News

Fall is in full swing and the Northern New Jersey area is busy with fundraisers and educational events. Generations is participating in quite a few of them! As one of the top teams for Alzheimer’s New Jersey’s Walk to Fight Alzheimer’s in Paramus, we are heavily involved in walk season. If you would like to join our team, you can click here.

Our Marketing Director, Laura Huisking, serves as the co-president of The Alliance of Senior Services of New Jersey, a group dedicated to helping loved ones live out their golden years in the most comfortable environment possible, with peace of mind and needs of life managed by our expert senior care providers. We have created a two part program called “Should I Stay or Should I Go: Navigating Senior Care Options.” As a part of the Age Friendly Initiative in Leonia, NJ, we were asked to present this at the Leonia Senior Center on September 17th and 24th at 1:00pm. We will also be presenting this at The Paramus Public Library on October 7th at 1:00pm and October 14th at 1:00pm. Lunch will be served. You can sign up for the Paramus program here. 

Are you trying to decide whether you or your loved one should continue to live at home or move into a senior living community? This two part program can help decide what is right for you. Join the senior care experts at The Alliance for Senior Services of New Jersey as they guide you through both options! They will take you through all of the resources that can let you age in place as well as everything that is needed should you choose to live in a senior community. They will cover everything from health care resources like care management and home care to different types of senior living communities and what is and is not covered by insurance. Feel free to bring your questions as they have the answers!

If you are interested in bringing this program to your church, community center, senior center or caregiver group, please email Laura Huisking at lhuisking@generations-llc.com.

Family owned and operated for almost 40 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.

What is your background?

I’m a Licensed Social Worker with a Master’s in Social Work from NYU and a Bachelor’s in Behavioral and Political Science. I specialize in aging and supporting older adults. Over the years, I’ve worked in a range of healthcare settings, including rehab centers, skilled nursing facilities, and outpatient clinics where I’ve provided individual therapy, care coordination, and crisis support. My focus is helping older adults and their families navigate life transitions, caregiving challenges, and emotional stressors with compassion and clarity. 

Why did you become a care manager?

My passion for care management grew from hands-on experience in discharge planning and family advocacy within rehab and long-term care settings. I was drawn to helping clients and families make sense of complex medical systems and life changes, and I loved being a steady, reliable presence through it all.

Joining Generations allowed me to expand that role, not just offering guidance, but building meaningful relationships and supporting clients over time with both expertise and heart.

What is your favorite thing about working as a care manager?

I love being a bridge between families and providers, between uncertainty and clarity. My favorite part is helping individuals and their loved ones feel empowered, heard, and cared for. It’s deeply meaningful to walk alongside someone during a vulnerable chapter, helping them access support, find peace of mind, and even discover moments of joy.

What is the most common problem your clients face?

Many of my clients feel overwhelmed by a fragmented healthcare system, especially when dealing with aging, cognitive decline, or sudden medical needs. Even with the best intentions, families often struggle to navigate care options and services on their own.

That’s where I step in, to help organize, advocate, and make sure no one feels lost or unseen. Whether it’s identifying the right resources, clarifying care options, or providing steady emotional and practical support, I aim to be a grounding and compassionate presence when it’s needed most.

Family owned and operated for over 38 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.

This is the fourth article in our “Meet the Team” series! Feel free to check out Stacey, Janelle, and Amy’s articles.

What is your background?

I am a Licensed Social Worker and received my master’s degree in social work from Rutgers University with a Certificate in Aging. My 1st internship in graduate school was at a Senior Resource Center in Princeton and from that point on I knew I wanted to dedicate my professional career in social work to the older adult population. I have been working in the field since I graduated Rutgers in 2009. I was hired by Generations own, Stacey Padva, at Cedar Crest Continuing Care Community in 2011 and worked in Independant Living as well as Long Term and Sub-Acute skilled care. I joined the Generations team in 2018.

Why did you become a care manager?

While working at Cedar Crest I had the opportunity to work alongside members of the Generations team who had been hired by residents of the community. The Generations brochure was one I kept in my office and would refer to for either counseling or care management. I experienced firsthand how critical and beneficial Generations work was to my residents and their families. I always had it in the back of my mind that it would be a really amazing path for my career to take, so when I saw a job opportunity, I knew it was one that I could not let pass me by.

What is your favorite thing about working as a care manager?

My favorite thing about being a care manager is the relationships that are formed with my clients and their families/representatives. To go from being strangers to a trusted and constant part of their lives is a really amazing journey to take.

What is the most common problem your clients face?

