Geriatric Care Management in Union County, NJ

What geriatric care management looks like in Union County

Union County packs a lot into a small area: walkable train towns like Summit, Westfield and Cranford, quieter neighborhoods in Scotch Plains and Berkeley Heights, and cities like Elizabeth and Plainfield. Our clients include older adults living alone, couples where one spouse is caring for the other, and adults with mental illness or disabilities.

Our process is simple. We start with a free conversation. Next we do an in-person care assessment, usually three to five hours. Then we give you a written care plan. You can take it from there or ask us to provide ongoing care management.

Situations we often help with in Union County

• A spouse who is worn out. We often meet a wife or husband caring for a partner with dementia or Parkinson's, trying to do it all. We bring in help and protect the caregiver's health. Our guide on caregiver burnout may help.
• Downsizing from the family home. Many Union County parents have lived in the same house for decades. We help weigh staying put with support against moving to an apartment, assisted living or a care community.
• Setting up in-home care. Finding reliable aides is hard. Our in-home care coordination covers screening agencies, setting up schedules and checking that care is going well.
• Medical appointments. We go with clients to doctor visits, take notes, ask questions and share what we learn with the family through our medical advocacy service.

Hospitals serving Union County

Overlook Medical Center in Summit, part of Atlantic Health, is a major hospital for the western half of the county. Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway also serve Union County residents. Families in Westfield and Scotch Plains may also use hospitals in nearby Middlesex and Somerset counties.

A hospital discharge is often when families first call us. We help make sense of the plan, arrange services and follow up after your loved one gets home. Read about our hospital discharge planning.

Union County's Division on Aging

Union County's public aging office is the Union County Division on Aging, part of the county's Department of Human Services. It connects residents to programs like home delivered meals, transportation, caregiver support and information about New Jersey's Aging and Disability Resource Connection. Contact details are on the county's website. We can help you understand what is available and handle applications with our benefits and paperwork support.

What a first visit looks like

After our free first conversation, one of us comes to your loved one's home, usually with a family member present. We talk with your parent, not just about them. We look at the house room by room, review medications and doctors, ask about memory and mood, and listen for what matters most to your parent.

Within a short time you receive a written care plan. It lists specific recommendations, like a medication review, grab bars in the bathroom, a home care schedule or a geriatric psychiatry evaluation. You can carry it out yourself or ask us to do it with you.

Union County towns we serve

• Summit
• Westfield
• Cranford
• Scotch Plains

We also serve New Providence, Berkeley Heights, Mountainside, Kenilworth and other Union County towns. If a family meeting is overdue, our guide to holding a family meeting about elder care can help, or contact us to talk it through.

Towns we serve in Union County, NJ