About FirstLight
in Melbourne
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.
Local residents Grayson and Karen Hausman shares a common philosophy of “Love God, Love People… Serve God, Serve People.” They feel blessed to have an opportunity to work in this community and take on the role of Senior Care Advocate.
After 30 years of clinical and commercial management experience in biotech, Grayson decided the time was perfect to combine his business skills and his passion to serve others. Karen, Grayson’s wife of 38 years, was instrumental in helping start FirstLight of Melbourne by utilizing her valuable customer service and relationship management skills. With a desire to give back to their community coupled with the rapidly growing in-home care industry, they decided to open FirstLight Home Care, one of the fastest and most successful Home Care Organizations in the country. “From the day we decided to open up FirstLight Home Care of Melbourne in 2014, we knew we had a unique opportunity to impact our community and serve as Senior Care Advocates, representing the needs of seniors throughout Brevard County and beyond,” says Grayson.
Prior to entering into Home Care, Grayson engaged in a “due diligence project” to identify the unmet needs in the Senior Home Care Market. “I spoke to Physicians, Case Managers, Social Workers, Supervisors in Assisted Living Facilities and other professionals in the Senior Care Market. I quickly found out that there are many Home Care Companies in Brevard but few with licensed / certified caregivers that are trained beyond the state requirements, FBI Level II background checked, fully insured, and committed to serve seniors”. Additionally, I was surprised to find out that many Home Care Companies in Brevard are “Registries” meaning they send contractors (non-employees) into your house which can put your assets and savings at risk. Many consider Registries as simply “employment agencies:. By allowing contractors / non-employees into the caring aspect of your life, there are some inherent risks that you accept. According to Florida State law, Registries are to make you aware that they have some limitations in their service offering with you. Many Seniors have worked hard to save for their senior years. They have saved to make aging at home a reality. By allowing a Registry (non-employed caregiver) into your home that does not have crucial insurance coverages can put your assets and savings at risk. Other potential issues to consider: Will the Registry caregiver ask you to pay federal, state, social security and unemployment taxes at the end of the year since you are considered the employer? Will the case be “hands on” supervised to make sure you are receiving the quality care you deserve? What type of training is provided to keep the caregivers current and able to provide you the best care? By not supplying the supervision, training and insurances, a Registry can often cut costs – but the few dollars that may be saved up front can turn out to be a life changing inconvenience and cost you financial hardship.
I also was made aware that there are approximately 10,000 people a day turning 65 in the US and they have made it clear that their desire is to remain in-home and independent for as long as possible. FirstLight is committed to engaging and educating the community about the value of in home care but also other options available to them such as Assisted Living, Independent Care, Nursing Homes and even Hospice Care. “We see ourselves bringing value by sitting down with families to gain insight of their needs, expectations and resources. Once these are understood, we can lay out the care options and decide what is best for their aging parents or loved ones.”
The entire FirstLight Home Care Team looks forward to providing extraordinary caregivers and delivering exceptional care to those needing home care services in Brevard County.
Grayson Hausman, Owner
Grayson Hausman has 40 years of experience in the medical, patient care field. He began his career with Teva Pharmaceuticals in 1984 while also studying to earn his master’s degree in Family Counseling. Throughout his career in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology he continued to take on more responsibility as a Manager, Director, and Vice President in various commercial positions. In 2014, Grayson was compelled to open up FirstLight Home Care of Melbourne. “Through personal experience and in speaking to many senior care providers, I discovered how much our senior population wanted to maintain their independence and dignity by aging gracefully in their own home.” Since then, FirstLight Home Care of Melbourne has become the premier in-home care team in Brevard. Our mission is clear: “We exist to help others have their best day, every day.” This is what has made FirstLight unique. Grayson has been a Brevard resident for 14 years with his wife of 42 years. He has 2 adult children and 8 grandchildren. He is active in his local church, enjoys fishing, music, and spoiling his grandchildren.
Gail Thuraphan, Director of Operations
Compassion, Commitment, and Adaptability are the words used to describe Gail, who is our Director of Operations at FirstLight Home care of Melbourne. Gail has more than 15 years of experience partnering with the senior community. She has an extensive customer service and business management background. Gail is responsible for ensuring a high quality of service for hundreds of clients throughout the year. Her goal is to ensure that FirstLight provides quality care that is tailored to make a difference in our clients’ lives. Gail states: “Our client’s genuine health, safety, and independence is her top priority. As the leader of FirstLight’s staff, Gail oversees the functions of HR, Scheduling, Training and ensuring exceptional care. Gail is excited to be a part of the FirstLight family and to make a difference in our clients and caregivers’ lives. When she is not working, Gail is attending her son’s basketball games cheering on her son. She also enjoys traveling and spending quality time with family.