This a good question. I would say navigating aging in place. Balancing a client’s needs and safety with finances, logistics and personal preference of each individual life circumstances can be a challenge. It is a benefit to have a care manager and supporting team can help bring clarity to different care options that align with our client’s goal for care.

Family owned and operated for over 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.

This is the third article in our “Meet the Team” series. Feel free to check out both Stacey and Janelle’s articles.

What is your background?

I am a licensed clinical social worker with my masters in social work and a certificate in aging from Rutgers University. I’ve been a social worker for over 10 years. During my career I have worked a majority of my time as a care manager at St. Joseph’s Hospital as well as providing therapy as a clinician at St. Joseph’s Harbor House Outpatient Clinic.

Why did you become a care manager?

Initially, I kind of fell into care management in my job at the hospital. However, I quickly learned to love it and chose this role in care management at Generations because of that. I especially enjoy my current role as care manager because I am able to see a plan through and work with my clients on the continuum of care.

What is your favorite thing about working as a care manager?

My favorite thing about care management is advocating for my clients. So often our clients are vulnerable or in situations that are new and difficult to navigate. Being able to use my knowledge and experience to provide support and meet their care needs in these difficult situations is something I enjoy doing.

What is the most common problem your clients face?

The most common problem I find with my clients is a disjointed healthcare system and lack of support within this. While plans and recommendations are well intentioned, unless you have someone to help you find resources and connect with providers, it can be hard to obtain the services they need.

Family owned and operated for over 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.

What is your background?

My background is working with youth, families, and the elderly population with not only care management needs, psychosocial needs, but with one to one therapy. I have worked at Care Plus as a mental health outpatient therapist for numerous disorders/cases such as bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, marriage and family therapy, CBT, and strengths based practice. I also worked at Care One Teaneck as a director of social services.

Why did you become a care manager?

I became a care manager because I noticed that the job doesn’t end at discharge planning. Often families need more guidance on how to navigate nexts steps, including community needs and to ensure they loved one is safe. Being a care manager gave me the opportunity to be on the other side and advocate for patients and families.

What is your favorite thing about working as a care manager?

My favorite thing about being a care manager is seeing the growth and progress in clients from the services provided. Being able to meet a client at a very difficult time in their lives and to be able to assist them to the point where things become easier.

What is the most common problem your clients face?

The most common problem my clients face is the lack of resources within the mental health systems. Often time there are a lack of resources however, with guidance support and research I am able to assist and guide the clients in the right direction. For the most part, it is always difficult navigating health care systems. Being able to be an advocate alleviates some of the stress for clients and families.

Family owned and operated for over 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.

This article was originally published in The Jewish Standard and written by Deb Breslow.

Advocating for the Elderly: Geriatric Social worker Stacey Maines describes unique challenges.

By Deb Breslow

Stacey Maines has devoted the last 24 years of her career to elder care social work.

“Most people don’t know that geriatric care managers even exist,” she said. “For the elderly patient who doesn’t have an advocate in the emergency room, at the hospital bedside, or even in the physician’s office — who is asking questions on his behalf?”

Ms. Maines is the Director of Care Management services at Generations Counseling and Care Management, LLC in Rochelle Park. Growing up in a Conservative Jewish home, she recalls hearing her elderly relatives and their contemporaries spit poo, poo, poo — a superstition to prevent something terrible from happening — when they talked about aging, illness, or death. “My parents and grandparents would rarely speak about illness or the need for help for fear they might tempt fate,” she said.

Ms. Maines earned a B.A. in psychology and criminology from the University of Maryland, and received her master’s degree in social work from NYU. Next, she passed her certification exam and became a licensed social worker.

She began her career in 1998 by working for the Legal Aid Society in New York, serving inmates at Rikers Island and detainees held in Queens County by preparing presentencing reports on their behalf.

But her commute to Queens from her home in Hackensack was difficult and prompted her to consider a change. She recalls that during a visit to Washington, D.C., a family friend, who was writing a grant for the National Association of Social Workers, asked why more social workers weren’t passionate about working with the geriatric population. “That’s a good question!” she replied, accepting it as a personal and professional challenge. “By the following Monday, I was looking in The Star-Ledger for jobs that fit the bill,” she said.

In 1999, Ms. Maines accepted a position as director of social services at South Mountain Healthcare Center in the Vauxhall section of Union Township, a long-term care facility with a 25-bed subacute rehabilitation unit. “It was there that I learned so much about the interdisciplinary process,” she said.

