New business provides care for people needing non-medical assistance at home

Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BUZZ

IDAHO FALLS

Local nurse launches business providing in-home assistance to clients

IDAHO FALLS – Returning home after a surgery or medical procedure can be challenging for some people due to a variety of things and Natasha Ohene Opare wants to help.

She’s the owner of Synergy Home Care, a service that opened Monday on the second floor of US Bank at 330 Shoup Avenue in downtown Idaho Falls. It caters to anyone from Shelley to St. Anthony who needs temporary or long-term in-home care or assistance. It could be someone who is recovering from a medical procedure and now has physical limitations. It could also include challenges associated with aging or disabilities.

Whatever the case, Ohene Opare and her team are trained to help with any non-medical issues, such as cleaning the house or making meals, helping run errands or simply providing company to someone who is lonely.

Synergy is an international brand and this is its first location in the Gem State, according to its website.

While there are similar companies in the area, Ohene Opare tells EastIdahoNews.com there’s one thing that sets Synergy apart.

“We were attracted to them because we thought the support they give to caregivers was better. They really emphasize creating a culture of support, kindness and help to the caregiver so that they turn around and provide better quality of care,” she says.

And Opare thought this location was appealing because it’s in a central location for her team to receive training and get to client’s homes in a timely manner.

Natasha got her start as a pediatric nurse in 2007. She had a child about a year later and left the profession to be a stay-at-home mom. She re-entered the workforce as a home health nurse for Mountain View Hospital in 2021.

An experience she had with a client during this time made her want to open a business that focused on in-home care.

“He had knee surgery and didn’t have any kids nearby. The only people coming to check on him was home health. We’re only there three to five times for an hour at the most,” she says. “He had a hard time keeping his environment clean, keeping himself clean and getting food to eat. I was worried.”

On top of that, Opare says he was in a lot of pain because he wasn’t taking his medication.

“He didn’t have anyone to pick up his prescriptions,” she recalls.

Opare came to his aid and jumped in to help, setting it up so that medication was delivered to his house and that all his other needs were met.

Ohare has always loved people and that’s why she went into nursing. Human interaction is a critical component of care that often gets overlooked, she says.

“I have learned that a lot of times, the stuff they’re really struggling with is not on the checklist. Figuring that out and seeing if there’s something I can do helps them a lot … and often helps my checklist go better,” she says.

Opare is excited the business is up and running and hopes to have a second location in Rexburg in a few years.

Synergy Home Care is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information, call (208) 516-2041 or visit the website.

BIZ BITS

East Fork Mink Creek Nordic Center opens for the season

POCATELLO – The East Fork Mink Creek Nordic Center seven miles south of Pocatello is officially open for the 2023-24 season.

Due to some early snow and the hard work of volunteers and staff, the center was able to open a week earlier than expected, and 100 percent of the center is ready for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, and fat biking on designated trails.

The trails are open 24/7 via season pass or daily trail pass purchases. When the area is not staffed, users are asked to pay cash using the Red Fee boxes located at each trailhead. Users should check-in at the A-frame when the area is staffed. Cross country ski, snowshoe, and snow tube rentals are available at the center Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The A-frame will be open for limited hours this weekend both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Normal hours will begin the weekend of December 16. The center will be closed for the holidays December 24 and 31.

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