Integrative Health Caregiver & Recreational Companion

Integrative Health Caregiver & Recreational Companion James Peth Fort Collins, CO Job Details Part-time | Full-time $25 - $40 an hour 19 hours ago Benefits Paid training Paid holidays Employee assistance program Professional development assistance Flexible schedule Paid sick time Qualifications CPR Certification Passenger vehicle Patient lift systems Dressing assistance Mobility assistance Driver's License First Aid Certification Meal preparation Working with individuals with physical disabilities Providing care for clients Bathing assistance Meal assistance Full Job Description Integrative Health Caregiver & Recreational Companion Fort Collins, CO | $25-$40/hour I'm James. I'm a nutrition professor at Colorado State University and I've lived with a C5 spinal cord injury since 1999. I live independently in Old Town Fort Collins with the help of a small care team, and I'm looking to bring one more person onto that team. I'm looking for someone who can give me real, consistent coverage across my week and grow into the person who can handle every part of my care. Trained across all of it, comfortable in any situation, fun to be around, and able to travel with me when I visit family or take a vacation. That person becomes the backbone of my care team, and the path forward includes full-time hours, top-of-range pay, and a real conversation about benefits after six months. The Role You'd be trained on everything: morning routines, transfers, catheter and colostomy care, medication management, monitoring for autonomic dysreflexia, meal prep, transportation, errands, and the household side of keeping life running. The goal is for you to step into any part of my day and handle it confidently, calmly, and well. This is a personal care position, and it's personal. We get to know each other. We share meals, go to live music, hit a restaurant or trivia night, and build something real. The people who thrive here aren't just clinically skilled. They care about people. They're invested in making someone else's life better, and they let that investment go both ways. You don't need to arrive knowing every aspect of SCI care. The right person will be trained thoroughly and given time to grow into the full role. Hours and Pay You would ultimately work 15 to 35 hours a week, with room to grow into a bigger role once we know each other. Regular weekend availability is critical. I'm looking for someone who can start training this summer and has increased availability over time. Your schedule should not be dictated by an academic calendar or holiday breaks. Pay starts at $25/hour and moves toward the top of the range as you take on more hours and demonstrate consistent reliability and efficiency over six months. After that, the conversation opens up to more hours and benefits. What You'd Handle Bathing, dressing, grooming, and hygiene Transfers using a Hoyer lift (no manual lifting required) Catheter irrigation and urinary care Colostomy care, including appliance changes and skin checks Medication setup and management Monitoring for skin integrity, blood pressure, and autonomic dysreflexia Meal preparation and assistance Transportation to CSU and appointments Groceries, errands, and household tasks Joining me for meals out, live music, trivia, happy hour, community events, and travel Physical Endurance This isn't sit-down work. A typical day involves transfers, repositioning, kitchen work, errands, and being actively engaged for hours at a stretch. Some days are heavier than others, but this role asks for real stamina to do well over time. The people who last here already live active lives and have the capacity to take this on fully. Travel From time to time, I would like to visit family or take a trip, usually for a few days at a time. Traveling with me means being able to handle all of my care independently while we're away, from morning routines to medical tasks to whatever comes up. If you can do all of that and still be fun to road trip with, that's a real plus. For the right person, travel can become one of the most meaningful parts of the work. What Works Here Calm. Things can escalate quickly with a spinal cord injury. Autonomic dysreflexia, equipment issues, unexpected medical situations. The people who do well here stay steady when things go sideways, think clearly, and act. Flexible. This works best for someone easygoing, who takes direction well and is up for whatever the day brings. Plans shift. Schedules move. The people who do best here roll with it. Communicative. If something isn't working or your situation is shifting, I want to know early. Mistakes happen. What helps is hearing about them when they're still small. Self-motivated. This works best for people who notice what needs doing and just handle it. My best team members might prep food for the next day or tidy up the kitchen while I catch up on work without being asked. That kind of initiative is what makes this role feel like a partnership. Reliable. When you commit, I'm counting on you to be there. That's the foundation. Who This Is For You might be a CNA, home health aide, or experienced caregiver who's tired of the agency grind and wants to work with one person long-term. Maybe you're a rehab professional, nursing student, or someone with a clinical background looking for something more personal. You should love food. I'm a nutrition professor and food is a big part of my life. We'll cook meals together, eat together, and go out together. I'm also not afraid of a burger, taco, or slice of pizza. Somewhere in the middle is a person who appreciates a great meal, takes care of themselves, and can keep up with an active life that includes getting out into Fort Collins and enjoying it. You should love music and people. Empathy matters here. Mental strength matters. I want someone who's invested in making the world a little better and who sees this work as part of that. Someone who's genuinely interested in other people, not just going through the motions. Required Direct experience with hands-on physical care, preferably with complex medical needs like spinal cord injury or similar Valid driver's license, clean driving record, and ability to drive a wheelchair-accessible vehicle Ability to pass a background check Authorization to work in the United States Regular weekend availability Preferred Experience with spinal cord injury care Familiarity with catheter and ostomy care Background or coursework in a health-related field A Note for Students I've worked with a lot of students over the years, and some have been incredible. The pattern I've also seen: someone takes on this role alongside a full course load and other commitments, trains for weeks, gets comfortable, and then midterms hit or life gets busy. Hours shrink. Communication drops off. And I'm left scrambling to cover shifts that were supposed to be handled. If you're a student, I'm not ruling you out. But I need you to be honest with yourself about whether you can actually commit to this. If school is your priority and this would be your third or fourth obligation, this probably isn't the right time. If you can genuinely make this a priority and communicate when things get complicated, I'd love to hear from you. Just bold "Who This Is For" and "A Note for Students" headers after pasting. Everything else stays untouched. How to Apply I read every application personally, so please take the time to write something thoughtful. Visit jamespeth.com to learn more about my daily life and what this work actually looks like, then complete the application directly on the site. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Pay:

$25.00 - $40.00 per hour

Benefits:

Employee assistance program Flexible schedule Paid sick time Paid training Professional development assistance

Work Location:

In person