Sage Eldercare Inc

Last post from disgruntled ex-employee. SAGE Eldercare, as most non-profits, deals with lots of challenges. I can assure you the leadership and staff are committed to excellence in dealing with our clients. There are exciting things happening at SAGE and we look forward to continuing our positive impact in the Union, Essex, Morris, and Somerset Counties in New Jersey.

So disappointing how the organization has declined over the last few years. Many key staff members have left due to the lack of leadership. Programs have been cut due to mismanagement and loss of focus on fundraising efforts. This organization is key given the aging population. Perhaps Overlook Medical Center should consider taking them over. So sorry to see this decline.

We are very disappointed that one member of the staff has discussed our family member, his condition, and general financial business with someone OUTSIDE of SAGE. We are currently pursuing our options against this egregious breech of trust!

The staff at Sage always go above and beyond to create a warm and welcoming environment. I am continuously impressed at the work and love that goes into this nonprofit.

SAGE is a unique non-profit serving seniors in NJ. It is one of the longest running non-profits serving seniors and their caregivers in NJ--as it was established in 1954. The first service the organization provided was Home Care. It offers one of the oldest Meals-On-Wheels programs in the state--this service was introduced in 1966. SAGE also operates the longest running adult day care program in the State--Spend-A-Day which opened in 1975. SAGE has been an expert on "aging in place" since 1954!

SAGE Eldercare Summit, NJ, is an outstanding resource for the elderly in our area. Providing Meals On Wheels, help for our elders in their homes through programs including spend-a-day programs, shopping, gauging living situations, home health care aides, giving information re: Medicare, exercise programs, outstanding resource information, furniture repair and recycling estates, Sage is an invaluable gift to our five-county wide community.

SAGE is a true community resource for Union County. It is the first place that the police and fire departments call for certain situations, and the staff is always willing to spend the the time to find solutions for all of their their clients. As JFK said, we will be judged by how we treat the young and old - as long as SAGE is around, we should be judged well.

I have been going to Sage Elder Care for the past 5 to six years. It started with my participation in their senior exercise program. Now, my husband has joined the group as well. This involvement led me to volunteer my services on their board. Their staff is so caring, they actually know each individual and pay personal attention. I feel like an important member of the community and not a disenfranchised senior. I have noticed that every member of the exercise class and those that come to spend the day are so happy to be there. Such an atmosphere only happens when there is genuine kindness, respect and empathy for the seniors. Sage Elder Care is one important reason for not moving from the house that my husband and I have . We love this great hidden gem of a nonprofit organization.

I am a meals on wheels volunteer. I see first hand the tremendous job Sage does in keeping older folks in their homes for as long as possible. The meals on wheels program is just one of the many programs that Sage provides to seniors. Sage has a very caring and professional staff. I am proud to be a volunteer for this terrific organization.

When I reached out to Sage about care options for a family member, I was impressed by their prompt response and the wide array of services they provide. Clearly a very caring and professional staff.

I've consistently been impressed with SAGE's ability to help not only seniors for whom they provide direct care but for families and caregivers who need questions answered, support, respite, and care themselves. SAGE's multitude of services offers a unique, comprehensive, and personal answer for the many, many of us who want to age in place at home. SAGE also offers so many volunteer opportunities for the community. They have a fabulous workshop where volunteers refinish furniture and the profits support the services provided. They have a fully stocked resale shop that also supports the organization. And grocery shopping and delivering meals is such a meaningful opportunity for volunteers of all ages. We're so lucky to have this organization in our community.

SAGE provides a wide variety of high-quality community-based services for seniors under one roof. This makes it very convenient for caregivers and seniors to coordinate much-needed services

There are so many ways to get involved with this great organization! SAGE has volunteers delivering daily meals to older adults in the surrounding communities, furniture craftsmen who repair chairs and other furniture in a workshop, helpers in the adult day program, office workers, receptionists, and more! But that's not why you should help or donate to SAGE -- you should help this group because they are helping older adults who are often living alone and need special care or a place to go to while their family goes to work. They also have community programs and exercise classes for older adults who are more capable. And, they've been around for 60+ years, so they know what they're doing!

My sister-in-law who is disabled attends SAGE. The staff is incredible! The care that they provide is amazing. I joke with my wife that I want to get on the waiting list now to be sure that I will be able to go there when I am eligible. Yes I am a member of the public, but I am also a donor and I am proud to support such a wonderful organization.

As a volunteer in the SAGE Spend-A-Day program I witness firsthand each week how the members benefit. The staff is extremely caring, professional, patient, and empathetic. Each member is truly treated as an individual and as such their individual needs are addressed accordingly. It gives seniors a chance to socialize and participate in fun activities - friendships are formed and I believe it helps counteract the loneliness many feel when their spouses have passed away or they don't have family in the area. I adore all the members of the program - my time at SAGE each week is priceless!

