Laura Huisking

As an integral part of the North Jersey Community, we always strive to be a part of causes that are meaningful to seniors and their caregivers. We founded the Women in Senior Care: Bergen County so that we could partner with like-minded healthcare professionals to figure out ways to make our community a better, brighter place. The mission of our group is to help seniors and the caregiving community navigate the healthcare resources available to them through education and philanthropic endeavors. Each year, we choose different organizations to either volunteer for or shine a light on.

This December we chose to organize a fundraiser for Bright Side Manor. The Bright Side Family is a nonprofit that provides affordable housing, affordable assisted living, and support services that respond to the changing needs and preferences of low-and-moderate-income older adults. We co-hosted the “Cocktails for a Cause” fundraiser with Dellridge Health & Rehabilitation Center in Paramus, NJ. We invited senior care professionals and encouraged them to bring an item from the Bright Side Manor wish list so that we could bring their residents joy this holiday season.

We were so pleased with the generosity of all of those who attended. We collected so many gifts for Bright Side Manor and were able to highlight some of their staff and their accomplishments over the last few years.

Family owned and operated for over 35 years, Generations Counseling & Care Management, LLC is a full-service geriatric care management firm that provides care management, advocacy, and psychotherapy services with an integrated, professional, client-centered approach to the needs of the elderly, persons with disabilities, their families, and the caregiving community in Northern New Jersey and Rockland County, New York. Our expert staff are available 24/7 and offer a wide range of services that cover all aspects of elder care including: care management, counseling, psychotherapy, elder care planning, transitional service to senior communities & nursing facilities, services for disabled individuals, benefits counseling, assessments, financial services and management, moving and relocation coordination and much more. If you need more information on our services, please call our office at 201-845-7030.

by Miriam Zucker, LMSW, C-ASWCM

This article was originally posted on The Aging Life Care Association’s blog.

As an Aging Life Care™ advisor, I know how fiercely older adults want to maintain their independence. Many feel that their adult children don’t understand them or are making something out of nothing — a fall, a burnt pot, a call from the police station. They make promises to ask for help shopping, assure a son they will only drive on familiar streets, and promise to hang up when an unsolicited call for money comes in. The need to be safe and the rejection of that safety in the name of independence and dignity is a real struggle.  So how do you know when safety should outweigh the desire to appear and remain independent?

Here are seven signs that your aging parent may need help:

1. You come for a visit, open the refrigerator to get a glass of juice and the expiration date was three months ago. The refrigerator may have a strong odor, and the kitchen may be full of rotten food.
2. Mail is piling up. Bills may be going unpaid, and utilities at risk of being shut off.
3. You’re not sure that medications are being taken correctly, due to changes in your parent’s vision, dexterity, or memory. Pills are still in their bottles, or medication boxes seem untouched between visits. You may find medications dropped or spilled on the floor.
4. You’re concerned about personal hygiene. You parent may be wearing soiled clothing, bathing infrequently, and not attending to personal care tasks such as oral hygiene.
5. “Mother is absolutely fine,” you hear your father say. And mother automatically agrees. After fifty plus years of marriage, they have learned how to compensate for one another, and they’re arm in arm on the road to trouble.
6. You’re receiving concerned phone calls or emails from friends or neighbors, who may be stepping in to provide help when they can, but are frustrated.
7. The car has noticeable new scratches and dents, maintenance is being ignored, and you’re concerned about your parent’s ability to drive safely.

If you notice just one of these happening with your parent, it is time to have a conversation. If you need help starting that conversation or implementing a plan of care, consider working with an Aging Life Care Professional. Aging Life Care Professionals™ understand the frustration felt by adult children and the desperation felt by older adults who want to hold on to their independence. With an objective perspective on the situation, we can help facilitate difficult family discussions and decision-making to address these and other concerns.

As a member of the Aging Life Care Association, Generations Counseling & Care Management, LLC has had the opportunity to forge relationships with other Geriatric Care Managers who work both in and outside of New Jersey. We learn from each other as well as refer to one another. Miriam Zucker is a licensed New York State social worker and is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, American Society on Aging, and the Central Westchester Geriatric Committee. She is an involved member of the Aging Life Care Association, where she holds Advanced member status and she is the founder of Directions in Aging in Westchester County, New York where she can be reached at mzucker@directionsinaging.com. We would like to thank her for allowing us to repost this.

