Practical guides for caring for an aging parent in New Jersey
Plain-English advice from experienced care managers on home care, assisted living, hospital discharge, dementia, paying for care and looking after yourself as a caregiver.
What Is a Geriatric Care Manager, and Do You Need One?
A geriatric care manager, also called an aging life care manager, is a licensed professional, often a social worker or nurse, who assesses an older adult’s needs and...
Read the guide 5 min readSigns Your Parent Needs Help at Home
The clearest signs a parent needs help at home are changes from their usual self: missed medications, unpaid bills, weight loss, falls, a home that is less clean, new...
Read the guide 5 min readHospital Discharge Checklist for Families of Older Adults
A safe hospital discharge starts the day your parent is admitted. Ask early about the discharge plan, confirm whether your parent is an inpatient or under observation,...
Read the guide 5 min readAssisted Living vs. Home Care in New Jersey: How to Choose
Home care brings help into your parent’s own home, while assisted living moves them into a licensed residence with staff, meals and activities on site. Home care often...
Read the guide 5 min readHow to Choose a Nursing Home in New Jersey
To choose a nursing home in New Jersey, start with your parent’s medical needs and location, check Medicare’s Care Compare ratings and inspection reports, then visit in...
Read the guide 5 min readDementia Care: A Practical Guide for New Jersey Families
Caring for someone with dementia works best with a plan that changes as the disease does. Start with a thorough medical evaluation, put legal documents in place while...
Read the guide 5 min readLong-Distance Caregiving: How to Help a Parent From Far Away
Long-distance caregiving works best when you build a local team before a crisis: a trusted person nearby, a list of doctors and medications, signed legal documents, and...
Read the guide 5 min readNew Jersey Medicaid for Long-Term Care: The Basics of MLTSS
In New Jersey, Medicaid long-term care is provided through NJ FamilyCare Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS). It can cover care at home, in assisted living...
Read the guide 5 min readAging in Place: A Room-by-Room Home Safety Checklist
Most homes can be made much safer for an older adult with simple changes: clear walkways, better lighting, grab bars, a shower chair, secure stair railings and working...
Read the guide 5 min readHow Do Families Pay for Geriatric Care Management?
Most families pay for geriatric care management privately, from the older adult’s own funds or with help from adult children. Many long term care insurance policies...
Read the guide 5 min readCaregiver Burnout: Signs, Causes and How to Get Real Help
Caregiver burnout is physical, emotional and mental exhaustion from caring for someone over a long period. Common signs are constant fatigue, irritability, trouble...
Read the guide 5 min readHow to Hold a Family Meeting About Elder Care
A good family meeting about elder care has a clear purpose, the right people, shared facts and a written list of next steps. Include your parent whenever possible, agree...
Read the guide 7 min readWhen Is It Time to Hire a Geriatric Care Manager?
It is time to hire a geriatric care manager when your parent's needs are growing faster than your family can manage, or when one problem (a fall, a hospital stay, memory...
Read the guide 6 min readQuestions to Ask a Geriatric Care Manager Before You Hire
Before you hire a geriatric care manager, ask about their license and certification, their experience with situations like yours, how they charge, whether they take...
Read the guide 6 min readGeriatric Care Manager or Home Care Agency: What Is the Difference?
A home care agency sends aides who help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, meals and companionship. A geriatric care manager is a licensed professional who...
Read the guide 6 min readHow to Choose a Home Care Agency in New Jersey
To choose a home care agency in New Jersey, first confirm the agency is registered with the state Division of Consumer Affairs and that its aides are certified by the NJ...
Read the guide 6 min readMemory Care vs. Assisted Living: Which Is Right for Your Parent?
Assisted living offers help with daily tasks in a residential setting for people who are mostly independent. Memory care is a secured, specialized setting for people...
Read the guide 7 min readWhat to Do When Your Aging Parent Refuses Help
When an aging parent refuses help, start by finding out why: fear of losing independence, cost, pride, or memory changes they cannot see. Lead with their goals, offer...
Read the guide 6 min readYour Elderly Parent Fell. What Do You Do Now?
After an elderly parent falls, check for injury before moving them, and call 911 if they hit their head, cannot get up, are in significant pain, or seem confused. Even...
Read the guide 6 min readMedication Management for Seniors: How to Help Your Parent Stay Safe
Good medication management for seniors starts with one complete, current list of everything your parent takes, reviewed by their doctor or pharmacist at least once a...
Read the guide 6 min readAdvance Directives and POLST in New Jersey: A Family Guide
In New Jersey, an advance directive for health care can include a proxy directive, which names a health care representative to make decisions if your parent cannot, and...
Read the guide 7 min readPower of Attorney and Guardianship in New Jersey: What Families Should Know
A durable power of attorney lets your parent choose, while they still have capacity, someone to manage their finances and legal matters if they later cannot....
Read the guide 6 min readHow to Protect Your Parent from Financial Exploitation and Scams
Elder financial exploitation is the misuse of an older adult's money or property by scammers, strangers or people they trust, including family, friends and paid helpers....
Read the guide 6 min readPlanning the Future for an Adult Child with Mental Illness
Aging parents of an adult child with serious mental illness can protect their child's future by planning now: writing down what works, building a team beyond the family,...
Read the guide 7 min readRespite Care in New Jersey: How Family Caregivers Can Get a Break
Respite care gives family caregivers a planned break while someone else cares for their loved one, for a few hours, a day or a short overnight stay. In New Jersey,...
Read the guide 7 min readEnd-of-Life Planning and Hospice in New Jersey: A Guide for Families
Hospice is care focused on comfort and quality of life for someone whose doctor expects they have six months or less to live if the illness follows its usual course....
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