Author: Celeste McLaughlin

Hourly Childcare With No Reservations: Just Drop In At KidsPark!

kidspark-copy — Owner Amanda Justus (left) and director Heather Perez invite you to check out KidsPark, located just off I-75 on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.

KidsPark is a totally new concept in childcare for the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area.

“If you’re a mom, you get it,” says Amanda Justus, the owner of the KidsPark Tampa, located just off of S.R. 56, east of I-75, in Wesley Chapel. She explains that KidsPark is available for children ages 2 through 12, for drop-in childcare.

“We offer hourly childcare on days, evenings and weekends with no reservations,” says Amanda. “For date nights, meetings, grocery shopping, appointments, anything… you just drop your kids off.”

The concept is popular. Since opening in August, KidsPark has registered about 600 families. The Wesley Chapel location is part of a growing franchise headquartered in San Jose, CA. Its 17 locations are in seven states, including three KidsPark facilities in Florida.

“My first experience with hourly childcare was when I was living in North Carolina and my husband was in the Marines,” Amanda says. “Hourly childcare saved my life. Sometimes, it was the only way for me to get to the store or clean the house.”

Amanda and her husband Ricky live in Wesley Chapel with their two children, Camryn, who is 10, and Gavin, who is 6. Amanda worked as a microbiologist at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel before leaving her job to focus on opening and running KidsPark. While her undergraduate degree is in microbiology from the University of South Florida in Tampa, she also holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from nearby St. Leo University, which she earned in 2013.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own business, and I knew this was something the area needed,” she says.

When Amanda realized that she could open a KidsPark franchise, she says she signed the paperwork immediately, “And, it’s exceeded our expectations.”

KidsPark’s full-time director, Heather Perez, has 20 years of experience as a preschool director in Pasco County. “Heather has been a huge help for me,” says Amanda. “My background is in science, so it’s great that Heather understands all of the licensing and requirements.”

Meeting Your Needs

For anyone who works 12-hour shifts or evening hours, such as nurses, servers, or anyone in retail, traditional daycare just doesn’t work. Amanda says that since her husband is a firefighter, she used to pay for full-time childcare, even though she didn’t need it.

kidspark3 — Whether your kids are pre-school age or as old as age 12, they are welcome to enjoy KidsPark.

Dads and moms apparently like it for date night, too. “Parents tell us we’re saving their marriages,” says Amanda. “Dads actually high-five us and say thank you.”

KidsPark has something for all kids, from dramatic play to air hockey, board games and puzzles, as well as karaoke, Wii dance, Wii sports, and Xbox. Kids Park also has a private, enclosed outdoor space so kids can get some fresh air.

While visitors to KidsPark get time for open play, there also are scheduled activities. “We try to make sure every child takes home a craft or art project,” Amanda says, “so parents can see what they’ve been doing.”

KidsPark serves lunch at noon every day, and dinner at 6 p.m. The meals are catered and cost just $4. Snacks are provided at no additional charge at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

“It’s huge to know that you always have child care, and – unlike what might happen with a babysitter – that they aren’t just sitting there watching TV,” Amanda says.

Preschool, Too

In addition to hourly childcare, KidsPark offers both Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) for four year olds and preschool for ages two and three.

KidsPark’s one VPK class filled up quickly. These families use a voucher and pay nothing when they pick their child up by noon. On any day, whether the parent is running late or would like additional childcare, the kid simply stays longer and parents pay just the regular hourly rate for any additional time.

“Buddy Preschool” also is held each day from 9 a.m. to noon, but parents have the flexibility to choose which days they attend and pay hourly just for the times their child is there.

Affordable Rates

“We try to make it so everyone can afford child care,” Amanda says. The hourly rate is just $7.75 for one child, or $11.75 for two. Additional siblings are $3 per hour. A “preferred customer rate” is available for anyone who pre-pays $100 or more (in $50 increments, up to $250). Ten percent is added to your prepayment, so if you pre-pay $100, you actually get $110 credited to your account.

