Local Resident Leaves 22-Year Legal Career, Opens First of 12 Locations in State

(Hazelwood, Mo.)--- For Godfrey, Ill. resident Jacqueline O'Quinn, opening an in-home care business is the fulfillment of a lifelong goal to help others improve their quality of life. Her Hazelwood location, which opens Oct. 1 at 320 Brookes Drive, is the first FirstLight HomeCare franchise in the state of Missouri. The company expects to open a total of 12 locations in the state over the next 3-5 years, with five locations planned for the greater St. Louis area.

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"I have been a caregiver since childhood, when I cared for my grandmother after a stroke," O'Quinn said. "Owning a home care business is my true purpose in life."

Prior to FirstLight, O'Quinn worked at top law firms in Washington, D.C., where she worked long hours and kept a hectic schedule. She returned home to the St. Louis area in 1999 to care for her terminally ill father and therein rediscovered her passion for helping others.

Shortly thereafter her mother began displaying signs of Alzheimer's disease and O'Quinn, who had rejoined the legal industry shortly before her father's death, once again became a caregiver while working long hours at a demanding job. She hired several top home care companies with disastrous results. That cemented her resolve to open her own business.

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"Caring for my parents, who had loved me and cared for me their entire lives, showed me that home care is truly my calling and an obvious next step in my career."

O'Quinn said she had been telling friends and family about her desire to open a home care company for years before finally becoming a FirstLight franchisee. She said she was drawn to the company because of their extensive resources for business owners and their conscientious approach to home care.

"With FirstLight, I'm able to combine my personal experiences, business skills and passion for giving people a better quality of life with the support of a top-notch franchise that has 40 years of senior care experience."

With her Hazelwood location ready to open, O'Quinn is already looking into the future. She said she hopes to open another location in and around her hometown of Alton, Ill., in the next 12 to 18 months.

FirstLight HomeCare provides professional, non-medical, live-in and hourly care services to seniors and others who need assistance with the activities of daily living and personal care. FirstLight caregivers are employees of each FirstLight franchise owner and are bonded, licensed, and insured. FirstLight currently has 41 locations in 20 states. For more information, visit www.firstlighthomecare.com.

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