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After an adverse reaction to chemotherapy about two decades ago, Jennifer Ochs lost control of her motor skills and her ability to walk — requiring her to permanently rely on a wheelchair to get where she needs to go.

Ochs, 42, moved into a nursing home in Boulder believing it was her only option, but later realized there was support available that allowed her to be self-reliant.

“People tend to go (to nursing homes) and give up,” she said. “I had no idea I would be capable of living on my own, but I did it. There are so many resources, but (people) have to know about them.”

In order to continue living independently in her apartment in Boulder, Ochs receives help from a home care worker five days a week. The provider assists her with laundry and cleaning. But last summer, when her care provider was sick, Ochs relied on family as home care providers are limited in Colorado. But some people don’t have support to fall back on, Ochs said. Thus, what do they do as many providers continue to leave the profession due to a lack of pay and benefits?

“We need a career for these people,” Ochs said. “If we don’t, we can’t continue to promote independent living.”

Fighting for better working conditions for home care providers is Ochs’ mission, part of her platform as Ms. Wheelchair Colorado and one of the messages she’ll be sharing this summer during her run for Ms. Wheelchair America.

“My ultimate goal is to be a motivational speaker, and if you win Ms. Wheelchair America, you are kind of the spokesperson for the organization, so it would be a great stepping stone,” she said. “Doctors always tell me I’m a medical miracle. I want people to know that chemo is not the perfect answer, but if you are determined, you can probably get over anything.”

In August, Ochs will travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a week-long competition based not on physical appearance, but the candidate’s advocacy work for individuals with disabilities, said Chris Layne, who competed as Ms. Wheelchair Colorado in 2021.

“It’s really an amazing organization and a lot of people aren’t aware of it,” said Layne, who lives in Aurora. “It’s not about the crown and the sash, it’s about advocacy and education.”

Layne said she’s been working with Ochs ahead of the contest and is also helping her spread awareness about what it means to be Ms. Wheelchair Colorado and Ms. Wheelchair America and the importance of advocating for individuals with disabilities.

“(Ochs) has a strong voice, and that’s what it takes,” Layne said. “I think she will be powerful in making changes for people in the future.”

As part of her work to support people with disabilities, Ochs has become involved with Colorado Care Workers Unite and its work to partner with state lawmakers to draft and possibly introduce legislation this year to increase protections and benefits for home care workers.

“The goal is to have some decision-making power, so they can have the wages they need to be able to care for their own families the same way they care for other families,” said Melissa Benjamin, founding member for CCWU and a former home care worker. “These workers are health care workers and many of them go without care themselves.”

The Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute estimates that 40 to 60% of direct care workers in the U.S. leave their position during the course of a year. Among home care workers, that percentage is even higher. With the hire turnover rate, Benjamin said there is a lot of concern over the aging population in Colorado as the state prepares to have more than 1.2 million people over age 65 by 2030 — many of whom will require assistance with activities, such as preparing meals, dressing, bathing and taking medication, according to a report from the Colorado Health Institute.

“What happens to folks who need care? If you’re a person with a disability and you can’t get out of bed on your own it means that you need to go into an institution like a nursing home,” Benjamin said. “Through the pandemic, we saw how many people in nursing homes passed away because COVID is a communicable illness.”

But groups such as CCWU are working to change that, so people like Ochs have more than one option for care.

“I’ve worked in a nursing home and have held the hands of older folks who are sad and crying because they just want to go home,” Benjamin said. “These care workers stop that kind of grief from happening. They make it possible for people to have independence and autonomy over their own life.”

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