, from expectant and new mothers to disabled adults and the elderly, Koch said. Services include any in-home care that is not medical — like cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, transportation, laundry, showers and medicine reminders. “We want to be the leader in quality homecare in the greater Denver area,” Koch said. Amanda and her husband Chris Koch received their state license in November and are still hiring staff. “I hire based on heart, not just ability,” she said. “When I was getting into caregiving, they kept asking me how much experi-
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Trails get $2 million Big money for Rocky Mountain Greenway By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com
Della Blan, a resident in assisted living at The Gardens of St. Elizabeth, left, and Amanda Koch of FirstLight HomeCare share a visit. Photo by Andy Carpenean ence I had and I didn’t have any, but I really wanted to do it. We have very qualified girls on staff who will assist training someone who wants to learn. If this is something you’re passionate about, we would definitely be willing to talk to them and see if it’s something that would be a good fit, but a CNA is always optimal.” FirstLight Wheat Ridge is already servicing about 10 clients, including Della Blan. Blan’s daughter Alice Choury hired FirstLight to help her mother, who has dementia and Parkinson’s, take a shower, get dressed, remind her to take her medicine and other tasks. “My mom thinks the world of Amanda and her caregiver,” said Choury, whose mother has been a client of FirstLight since November. “It’s all about making her happy and feel safe and secure.” Choury also said she appreciates that FirstLight is able to help her mother maintain her feel safe while maintaining her independence and still be able to live on her own. “I think it’s important for most people to remain independent,” Koch said. “You’re happier when you’re independent. You’re happy when you have your home. You have all those memories of kids and grandkids and family and functions, things that happen.”
Clients’ family members are also able to log on to the client’s website portal and see all of the services provided to the client per day after the caregiver checks in to provide peace of mind that their loved one is being properly cared for. Pricing for FirstLight services is determined on a client-per-client basis. If someone is interested in their services, Koch goes to the potential client’s home to evaluate their needs and the environment. “After figuring out what their needs are, I determine how much time it will take and relay that to the family and we talk about how much is necessary and wanted,” she said. Choury said she would recommend FirstLight to everyone. “They’re awesome,” Choury said. “They’re great. I’ll call my mom after they leave and she’ll say ‘Amanda is such a doll.’ I just have nothing but praise. They help reassure my sister and I that mom is safe.” For more information about FirstLight, visit wwww.FirstLightHomeCare.com. To set up an in-home assessment, call Koch at 303-953-9575. The FirstLight HomeCare office is located at 3000 Youngfield St. Ste. 163 in Wheat Ridge.
Federal funds announced Feb. 18 strengthens the vision of a pedestrian and bicycle greenway corridor connecting three national wildlife refuges and the Rocky Mountain National Park with the Denver metro area. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff joined with Gov. John Hickenlooper and Jefferson County officials at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge to announce the $2 million in funding, to improve Metro Denver resident’s ability to walk and bike their way to nature. Of that grant money, $1,735,000 will go directly toward expanding the Rocky Mountain Greenway — a project to build trail connections between national wildlife refuge sites at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Two Ponds, and Rocky Flats, with eventual extensions to the Denver metro area trail system on one end, and north to the Rocky Mountain National Park on the other. Specifically, the $1.7 million will build a seven-mile link between Arvada and the eastern edge of the Rocky Flats refuge. While the former nuclear weapon manufacturing area has been designated a wildlife refuge, the property remains closed to the public, and does not have the trail and visitor center amenities of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal site. The trail section lies within Jefferson County, and two commissioners attended the announcement: Chair Donald Rosier and District 1 Commissioner Faye Griffin. The grants are part of a total allocation of $12.5 million for 29 projects in 20 states “to improve access to America’s national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges,” according to the statement released by the FTA. Within Colorado, the municipalities of Estes Park and Durango also will receive some of the FTA funding, also for the completion of recreational and transportation trails.
Annual hockey day brings together friends for fun competition Adapted teams gather for fun, competition By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com Bryan Wickoren, adapted physical education coordinator for Jeffco Schools, kicked off Adapted Athletics hockey tournament by saying, “Let the puck drop and have fun,” at Alameda High School on Feb. 20. Adapted teams from Alameda, Arvada, Arvada West, Bear Creek, Chatfield, Conifer, Golden, Lakewood, Ralston Valley and Wheat Ridge high schools, Ken Caryl Moore, O’Connell Middle and Arvada K-8 and Fletcher Miller all showed up for a morning of com-
petition and companionship. “The students really enjoy it, and we’ve been practicing for this in class,” said Dan Bennett, Alameda’s challenge class teacher. “They also really enjoy getting a chance to see some of their old friends.” The players used hockey sticks with foam and a large ball to play, and had help from student coaches as they raced to the net, passing to their teammates in an attempt to score goal. High fives are thrown all around when someone does score. Wickoren said that the number of schools who participate grows every year — the first hockey day had around six teams and this year’s had 14. “This is the first year we’ve
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got four games going at once,” he said. “We really want to make sure we’re giving everyone playing time and making sure everyone is participating.” Events like this are a way for teachers to fill the gaps that some funding cuts have caused to adapted programs, according to Bennett. Despite these cuts, he said the Jeffco Adapted Athletics mission — to provide students with disabilities the same opportunities as other students to enjoy the benefits of a quality middle school/high school program and help to become active members in society who lead healthy lifestyles — is the driving force behind keeping these sporting events going. Hockey is one of four sports that Jeffco adapted teams gather to play every year, including softball, basketball and soccer. Jeffco school board member Jill Fellman was on hand at her alma mater to support the students and schools. “I know by experience how important days like these are for both the kids and the families,” she said. “It’s great to hear the band, and see Adapted continues on Page 3
Paul Slevin of Wheat Ridge Middle School hits a ball during Jeffco Adapted Athletics hockey tournament at Alameda High School Wednesday, Feb. 20. Photo by Andy Carpenean
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