Family owned and operated for 37 years, Generations Counseling & Care Management, LLC is a full-service geriatric care management firm that provides care management, advocacy, and psychotherapy services with an integrated, professional, client-centered approach to the needs of the elderly, persons with disabilities, their families, and the caregiving community in Northern New Jersey and Rockland County, New York. Our expert staff are available 24/7 and offer a wide range of services that cover all aspects of elder care including: care management, counseling, psychotherapy, elder care planning, transitional service to senior communities & nursing facilities, services for disabled individuals, benefits counseling, assessments, financial services and management, moving and relocation coordination and much more. If you need more information on our services, please call our office at 201-845-7030.

We are long-time supporters of Alzheimer’s New Jersey and walk in the Walk to Fight Alzheimer’s in Paramus every year. We sponsored one of July’s Pizza Wednesdays at the Brightview Wayne and had a lot of fun serving pizza and raising money for a good cause! Both the staff and the residents look forward to the event every week and happily spend a few dollars on pizza and drinks to support this wonderful local organization whose programs and services directly benefit New Jersey families who are dealing with a dementia diagnosis.

We have a lot of experience in long-term care planning and advocating for families who are dealing with a dementia related disease so we understand how important it is to volunteer for local organizations whose programs and services provide essential support to the caregiving community. Fundraisers like this one help keep those programs running.

Family owned and operated for over 35 years, Generations Counseling & Care Management, LLC is a full-service geriatric care management firm that provides care management, advocacy, and psychotherapy services with an integrated, professional, client-centered approach to the needs of the elderly, persons with disabilities, their families, and the caregiving community. Our expert staff are available 24/7 and offer a wide range of services that cover all aspects of elder care including: care management, counseling, psychotherapy, elder care planning, transitional service to senior communities & nursing facilities, services for disabled individuals, benefits counseling, assessments, financial services and management, moving and relocation coordination and much more. If you need more information on our services, please call our office at 201-845-7030.

Our Director of Care Management, Stacey Padva Maines, gave a talk last week on Hoarding for the North Jersey Senior Network (NNJSN) at the Chelsea Senior Living at Washington Township in Bergen County. The talk was organized by Patricia Linard, a member of the Generations Marketing Department. She also sits on the board of the NNJSN.

Hoarding is an often misunderstood disorder and there are a lot of myths associated with it. Stacey spoke about how to differentiate hoarding from other disorders, what to do when you suspect a resident or a client has a hoarding disorder, what steps to take to help that person, and what to do when you feel that the person is in immediate danger. She outlined a list of resources and experts who can help as well as answered a lot of questions.

Stacey joined Generations in January of 2015. For over 20 years, she has used her passion for advocacy and facilitating communication within families along with her strong clinical training to focus on the needs of our seniors and their families. She has worked in all aspects of long term care including Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living, Continuing Care Communities, Hospice, and Home care. Stacey has served in management positions in social services and marketing as well as the Executive Director of an Assisted Living after receiving her CALA in 2012.

If you suspect a loved one has a hoarding disorder and needs guidance or help, don’t hesitate to contact our office. Family owned and operated for over 35 years, Generations Counseling & Care Management, LLC is a full-service geriatric care management firm that provides care management, advocacy, and psychotherapy services with an integrated, professional, client-centered approach to the needs of the elderly, persons with disabilities, their families, and the caregiving community. Our expert staff are available 24/7 and offer a wide range of services that cover all aspects of elder care including: care management, counseling, psychotherapy, elder care planning, transitional service to senior communities & nursing facilities, services for disabled individuals, benefits counseling, assessments, financial services and management, moving and relocation coordination and much more. If you need more information on our services, please call our office at 201-845-7030.