There is a $25 registration fee per family (not per child), which is a one-time fee, as long as you come at least once a year. Also, once you’ve paid the registration fee at any facility, you can use all of the KidsPark facilities across the country if you’re traveling.

Amanda also offers discounts to hospital employees and to anyone in the military.

On Sundays, before and after Kids Park is open, the staff hosts birthday parties and other private parties.

“For a private party, you have the whole center to yourselves,” says Amanda. “You choose a craft and a game, and the cost includes face painting, two staff members to keep the kids busy, and also includes invitations, paper products and even decorations.”

Happy Customers

Denise Drury’s two-year-old twins, John and James, were KidsPark’s very first clients.

“It’s a wonderful place,” says Denise. “The caregivers there treat my boys like they’re their own.”

Denise adds that KidsPark is, “the best concept ever, for a mom to be able to drop her kids off at the last minute,” whether it’s for grocery shopping, an appointment, or a night out with her husband. “It’s affordable, and I can’t get over all of the activities the kids get to do there.”

KidsPark is located at 26240 Golden Maple Loop, just off of S.R. 56 (east of I-75) in Wesley Chapel. The center is open Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–10 p.m., 8 a.m.–midnight on Friday, 10 a.m.–midnight on Saturday, and 1 p.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, see the ad on page 18, call 803-4972, or visit KidsPark.com.

KidsPark

Dreaming Of A White Christmas? VIP Pest Control Can Blanket Your Lawn In ‘Snow!’

vippest1 — VIP Pest Control owner Vicki Hutto (with her pomeranians Chloe, left, and Bailey) can promise you a White Christmas this year.

On Thanksgiving night, when Meadow Pointe resident Vicki Hutto has her yard set up for Christmas and flips the switch to light the decorations for the first time this season, not only will her lawn be ornamented with reindeer and snowmen, but also with a white sparkle that is reminiscent of northern winters. She’ll have a dusting of “snow” on her lawn, thanks to a service now being offered by her company, VIP Pest Control.

Vicki is both the owner and operator of VIP Pest Control, which is celebrating its tenth year in business in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas in Pasco and Hillsborough counties. While the company’s specialty is keeping homes, businesses and lawns free from nuisance animals and insects (including termites, mosquitoes, ants, roaches, bed bugs and more), Vicki has developed a creative way to help those who have been dreaming of a white Christmas experience it here in Florida.

vipsnow The VIP Pest Control lawn care technicians will actually paint your lawn white, providing the perfect backdrop for seasonal decorations. “We even figured out a way to make it sparkle, if you want,” says Vicki.

Vicki recalls an elderly customer who wanted snow in her yard, like she had up north, “and she sang Christmas songs from her wheelchair while she watched her lawn being painted,” she says. Vicki tells of another customer who wanted to propose marriage with a white Christmas backdrop. Now, Vicki is offering a way to make that happen, too.

“We use an organic paint that is kid- and pet-friendly,” she explains. “Dogs can play on it and kids can sit on it for pictures.”

How does it work? “We spray the lawn three times, so that all sides of each blade of grass are completely covered. It won’t rub off, wash off, or wear off, but it is removed after about three grass clippings.” She says that since grass is dormant in the winter, that usually takes about three months.

Especially for northerners who may miss the white beauty of winter, but not the cold, Vicki says, “Here’s your white Christmas.”

For videos that show the treatment being applied, and the results of one home’s snow application, visit VIPPestControlLLC.com/snow.

Green Lawns, Too!

Year-’round, the team at VIP Pest Control works to keep lawns pest-free, which helps them stay green and healthy. In the winter, when grass is dormant, you may have brown patches that take time to correct. VIP Pest Control offers a service to paint your lawn green until the brown patches grow back healthy. If your homeowners association requires you to have a green lawn, call VIP Pest Control to learn about painting it green for the winter.

Like all of VIP Pest Control’s treatments, the green lawn treatment also is environmentally friendly and can be used on lawns where both pets and kids play.

In Your Home…

This is the time of year when VIP Pest Control gets many calls about roaches and rodents, especially as people get boxes out of their attics with holiday decorations for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“If you see signs of rodents (such as droppings or noises), call us right away,” says Vicki. “Rodents can be dangerous, because they can chew through wires and actually set your whole house on fire.”