With a constant turnover in the rehab facility’s patient base, Ms. Maines had the opportunity to get to know her patients quickly, while simultaneously learning the roles of each of the clinicians on the care team. “Collaborating with nurses and dietitians, speech, physical and occupational therapists, I participated in twice weekly team meetings,” she said. Since her role was to create a comprehensive discharge plan for each patient, she studied every clinician’s handwritten note, picking up on abbreviations and care plan nuances. “It was from my experience in the subacute setting that I learned ‘nurse speak.’ I began to understand medical terminology and could translate information clearly to the patients and families with whom I worked.”

Ms. Maines believes that what she learned at her first job was a template for meaningful patient and family interactions in similar roles at various facilities in New Jersey. But while she appreciated the opportunity to coordinate all the home care, prescription, and equipment needs for her patients just before they were discharged, she was frustrated because she would not be available to help them once they got home. “I’d work tirelessly to put together the care plan, but I’d often ask myself what might happen if it all unravels when my patient gets home. What if it was necessary for someone to convince patients that their plan of care required tweaking as their needs change?”

Ms. Maines thought about how she might use her 10 years of experience at subacute rehabilitation centers, hospices, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. “I didn’t realize it, but I’d been preparing for my dream career,” she said.

She talked to social worker Vicki Doueck, whom she knew to be a leader in the field of geriatrics. “There’s a high turnover in health care social work,” Ms. Maines said. “I was convinced that serving as an aging life care provider would fill the gap for all of the roles I wasn’t able to fill as a discharge planner.”

Knowing Ms. Doueck’s success in patient advocacy as president of Generations Counseling and Care Management, Ms. Maines, who now lives in West Orange, joined the company nine years ago as a professional liaison between patient, physician, hospital, and family.

“Clients are referred to me from many sources,” she said. “Hospital discharge planners, estate attorneys, elder care accountants, and home care agencies may be working with a family who can benefit from our services, and others contact us by word of mouth or find us on the Aging Life Care Association database.

“Most people don’t know they need a geriatric care manager until they actually work with one.”

Now, after more than two decades in the field of senior care, Ms. Maines sees herself as a professional liaison to families.

Her presentations to the Jewish community, which outline the services she and her colleagues provide, are titled L’Dor V’dor— from generation to generation. “I try to take the fear out of growing old and make conversing about it more openly something that’s not forbidden,” she said, reflecting on the elders in her family who superstitiously refused to say the word cancer or name other frightening illnesses.

Her clients often talk about their need for a professional sounding board — someone who can help them navigate the healthcare system and offer guidance. “Many of my clients don’t want all of their time to be absorbed by caring for an elderly parent, irrespective of where they live,” Ms. Maines said. “Sometimes they need to set boundaries, because they recognize they can’t be their best if they’re on call for Mom or Dad 24/7.”

Ms. Maines believes that each family member deserves to have a voice. “There’s no one right answer when caring for an elderly relative,” she said. “My job is to determine what will work best in the context of family roles that have been established years prior to the parent’s decline.

“I see myself as both a professional neutralizer and hand holder. Sometimes I provide the initial tools to help clients divide and conquer in supporting their parents; other times I remain in the thick of patient advocacy until the parent’s end of life.” She has learned that guiding clients with difficult conversations and emotional decision-making is different with every family.

“Adults with growing children and aging parents are pulled in so many directions,” she said. “They often need someone to triage on their behalf.”

For almost a decade, Ms. Maines has prided herself on her ability to support her clients at any point in the process. “In one day, I might see four clients in an assisted living community, two in a memory care unit, two in a rehab, and one at home.” She participates in family meetings held at live-in facilities, establishing ongoing relationships with the person needing care, their adult children, and the facility’s staff.

She also advocates for adults with disabilities.

“Some of my favorite geriatric cases are the difficult ones,” she said. “Sometimes it can be like walking through a minefield. You never know what might set someone off.” By establishing rapport and trust and giving each of her clients the time they need to consider how their relationships with children and other family members might factor into care planning and decision making, Ms. Maines believes her clients know she respects them.

“I am committed to meeting them where they are on any given day,” she said. “I give them space to explore how they feel about growing old.”

What Stacey Maines does, or more broadly, what care managers do, is help connect the generations during challenging times.

“The Ten Commandments teach us to honor our mother and father,” Ms. Maines said. She attributes her compassion for the elderly to her relationship with her grandfather.

“When I was 12, my grandmother died,” she said. “As an adult, I got to know my grandfather as a separate individual with specific needs. I spent time with him at a vulnerable time of his life. That relationship guides how I do what I do.”

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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.