Our founder
Lee’s Story
How one owner’s recovery shaped a better way of caring for seniors in Bayfield, Colorado.
Built for my mother
I built and opened Evenings Porch Assisted Living in 2014. My mother had suffered a stroke, and I set out to build a facility where I knew she would receive the best possible care. Fortunately, her health improved as we were building, and she would not need to move in for several years. Little did I know I would be a resident at Evenings Porch before she was.
We opened our doors in October of that year, and soon had a few residents living at our small facility. We continued to grow. Then, on June 17, 2015, I was involved in a head-on car collision. I had numerous injuries, including whiplash and concussion issues. The accident left me bedridden and wheelchair-bound.
Because the injuries were so severe, I required skilled nursing care and was not eligible to go to a rehabilitation center. I opted to move to Evenings Porch, because as the owner, I did not have to meet state regulations for admission. This would be a turning point for our small community.
Life as a resident
I began to experience life as a resident, not as the proprietor. I started to understand the vulnerability of being dependent on caregivers. While I had the privilege of looking forward to my return home, my fellow residents did not.
My life became a quality control study as I experienced virtually every aspect of life the way our residents did. I had the opportunity to create a safer and more convenient environment for vulnerable seniors.
I realized during my recovery there were many things that Evenings Porch could do to make life healthier and more enjoyable. We began offering healthier food choices, serving primarily organic meals and even growing our own vegetables in the summer. We hung beautiful photos of nature on the walls. We made our surroundings more like home and less like an institution.
Some say my recovery is a miracle, but in reality, it is a function of science, determination, and quality health practitioners. Eventually my mother did move in to Evenings Porch, and lived here for the rest of her life.