Vicki says people often see roaches, especially palmetto bugs, which like to live in cardboard, and German roaches, which can be transported into your home as eggs on boxes delivered by shipping companies.

“German roaches are the ones that will make you sick,” she says. “They’re much smaller than the big palmetto bugs, but they carry diseases.”

And, while termites don’t typically swarm in winter, Vicki says that all Floridians need to be aware that both drywood and subterranean termites can cause damage to your home year-’round. With the drywood termites, sometimes people get a “false swarm.” When you turn on your heat, termites may think it’s swarm season and fly out of the walls of your home to mate. There’s nothing “false” about what they do to your home behind those walls, though.

“When that swarm is gone and you no longer see them, you still have termites,” Vicki explains. “They eat the wood of your home 24 hours a day, and there’s nothing you can do to get rid of them yourself. You really have to call a professional.”

When a VIP Pest Control technician comes out to your home to inspect for termites, they’ll help you determine what conditions in and around your house might lead to termites. For example, termites have easy access to your home when you have mulch up against your house, tree branches or plants that touch your house, or wood-to-ground contact. Hutto says you can help keep termites away from your home by reducing these “conducive conditions.”

When Vicki established VIP in 2006, she says it was her goal to provide a higher level of customer service than other local companies. She says she chose to name her business “VIP” to indicate that to her, customers are, “Very Important People.”

That’s why, for example, you’ll always talk with a live person when you call VIP’s office. “We give our customers personal attention,” explains Vicki. “No two people are alike, and no two houses are alike.”

Same-day service is often available, especially if you have a serious issue that needs immediate attention. “If you call us in the morning,” says Vicki, “we can usually work you in that day.”

One of the company’s VIP customers is April Saland, who called Vicki when she discovered flying insects in her home.

“VIP came right out and told me I had subterranean termites,” says Saland. “It was a horrible issue, but Vicki held my hand and walked me through the process. She was awesome, and made us comfortable knowing she could save our home.”

VIP Pest Control is located at 119 Flagship Dr., in Lutz. It is open Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. For info, visit VIPPestControlLLC.com or call 234-8888. Also, check out VIP Pest Control on Episode 1 of WCNT-tv on YouTube.

vip pest control

Vote through Nov. 17 for John Long Middle School

fl-jlms-yolo-entry — John Long Middle School students entered this photo into a nationwide contest bringing awareness to the dangers of drug use. You can vote for their entry at http://redribbon.org/vote/#view/43801/4183314.

Every year, students across the U.S. participate in “Red Ribbon Week” during the week of October 23-31, to pledge to be drug-free.

The theme for this year’s campaign was “YOLO – You Only Live Once.” Students at John Long Middle School in Wiregrass Ranch kicked off the event by inviting students and their families to paint “wise owls” at Pinot’s Palette, located in The Shoppes at New Tampa plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., south of S.R. 56. The owl paintings incorporated both the double-looped red ribbon that signifies Red Ribbon Week, and the “YOLO” theme.

Images of these paintings were then turned into a banner that will hang in the school. Gianna Ginsen, a student in John Long’s after-school photography club, took a picture of the banner — along with a group of students spelling out the theme “YOLO” with their bodies — to enter into the official annual nationwide photo contest. If Long proves to be the highest vote-getter in its region at RedRibbon.org/vote by Nov. 17, the school will win $1,000 and an iPad. The winners will be announced at that website, starting Friday, December 2.

“I don’t think a lot of students understand what Red Ribbon Week is really about,” says Angie Bastedo, the vice president of programs for the school’s PTSA and the event’s organizer. “This year, I hoped to bring more awareness as to why we’re encouraging students to wear a hat or crazy socks during Red Ribbon Week.”

Angie, who says she recently lost her nephew to drug use, says while conversations about not using drugs start at home, “it doesn’t hurt to bring the message to school, too,” she says. “Especially in middle school, kids sometimes listen to other people more than their parents. They need to know that all it takes is once. Don’t even try using drugs, because your first time could be your last time.”

