B AY O N N E M E A N S B U S I N E S S provides. In addition to long-term care for seniors, it provides childcare services and respites for caregivers. Each situation is unique, and the staff will work to tailor services to clients’ needs. “Unfortunately, 50 percent of the people don’t really understand what we do,” Katz says. “We are hands on. We are there in the homes, to keep the homes going. Cooking, medical reminders, cleaning, appointments. That’s what we do. We take care of the daily life.”
A RESOURCE IN TIMES OF NEED Holstein and Katz opened their office in 2009, after facing life-altering transitions in their personal lives. Holstein’s wife Robin succumbed to cancer. Katz realized that homecare helped his father-in-law die with dignity. They decided it was their mission to help people through difficult times. Now open over a decade, they’ve helped thousands of families, says Holstein. With a staff of more than 125, they have caregivers to address specific needs. Sometimes, it’s not an elderly relative. Sometimes, it’s a sick child who needs a babysitter, and both parents work. “It’s a small fraction of our business, but we do childcare,” Katz says. “We actually do a lot of backup care for emergency needs.”
SENIOR SERVICES
Co-owners Casey Holstein (left) and David Katz
SYNERGY HOMECARE METRO NJ (973) 808-3475 Synergyhomecare.com By Diana Schwaeble Photos courtesy of SYNERGY HomeCare
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t’s never a good time to think about caring for an elderly or sick loved one. In fact, by the time a call is made, a person is usually stressed out and in crisis, says Casey Holstein, director of client relations and co-owner of SYNERGY HomeCare Metro New Jersey.
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It can be hard to determine what to do or even assess what needs to be done. The first thing Holstein does is listen. “We are good listeners,” he says. “We listen because they are in crisis basically. I don’t know if you have ever had to deal with elderly loved ones; it can be very fraying.” Co-owner David Katz, director of operations, says that people call because they’re looking for options. Previously, seniors went into nursing homes, but the modern way is to live those final years in your own home. He says that many people don’t know what his company does or the extensive services it
Caring for seniors can be a long process, but it doesn’t have to be as daunting. Katz says that they will do an initial evaluation for free. Not everyone becomes a client after an assessment. Sometimes people are weighing their options. It can be alarming for an adult child to see that elderly parents aren’t grooming like they used to or unable to keep up with housework. SYNERGY works to restore balance. “Our program keeps people more in line with what they are used to doing,” Katz says. “We come in, and we bring the fresh air and the life back into the home.” SYNERGY HomeCare Metro is a franchise with six offices in New Jersey and 165 nationwide. Because of the franchises, it can easily transfer care if someone moves, downsizes, or relocates to Florida during the winter. The company will remove the paperwork burden from families and do the long-term care insurance for them. More important, it provides support at all times. Calls are handled directly by staff all day and all night. “We never use an answering service,” Katz says. “If a client or a caregiver has a need, one of us will get back to them at any moment.” “Yes, it’s a business, but we come from the heart,” Holstein says. “We have a team of very dedicated people. Many of us have taken care of a loved one. Not only are we providers of the service, we are also caregivers.”—BLP