Kathleen Cordero, HR Manager
Kathleen Cordero, our HR manager, has been working in the healthcare industry since 2011. Her primary responsibilities include hiring and orienting new employees to FirstLight Home Care. As a member of a military family, she has lived in many parts of the country although she considers Florida her home. In her spare time, her favorite activities include cooking, spending time with family and enjoying Florida’s beautiful landscape. She enjoys serving our senior community and enjoys the challenges of helping others have their best day, every day.
Jennifer Haight, Administrative Support Specialist
Jennifer has been with FirstLight Home Care of Melbourne since June of 2022 where she came aboard as a Scheduling Specialist. Through the years, her dedication and positive personality has allowed her to be “the voice” of FirstLight as our Administrative Support Specialist. Jennifer has worked in the medical field for over 10 years in many different responsibilities/roles. She loves helping people and families. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her kids, watching volleyball and cheering for her favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings.
Karen Jolly, RN
Karen brings 30 years’ experience to our seniors in Brevard . She has spent time providing care in hospice, skilled nursing and rehab settings. She is primarily responsible for intakes and supervisory visits – ensuring FirstLight is delivering the best in-home care possible. She also is involved in the development and management of our staff training. A native of Williamsburg, Virginia, Karen holds a B.A. in psychology and political science from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, a diploma in nursing from Riverside School of Health Sciences, and a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary. She is a fan of the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Commanders. She and her husband live in Rockledge with their Maine Coon cat, Calypso.
Jan Darling, RN
Jan’s first experience with FirstLight Home Care was as her provider of choice for her mom. After “weeks of research,” she determined this was the agency she could trust to give her mom the best possible care. The three years of exceptional care her mom received inspired Jan to become part of the FirstLight team. She has 30 plus years of a wide variety of nursing experience, including more than 10 years in Home Health Care. Her primary responsibility will be supervising the care we provide to our veterans. Jan served both in the Air Force and Air National Guard, and she’s honored to serve her fellow veterans through FirstLight. Her dad was a career Air Force Chaplain, so she moved frequently, but considers Alabama, Minnesota, and Florida to be home. She received her BSN from University of South Alabama in Mobile. She enjoys spending time with her family, including cats Maizee and Luckie, reading, kayaking, and anything Alabama Crimson Tide, and Minnesota Twins or Vikings.
Donna Souder, LPN/CDP/CADDCT
Donna is responsible for developing and implementing our training curriculum for caregivers which among many topics includes Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Hospice, Palliative Care, Parkinson’s Disease, Fall Prevention, Communication with Families and other common needs that arise when providing in-home care. Her role is to ensure that all our caregivers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and support to provide the highest level of care. Donna is a Certified Dementia Practitioner as well as a Certified Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Trainer – a rare certification that is a prestigious indication of dementia care expertise. Donna found her passion for working with seniors through personal life experiences. Donna is passionate about caring for people and seeing them thrive. She is a natural nurturer. In her spare time Donna likes to bake and decorate cakes and cookies – from scratch.
Keymeca Alexander, Caregiver Advocate / Social Media Specialist
Keymeca Alexander is our Caregiver Advocate and Social Media Specialist. She has worked with FirstLight Home Care since 2021. Keymeca has had many different roles at FirstLight, from starting as a caregiver to assisting and mentoring our nurses and schedulers. Before joining FirstLight, Keymeca worked for 8 years in the homecare and medical field. Keymeca is a native of Florida and loves living here because of its diverse communities. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two children Maloni and Malakhi, traveling with family, and event planning. Keymeca’s kindness, adaptability, and expertise have been a great asset to our office team.
Debbie Ameigh, Scheduling Manager
Debbie has called West Melbourne FL home for nearly 50 years, almost making her a true native of the area. A devoted lover of the beach, she finds peace and joy by the shore. With a heart full of compassion, Debbie serves at her church, Calvary Chapel Melbourne, dedicating herself to helping others. Known for her vibrant spirit, she embraces life’s full range of emotions, laughing, singing, and crying with those around her. Her genuine care for people is at the core of everything she does.
Manesha Williams, Lead Scheduler
Manesha has had a lifelong passion for caring for others, with over 20 plus years of experience in the healthcare industry. Manesha joined FirstLight as a caregiver and later transitioned to a scheduler position. In Manesha’s role as a scheduler, she is responsible for maintaining, managing and coordinating day-to-day caregiver and clients’ schedules. Manesha works closely with our caregivers as well as our clients and families to find the best possible matches to ensure a supportive and collaborative environment – this helps Manesha to develop mutual respect and trust with those she works with. In her spare time, Manesha enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, shopping at Target, and traveling.
All new caregivers go through a background check, as required by Florida law.
Learn more about The Florida Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse here.
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 is what we believe in above all else as they guide our home care company and team members to help us achieve our mission.
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