About FirstLight
in Clearwater
FirstLight is About People
We know your first priority when choosing a home care provider is finding someone you can trust and rely on… someone who will care for your loved one as you would, and as we would our own. We’ve been where you are, and this is one of the main reasons we chose to be in this business.
Elder Care and Home Care Agency Serving Pinellas & Pasco County
We know your first priority when choosing a home care provider is finding someone you can trust and rely on… someone who will care for your loved one as you would, and as we would our own. We’ve been where you are, and this is one of the main reasons we chose to be in this business.
Rich Kase, Michelle Kase & Janice Bayruns, Owners
We know your first priority when choosing a home care provider is finding someone you can trust and rely on… someone who will care for your loved one as you would, and as we would our own. We’ve been where you are, and this is one of the main reasons we chose to be in this business.
Janice Bayruns, Michelle Kase and Rich Kase together bring extensive backgrounds in healthcare along with very personal experiences in caregiving. This caring and compassionate team embodies the “Culture of Care” philosophy with firsthand knowledge of what is to be a caregiver at both personal and professional levels. Working together as business colleagues and friends, they are committed to delivering exceptional health care services to our community.
Janice has worked in healthcare for over 20 years including previous experience in home healthcare and skilled nursing. As caregiver to her father for the past 17 years she relied extensively on non-medical home care services to keep him home, independent and with a high quality of life. In her free time Janice loves the Florida outdoors and spends time fishing, scuba diving, kayaking, and sharing photos of her adventures with her dad.
Michelle comes to FirstLight with 18 years of medical experience. She graduated from Villanova University as a Registered Nurse and has worked in hospitals, outpatient surgical centers and physicians’ offices. After taking time off to be a stay at home mom, Michelle was excited to join her friends to lend her medical expertise to FirstLight of Southern Hillsborough County. Outside of work, you can find Michelle with her family, fishing, boating and taking advantage of the Florida lifestyle. But, in the winter, she likes to return to her northern roots, spending time hiking and skiing in the mountains.
Rich has spent the last 28 years working with Seniors in Skilled Nursing Centers, Assisted Living Facilities, Independent Living Centers and Home Health Agencies. A graduate from the University of Connecticut, he obtained a master’s in business administration and is a licensed Nursing Home Administrator. He is active legislatively in areas that protect the quality of care for our nation’s seniors. He is proud to call Florida home as a 23-year Hillsborough county resident.
Amber Case , Scheduling Coordinator
Amber has been in the business of caregiving all of her adult life with a broad range of experience including caring for family, home health, assisted living facilities, and more. According to Amber, she didn’t chose this line of work…. it chose her. Her passion is to help those in need and provide the best quality of life as she would want for her own family. Amber joined First LightHome Care as a Caregiver who was respected and well-liked by her clients and co-workers. She quickly established herself as an expert in her field. As a result of Amber’s quality work, she was promoted to Scheduling Coordinator for FirstLight Home Care. Amber now applies her skills to the interactions she has with clients, family members, and care team members on a daily basis. Amber consistently goes “above and beyond” for our clients and care team, and we are so fortunate to have her in the FirstLight family.
Jalanika Whiting, Community Liaison
Jalanika started with First Light Home Care as a caregiver, providing companionship and personal care for FirstLight’s clients. It was quickly determined that Jalanika was a superstar in her role. Her clients, family members, and co-workers all raved about her work ethic, compassion, and her ability to improve quality of life. Jalanika was promoted into the office as a Schedule Coordinator where she continued her superstar status. After excelling in this position, Jalanika was promoted into the Inside Sales Coordinator position, followed by another promotion as FirstLight’s Outside Community Liaison where she educates the community and referral sources about the different services FirstLight Home Care provides. Jalanika has excellent organizational and communication skills, and has earned immediate respect from our clients, referral sources, and care team members. We are proud of Jalanika’s accomplishments and look forward to many more years of success at FirstLight Home Care.
Vision & Mission
At FirstLight Home Care, we envision a world in which all adults may age with comfort, dignity and independence in the place they call home. We exist to help people have their best day, every day. Our mission is to provide compassionate home care so that the families we serve have peace of mind knowing their loved ones are receiving the support they need to enjoy the quality of life they deserve.
Core Values
We live these core values every day, without compromise. It’s what we believe in above all else as they guide our company and team members to help us achieve our mission.