The National Family Partnership created the National Red Ribbon Campaign in response to the 1985 abduction and murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Long Middle School is one of many in the area that recognize this week each year to encourage students not to use drugs.

When Your Loved One Needs Care At Home, Optimal Wellness Can Help

Andre and Monique Hikel own Optimal Wellness Home Healthcare, which has been located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off Commerce Park Blvd. since August 2014. The company cares for patients in their homes in New Tampa and Hillsborough County, as well as in Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, and Polk counties.

Monique earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa in 1994, and has been a practicing Registered Nurse (RN) for 22 years. She also earned a combined Master of Science in Nursing and Master of Business Administration (MSN/MBA) degree from the University of Phoenix in 2004.

Monique also has worked as a clinical instructor for students earning their BSN degrees at both the University of Tampa and at USF. Monique works at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) as a labor and delivery nurse, which she says helps her to keep her nursing skills current as she also runs Optimal Wellness.

Andre was a tennis professional whose career took an unexpected turn when he was injured in a car accident.

He started working in the financial industry, and ended up continuing in that career for the past 11 years, until leaving recently to focus on building Optimal Wellness Home Healthcare with Monique.

They consider this business a merger of their skills. Monique’s title is Director of Nursing and Administrator, and she oversees the clinical and records-keeping side of the business. Andre handles the financial and marketing aspects. “This business allows us to combine our strengths,” says Andre. “It’s both of our passions to give back and to make a difference.”

Monique & Andre’s Story

Andre and Monique have lived in Wesley Chapel for 16 years and are now raising their three kids – Joshua, 7; Alexandrea, 9; and Alivia, 11 – along with their niece, Phylecia, who is 15.

“Based on our history, we want to make sure we are always giving great care to our patients,” says Andre. “Quality of care is very near and dear to our hearts.”

That history includes losing both Andre’s dad and Monique’s mom to cancer, and Andre’s mom being diagnosed as schizophrenic when he was a young boy in his native Trinidad. And, there’s this: The couple’s son was diagnosed with cancer in December of 2015 when he was five, but now he is in full remission.

“Joshua’s diagnosis of cancer gave us confirmation of the great need for home health care,” says Monique. “We started the business in August of 2014 and Joshua was diagnosed in December. It was hard to continue the business at that time, but God gave us the strength to forge through and opportunities presented themselves that gave us further confirmation during that difficult time.”

In-Home Specialists

“We can take care of anything in the home,” says Monique, explaining that Optimal Wellness provides health care professionals such as CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistants), home health aides, or RNs, depending upon what level of care is needed.

Currently, the company specializes in care for patients with Alzheimer’s, hypertension, diabetes and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases), and also offers respite care, to give caretakers a break from their responsibilities.

Another area of service is infusion care, such as antibiotics or other medications that needs to be administered via injection.

Monique says each condition requires specific training and care, which Optimal Wellness provides. For example, for patients with Alzheimer’s, “We go through extensive training to be sure our providers are equipped for these patients,” she says. “There’s a way to speak to them and to approach them. For example, sometimes they become aggressive, so you have to stay calm and not take it personally. It’s part of their disease.”

If a patient needs full-time care but doesn’t want to live in an assisted living facility (ALF), Optimal Wellness can provide 24-hour care in his or her own home.

“It’s a good option for someone who doesn’t want to go into an ALF,” says Monique.

Some of the company’s clients are leaving the hospital or rehab facilities and need temporary care in their homes.

“We also have long-term clients in assisted living facilities who need 24-hour care, seven days a week,” says Andre. “The families of these clients have hired us to provide supplemental care during ‘down times’ at the ALF. The patient needs extra attention, so the family pays out of pocket.”

For now, Andre says all of the company’s clients are self-pay. Optimal Wellness has gone through the application process to be able to accept Medicare, and has received confirmation that the company meets all of the stringent regulations, but a moratorium is currently preventing them from being approved as a Medicare provider.

Optimal Wellness is in the process of working with several insurance companies to be approved providers with individual companies and expects to begin accepting insurance soon.

