Geriatric Care Management in Highland Park, NJ

Older homes on a walkable street grid

Highland Park sits just across the Raritan River from New Brunswick, with a walkable downtown along Raritan Avenue and blocks of older colonials, Tudors, bungalows and two-family homes on small lots. Many residents can still walk to shops, the library and places of worship, which helps older adults stay active and connected.

The houses themselves are often the harder part. Older homes here tend to have steep staircases, bedrooms and bathrooms only on the second floor and basements with the laundry. Front steps can be icy in winter. We look at the house with your parent and recommend changes that would matter most, from railings and lighting to setting up a first-floor living space.

A short trip to major hospitals

Highland Park's location is a real medical advantage. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Saint Peter's University Hospital, both large teaching hospitals in New Brunswick, are minutes away. Many older residents see specialists at both, along with doctors connected to Rutgers. JFK University Medical Center in Edison is also close.

That wealth of care can be hard to manage. A parent may have a cardiologist, a neurologist, a primary doctor and a surgeon, each with their own instructions and medications. Through our medical advocacy, we go to appointments, keep a single current list of diagnoses and medications, make sure results reach the right doctor and ask the questions families often forget. We speak up for your parent when something does not make sense.

Families who live nearby, and far away

Some Highland Park parents have adult children right in town or in nearby Edison and Metuchen. Others have children who left for jobs in other states or countries. Rutgers ties also mean some families have professors or staff who are aging here while their children live elsewhere. In every case, it helps to have a professional who knows your parent, visits regularly and keeps everyone informed.

We also offer family meetings and counseling. Caring for a parent can stir up old tensions between siblings, or between a parent and the child who lives closest. A neutral professional can help everyone hear the same information and agree on a plan.

How we start

After a free first conversation, one of us visits your loved one at home for an assessment that usually takes three to five hours. We talk with your parent directly, review medications and medical history, look at memory and mood and walk through the house. Then you receive a written care plan with specific recommendations, and your family decides how much of it to handle on its own.

Our founders, Lisa Kolton and Kim Hamilton, are licensed clinical social workers who have spent their careers in hospitals, clinics and community agencies. We serve families throughout northern Middlesex County.

How we help families in Highland Park

• Care Assessment: An in-person, top-to-bottom look at your loved one's health, home, safety and supports, so you know exactly where things stand.
• Care Planning: A written, practical plan built around your loved one's goals, with clear recommendations your family can act on right away.
• Hospital Discharge Planning: Help getting your loved one safely from hospital or rehab back home, or to the right next setting, without dangerous gaps.
• Dementia Care Management: Guidance and hands-on support for families caring for someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia, from early changes through later stages.
• In-Home Care Coordination: We screen, arrange and oversee aides, nurses and services at home, so your loved one gets care that is safe and reliable.
• Assisted Living and Housing Placement: Unbiased help choosing assisted living, memory care, a nursing home or another setting, from people who never take referral fees.
• Long-Distance Caregiving: When you live far away, we become your eyes and ears nearby, visiting, coordinating care and keeping you updated.
• Rent-a-Daughter: Think of us as the daughter you can count on, checking in, showing up and caring for your parent as our own.

Hospitals we work with near Highland Park

We regularly support families during and after stays at:

• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
• Saint Peter's University Hospital
• JFK University Medical Center

Getting started is simple

1. Call us for a free conversation. Tell us what is happening with your loved one.
2. We meet in person. Our assessment takes about 3 to 5 hours, at home in Highland Park or wherever your loved one is staying.
3. You get a clear plan. Specific recommendations, and as much ongoing help as you want.

Nearby towns we also serve

See all towns we serve in Northern Middlesex County, NJ.