Firstlight Resources

Do caregivers deserve overtime? We think so.

From our Care Blog

Many people, including the elderly, caregivers and home care agencies, are wondering how the Dept. of Labor’s proposed changes to the companionship and live-in worker regulations will affect the in-home care industry. In 1974, these regulations originally created a limited exemption from both minimum wage and overtime pay requirements to domestic service workers (i.e. casual babysitters, home companions, maids/home help). Although the regulations have gone unchanged, the in-home care industry has changed dramatically and grown substantially. Yet, the earnings of in-home care employees remain among the lowest in the service industry—the caregivers that are now employed by in-home care agencies...

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Ohio franchisees awarded Best of Home Care

From our Care Blog

Congratulations to Ohio owners John and Jane Moyer on recently achieving the Best of Home Care award which is distributed by Home Care Pulse, a third party provider of client and caregiver satisfaction services to private duty home care agencies. The award is given to the top performers in client satisfaction and demonstrates FirstLight’s ability to provide quality care. The Moyers are the first franchisees to be awarded. Great work, to both!

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Happy New Year and welcome to 2012!

From our Care Blog

Happy New Year! It’s amazing that we’re already through the first week of 2012. Good news to share as we kick off the New Year: Tammy Iuso, recent Franchisee of the Year and owner of FirstLight in Orlando has earned Joint Commission Accreditation. This is quite an accomplishment in the home care industry and Orlando is our first location to earn this accreditation. The Joint Commission is an independent, non-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. This is widely recognized as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s...

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Preparing Your Parents For the Flu Season

From our Care Blog

Preparing for the flu season is vital to the health of your aging parents.  It’s no secret that the elderly are more susceptible to catching the flu virus, so each year it is important to take the proper precautions to keep your parents healthy.  This year, the flu season has started early and appears to be strong, according to the CDC. In order to keep your parents healthy this year, make sure you take the following precautions. Get Vaccinated The first step to prepare for the upcoming flu season is to get your parents vaccinated.  Vaccination is one of the most...

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New Year shows signs of recovery for franchises

From our Care Blog

A recent report by IHS Global Insight for the International Franchise Association Educational Foundation predicts modest growth for franchise businesses in 2012, in areas such as number of establishments, employment, output and contributions to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). This comes after three years of restrained growth due to the recession. The outlook for growth differs among industries with personal services franchises expected to be a leader at 6.2 percent output growth. Overall, franchise business jobs are projected to grow 2.1 percent, with an increase of 168,000 jobs. Here at FirstLight, we have a very positive outlook on 2012’s forecast...

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Family volunteering – the best gift of all

From our Care Blog

This weekend, many families will have the rare opportunity to gather together to celebrate the holidays and wrap-up another great year. The challenge is finding activities that the whole family can enjoy. While you are looking for ways to spend time together, including activities kids and seniors alike will be able to participate in, consider volunteering a little of your time to a less fortunate family or local community organization. No matter where you will be spending your holiday, there are many ways to volunteer. What better gift during the holiday season for someone less fortunate then a little of...

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FirstLight expands in New Jersey

From our Care Blog

We’re excited to introduce our newest franchisee, Eileen Appelblatt, to the Western Monmouth County communities in New Jersey. Eileen, along with her son Jeff, is looking forward to providing top-notch professional, home care services to local seniors and others in her area. Eileen spent over 30 years working as a client relationship manager at a New York brokerage firm before pursuing the home care industry. With her extensive experience working on a personal level with a variety of clients, we know she’ll excel in her new venture with FirstLight. This is our first location in the state and we're excited...

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Fighting holiday stress – a caregiver’s guide

From our Care Blog

We all know the feeling; the anxiety that creeps around in November and builds up as the year end approaches. If you’re a family caregiver, you know this stress all too well. Holiday parties, events, shopping and vacation planning are all top of mind for many people but for family caregivers, the added stress of making sure elderly friends and family are provided for can compound and intensify these feelings. It’s a well known fact that caregiver stress, if not managed, takes a heavy toll on a person’s mental and physical health. Added to the stress that naturally arises around...

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FirstLight welcomes industry veterans to corporate team

From our Care Blog

Here at FirstLight, we are pleased to announce the addition of Shirley Weber and Dan Roberts to our corporate team as directors of business development and team support. Shirley comes to us with over 13 years of experience in the home care industry, having been a partner in and operated Houston’s largest and most successful senior home care company for eight years, with five additional years spent running her own successful home care consultant practice, working with independents and franchise systems alike with a solid track record of success. Based out of Houston, Texas, Weber will support FirstLight franchisees in...

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The "Shock and Awe" of a cancer diagnosis

From our Care Blog

Today we have another great post from our guest blogger Joni Aldrich, author, speaker and radio show host. Happy Thanksgiving! So much to be thankful for this year. When the word “cancer” is used in a sentence that’s associated with someone you love, it becomes surreal and bizarre. However—now more than ever—you can’t allow that to skew the important decisions ahead. Until it hits home, when you hear of people with cancer, you think, “How awful.” In the back of your mind, you say a silent prayer: “Please, God, don’t ever let that happen to me or my family.” We...

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