Quality, Personalized Care

“We are quality people giving exceptional care, and we want to treat everyone as family,” says Monique.

To ensure each patient receives exceptional care, Monique and Andre say Optimal Wellness follows a specific routine with the family and caretaker, and has a weekly “quality call” to ensure everything is going according to plan.

That call helps to makes sure everyone is on the same page. If a caregiver was a few minutes late, or if there was a minor issue that needs attention, it can be dealt with immediately. “We want our clients to be assured they’re getting the best care possible, and these calls seem to put them at ease,” explains Andre.

Optimal Wellness creates an individual care plan that is gone over with each patient’s family. “We address specific, individual needs and match each patient to the caretaker who suits them the best,” he says.

Monique explains that the company is accredited through CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Partner), which is a many-months-long process that ensures compliance with stringent standards. While accreditation is required for home health companies, it is not required for all staffing companies or registries.

“We want to be known as a company that gives exceptional quality care,” says Monique, and she knows that starts with the professionals who are in their patients’ homes, providing that care.

“We ask our professionals to look at their patients and see their own mom or dad, and proceed accordingly,” Monique adds. “Treat them the way you would want someone to treat your mom or dad.”

They start with hiring only well-qualified, experienced caretakers. Monique says CNAs and home health aides must have at least one year of experience, and RNs must have at least two years of experience.

The company also does a “Level 2” background check, which means that the new employee’s background is searched in all 50 states, not just Florida. Monique says they will not send a healthcare professional out to a home until that background check comes back clear.

And then, they are trained. “Prior to going out to any of our homes, the nurses, CNAs and home health aides that work for us receive training,” says Monique. “Even if a health care provider is an RN with years of experience, we ensure they are trained by us and understand the specific care plan of the patient they will visit before they are sent out to someone’s home.”

Optimal Wellness provided care for Celsa Villanueva, who lives in Cross Creek. She is a diabetic with multiple health issues, and her nephew, Carlos Velazquez, says Monique provided great care for her during a time when she was in need.

“She taught my aunt a lot about what to do when her sugar was low, or high, and helped her organize her medication,” he says. “She explained all the medications and their side effects, and taught her how to tell the difference between pills that look alike.”

Carlos added, “I would recommend her in a heartbeat. She was very professional and caring, and very good to my aunt.”

Optimal Wellness Home Healthcare is available for care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Office hours are Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, see the ad on page 46, call 381-5415 or visit OptimalWellnessHomeHealthcare.com.

Optimal Wellness

Visiting Angels Brings Care To Your Loved Ones In Their Own Homes

(L.–r.) Visiting Angels office assistant Jeannine Konrad, office manager Wendy Blackmon & owner Christal Becton will make sure your loved ones get the best care possible when they need to be cared for at home.

Christal Becton opened Visiting Angels to serve New Tampa and other parts of Hillsborough County in 2004. As the franchise owner and director, she says she feels blessed to be in the business of helping senior citizens and their families.

Visiting Angels provides home care services as an alternative to moving into a nursing home, retirement center or assisted living facility, allowing seniors and others in need to maintain the independence of their daily routines in the comfort of their own homes. It is a nationally branded company, headquartered in Pennsylvania, with 500 locations across the U.S.

“When my 84-year-old aunt, who lived in Columbia, SC, needed assistance, I had to hire a caregiver for her because I was unable to keep traveling back and forth to care for her,” Christal explains. “I believe that’s what started me on the road to in-home care. After my husband retired from the military, and I was ready to get out of my job in corporate America, I began looking into franchises. That’s when I found Visiting Angels.”

Christal opened the Visiting Angels office on N. 56th St. (south of Fowler Ave.) in Temple Terrace, minutes from most of New Tampa.

She has a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, and a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix campus in Albuquerque, NM. She also has a wealth of previous nursing home experience, having served as Chief of Recreation Therapy at a nursing home in Albuquerque.

While the business has grown over the past 12 years, Christal says that what hasn’t changed is her passion for helping people and for matching clients with caregivers to give them the help they need in their homes.