I have been volunteering for the Meals on Wheels Program for 2 months now and I am impressed with how efficiently the program runs, the friendliness of all Sage employees and volunteers, and the organization of the entire operation. At the end of my Meals on Wheels route I feel grateful that I can be a part of
an organization that reaches so many people in need.

Mother lived to be 100 due to the great care of a live-in SAGE nurse. I volunteer with MOW and see how welcome the hot meal is and also the friendly chat we have with clients. Often we are the only people the client sees during the day. When things are amiss at their homes we have a social worker who then evaluates the situation and remedies it. SAGE is a wonderful organization and the main reason I stay in NJ where I have no family. SAGE is my family.

nmcahoon

Sage has been helping my wife for over 5 years; first with day care and more recently with home care.
These services have given me the freedom to take care of my personal needs and business that I could not have done without Sage's help.

My Mother attended the adult day care program at Sage Eldercare in Summit New Jersey for 5 years or more. She loved attending, and got up each morning eager to go. She enjoyed the special programs, including music and arts and crafts. My mother enjoyed talking with the other residents. She even enjoyed the van rides.

SAGE provides some of my elderly clients with much needed services. The most impressive in my opinion is the GPS program and the wonderful Nurses that provide guidance to the many seniors that need it. The Spend-A-Day program is also run by wonderful staff and allow seniors to age in place and with grace. I will definitely keep supporting SAGE and the wonderful programs they provide hand-in-hand with my home care company's services.

The Caregivers Support Group was an absolute life saver for me. I cared for my mother for 5 or 6 years and just having a "listening' group once a month was so helpful. It was so wonderful to talk to other people who were in the same position both for support and for ideas! My mother also attended the Spend-a Day program and enjoyed it very much. Thank you Sage!

The staff and the programs/services offered are exceptional. I have a 90 year mother living in Pennsylvania and there is no similar resource available for her there. After 10 years of volunteering, I have become "attached" to many of the MOW clients, interesting people with interesting life stories.

The mission of Sage Eldercare is excellent and a much needed resource in our community. As a non-for-profit organization donors should be aware of the high salary of the Executive Director and others in leadership positions. It is not appropriate for a non-profit with this sized annual budget to be footing the bill for such a large building and to an Exec. Director that is over-paid.

My husband was very ill, and I needed help, I contacted Sage Care and immediately I was able to get help. The visiting nurse made contact with me, and I used Nursing assitans for almost 2 years. During the time that I was their client I can say the organization was very helpful in every way. The secretaries, and medical personal were very understanding on my husband needs and me, since I was the care giver I was a nurse for 30 years but when you have to care of a loved one 24/7 It's taxing, You never have enough help. I will recommend SAGE anyone to use your service. THank you so much. I am the wife of George N Fabian,who pass away this year. I am glad I have this opportunity to extend my gratitude to Sage Care and their staff.

SAGE Eldercare is a valuable resource for seniors in need, for those wanting to volunteer with a terrific organization, for caregivers needing assistance and for those wanting to learn more about aging in place. SAGE much deserves your donor dollars and your volunteer efforts! So many times I hear from out-of-staters, "I wish there was a SAGE near me."

My wife broke her right femur in a fall. This is the second time that femur broke. As a result she was "non-weight bearing" on that leg for several weeks, i.e. limited to a wheel chair. We contacted SAGE for a home health aide. Within hours one was arranged. The aide was always on time, very professional and engaging. When the wheel chair days were over the aide was no longer needed, but she was essential for a period of time. Thank you SAGE for you assistance when we needed it. Larry G

SAGE Eldercare demonstrates an unwavering commitment to enriching the quality of life for our older adults and their families through a variety of services that support their continued well-being and independence.

Not only is SAGE Eldercare the oldest eldercare agency in New Jersey but started one of New Jersey’s first Meals-On-Wheels program in 1966 and opened one of New Jersey’s first adult day care programs in 1975.

I have had the privilege of not only knowing of SAGE Eldercare for over 14 years but having first-hand assistance from their InfoCare service. The InfoCare service provided me, as a family caregiver, with information, outreach, and much needed support when I desperately reached out for guidance. I occasionally still attend their monthly support group but now it is more to listen and support those going through the same crisis of caring for an older adult, as I did, and expressing to families at the meetings that they are not alone.....a "Paying It Forward" for me.

My son and I did the Meals on Wheels program for a few weeks at Sage. Everyone that worked there was very pleasant and welcoming. We moved out of state or I would still be volunteering at Sage. Great group of people.