Twice a year, the Bergen County Board of Commissioners and Department of Human Services, Division of Senior Services/ADRC hosts a Caregivers Conference. The goal of this conference is to educate caregivers in the Bergen County, New Jersey area about services, support, and county programs that can help them through their caregiver journey.

This year, they have asked Generations to speak about “The Ins and Outs of HomeCare”. We will be talking about the types of different Home Care services that are available in our community as well as what insurance will and won’t cover and county programs that are available to help. Join us on Thursday, April 11th from 5:00-9:00pm.

Family owned and operated for over 35 years, Generations Counseling & Care Management, LLC is a full-service geriatric care management firm that provides care management, advocacy, and psychotherapy services with an integrated, professional, client-centered approach to the needs of the elderly, persons with disabilities, their families, and the caregiving community. Our expert staff are available 24/7 and offer a wide range of services that cover all aspects of elder care including: care management, counseling, psychotherapy, elder care planning, transitional service to senior communities & nursing facilities, services for disabled individuals, benefits counseling, assessments, financial services and management, moving and relocation coordination and much more. If you need more information on our services, please call our office at 201-845-7030.

Few decisions are more important than how we care for our family members who are unable to care for themselves. Our care managers often help families through a dementia diagnoses. They provide care plans that address the physical, medical, psychological and social issues of the client and family as well as their financial resources and goals. We understand how hard a diagnosis can be and that the need for education on dementia is an important part of the caregiving process. Generations is on the leadership team of ACAP Bergen County (Adult Children of Aging Parents) and helped organize this valuable program on “Recognizing Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias” on February 13th at 5:00pm. To register for the program, please click here.

According to the Alzheimer’s New Jersey, Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia now impact more than five million Americans and are a leading cause of death among aging persons.

This program is designed to help adult children understand Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related types of dementia so they can help their parents manage these diseases and choose the resources and supports that best help their aging parents and themselves.

Presenter: Vivian Green Korner, MA, Certified Dementia Care Practitioner

Family owned and operated for over 35 years, Generations Counseling & Care Management, LLC is a full-service geriatric care management firm that provides care management, advocacy, and psychotherapy services with an integrated, professional, client-centered approach to the needs of the elderly, persons with disabilities, their families, and the caregiving community. Our expert staff are available 24/7 and offer a wide range of services that cover all aspects of elder care including: care management, counseling, psychotherapy, elder care planning, transitional service to senior communities & nursing facilities, services for disabled individuals, benefits counseling, assessments, financial services and management, moving and relocation coordination and much more. If you need more information on our services, please call our office at 201-845-7030.

As leaders in the field of geriatrics and advocacy in Northern New Jersey, we feel that we have a responsibility to get involved with different causes each holiday season. Our women’s group, The Women in Senior Care of Bergen County, thought long and hard about what cause to support this December. We have done food drives, coat drives and gift card drives for food sensitive seniors. This year, we are hosting a “Drive by Networking for a Cause” and collecting gift cards on behalf of The Center for Hope and Safety.

The Center for Hope & Safety is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency in Rochelle Park, New Jersey, founded in 1976. They believe that every person has the right to be safe, empowered, and free from violence and fear. Their mission is to help domestic violence victims in Bergen County, New Jersey, heal and grow through a wide range of services. They give adult and child victims hope and safety, and the tools they need to rebuild their lives beyond domestic violence. They offer safe and confidential housing 24/7, as well as basic needs for adults and children as they escape violence. A variety of services are provided: individual and group counseling; case management services; legal advocacy, advice, counsel and court representation; community resource referrals; job and housing searches; and Latinx outreach.

Each year, the Center for Hope & Safety has a Holiday Gift Campaign as well as the wide range of programs and services they provide for their families throughout the year. They collect gifts for hundreds of families and children. Their holiday giving program requests gift cards for stores such as Target, Walmart, and Amazon because they will give their clients the ability to purchase the gifts their families want most.

The event will be held on Thursday, December 7th from 4-5:30pm. There are two different drive by locations: SUNRISE OF OLD TAPPAN at 195 Old Tappan Rd, Old Tappan and SUNRISE OF FRANKLIN LAKES at 728 Franklin Avenue, Franklin Lakes.