“I enjoy working with seniors in need,” says Christal. “So, this is the perfect profession for me.”

She says every aspect of running Visiting Angels is rewarding. “The challenges are learning experiences and never a burden. We really have very few issues.”

Services

“Most of our clients are seniors who need some extra help,” Christal explains. “We also can help anyone over 18 who needs assistance. Younger people sometimes need help, too, due to their own physical challenges or health issues.”

Available services include everything from helping someone temporarily recover from an illness or surgery to providing ongoing companionship to a senior who just needs a friend.

“We also go grocery shopping and run errands, prepare meals, assist with personal care and do light housekeeping,” Christal adds. She says some clients require help with bathing or shaving, some just need a hand getting up in the morning and starting their day, while others may need clothes laundered and linens changed.

One difficulty common for many seniors, especially those who don’t drive or have a relative nearby, is arranging transportation to their doctors’ appointments. Visiting Angels’ staff will transport clients to and from their appointments, and always remain on site throughout their clients’ visits.

“We provide the vehicle,” Christal says, adding that the service is a relief to relatives who find it difficult to take time off from work to drive their loved ones to their medical appointments.

Visiting Angels accommodates its clients’ schedules, whether they need a few hours of assistance a week or even 24-hour-per-day, 7-day-per-week care. Day or night, weekends or holidays, temporary or long-term, Visiting Angels can help.

Care Providers

Visiting Angels’ healthcare providers include about 50 Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and Home Health Assistants (HHAs). Christal says that her company serves about 40-60 clients in New Tampa, Temple Terrace and other surrounding areas.

She adds that the company runs a comprehensive background screening on all caregivers. Christal says she is very selective about who she chooses to help her clients. Many are graduates of medical academies that specialize in home care and/or have worked at assisted living facilities or in other health care environments. Christal says Visiting Angels caregivers choose to specialize in home care because they enjoy the personal interaction with only one or two clients.

“One of my CNAs has been with the same client since 2004,” she says. “In hiring, I make sure my staff has a passion for doing what they do, and that they have a strong employment history in caring for seniors.”

Christal also interacts with each new family who calls Visiting Angels and requests a free, in-home assessment.

“I personally do each new client assessment myself,” she says. “I like to make a connection with the family. I get to see how they live and learn about their background, which makes it easier to connect them with the right caregiver.”

During the in-home assessment, she reviews each client’s needs and asks about the types of services desired, noting the patient’s daily routine, meals, proximity to doctors’ offices and number of regularly scheduled appointments. She then prepares a care plan and selects the caregivers who are best suited to meet your needs.

After personally meeting all of the available caregivers, you get to choose the candidate you prefer.

“One of the things that sets Visiting Angels apart from other home care services is that our clients get to choose their caregivers,” Christal explains. “People don’t just show up and say, ‘I’m here to take care of you.’ Our clients actually meet the caregivers beforehand, so they already feel comfortable with the person who will be caring for them.”

These caregivers become an important part of each patient’s routines, and often, families let Christal know the significance of the care their loved one received in their time of need.

“Thank you for the wonderful care you provided,” said a grateful family in a letter to Visiting Angels. “You were more than a caregiver to us, you quickly became a friend… [Mom] so appreciated your presence and friendship, as we all did… It was always a relief to us to know that when we needed you, we had no worries at all about Mom being taken good care of.”

Christal says that technology also allows her to keep in close contact with the families of her clients — whether they are out of town or busy working, a quick text or email keeps Christal, the caregiver and the family all on the same page regarding a patient’s care.

In addition, technology allows Visiting Angels to provide information to the community, even those who aren’t her clients.

Christal sends out a newsletter and also provides information on the company’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/VisitingAngelsTampaFL, informing people about dementia, caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, fall prevention and other issues that affect seniors.

“The greatest change I’ve seen as a business is our ability to communicate with the community and use technology effectively to reach out to the community and be a resource,” she says.

Visiting Angels is located at 9812 N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace. And, for a special offer just for readers who mention the Neighborhood News, call Christal at 929-7067.

visiting angels