My mother has Dementia. She lives with my husband and I. We had difficulty placing her in a program until we found SAGE. The staff are remarkable, dedicated and most of all committed to their clients. My mother flourished in the program. SAGE offers copious information to care givers as well as support groups and referrals. I don't know what I would have done without their guidance and support.

Working with the SAGE Meals on Wheels program delivering to those who cannot manage on their own has been a real eye-opener for me. Each client has their own story and they feel so much more connected to their community knowing they can easily reach out to SAGE and will hear a friendly and helpful voice on the phone. It is a privilege to get to know the seniors on my route, and to see how grateful they are when you enter their home with their meal. The seniors are also thrilled that they can receive home repairs at very low cost to them through SAGE's many programs. The seniors can trust the workers who come their homes.
On the occasion when I cannot deliver, my daughter takes over and they love to get to know the family and that we would not let them down; they are important to us.
I have seen how relieved a husband is when his wife with dementia can attend the Spend a Day program, and he can run errands and not have to be confined to the house looking after his wife.
And on a personal level, I have gained important knowledge about how to deal with my own aging parents through their many free classes, for example, keeping the home safe from accidents.
Thank you to SAGE for being there, and for being in the forefront of eldercare in our community.

Sage is an exemplary institution helping our elderly navigate their later years and helping those who care for the elderly gain useful perspective. I have served Sage as a volunteer and my husband has been involved as a member of the Board of Trustees. We are proud that Sage is located in Summit and serves the broader community at large in such a worthwhile manner.

I have volunteered with SAGE for over ten years. When I initially reached out to SAGE looking to serve as a volunteer, they were kind enough to give me a role that would allow me to volunteer with my children by my side. As a member of the Meals on Wheels team, my work with SAGE stands out as my most fulfilling volunteer experience. My four children have joined me over the years as we delivered food to those in need in our community. It provided them with invaluable multi-generational experiences and allowed them to serve the elderly in their community. We have made wonderful friendships not only with the people we deliver to but also with other elderly people who live in the housing complex we go to and members of the SAGE staff.

My husband a former business man and later a career change teacher of ED students
was a volunteer with Sage. He was very much impressed with the compassionate,
unbelievable dedication and caring of clients.

When the time came for a transition from volunteer to client the move was made
very welcoming due to the professional and compassionate conversations with the director.
Most remarkable was the respect presented making the transition as comfortable as possible.
It was viewed as a joint decision.

My husband totally enjoys his days at Sage. He particularly enjoys the music and art
programs. The holidays are rejoiced throughout the organization as a true Celebration.
Sage is a safe family environment that provides support and respect while embracing
their clients.

As a recent member of the Board of Trustees at SAGE I have been so impressed by this organization and by the work they do for the surrounding communities. Their focus is always on the client and their mission, to keep aging adults as independent and active as possible. I applaud their commitment!

Mary Lou Leib

I originally volunteered to be a pro-bono consultant on technology for the new headquarters building. That lead to being on the Technology Committee, heading the Technology Committee, serving as Vice President of the Board for three years and President for two years. What inspired me to become so involved with SAGE were two things: the staff's dedication to providing the best service to their clients and the joy I saw on the faces of those clients when they were being served. SAGE is a unique organization because of the breadth of services they provide to the elderly and their caregivers. I am very proud to have been a part of the SAGE management team.

SAGE plays a very critical and supportive role for older adults and caregivers in the communities near Summit, Chatham, etc. As a long time volunteer in their Meals On Wheels program I have seen the difference their daily interactions make to isolated adults for whom SAGE may be the only social touch for the day. Their professionalism, care and continuous and consistent support provide a bench mark for other NGOs in the area. Hopefully more financial support from the communities will allow growth in their numerous older adult support services programs

SAGE consistently fulfills it's mission of assisting seniors and caregivers. But what really amazes me is how SAGE reacts to local crisis. With Hurricane Sandy, NJ was devastated. Sage offered safe haven for clients and warming and charging stations for the community. Home health aides followed their clients to shelters and hotels. The non- perishable pantry was completly spent to provide meals for clients. Despite the danger and their own problems, Meal-on-Wheels volunteers continued to serve the needs of vulnerable seniors. I am so proud to be a SAGE volunteer.

With the money that was raised for the new building at 290 Broad Street, it should have been used more effectively. There is a large empty building that is dark and much too big for the employees that are working there. Too much wasted space and high operational costs. The salaries of top Administration is very high considering that it is a non-profit and has been running with a very large deficit on an annual basis. Very sad to see such a wonderful organization and Board of Directors make such terrible choices.