FirstLight is About People

Home Care is Not a Career, It’s a Calling

We know your first priority when choosing a home care provider is finding someone you can trust and rely on… someone who will care for your loved one as you would, and as we would our own. We’ve been where you are, and this is one of the main reasons we chose to be in this business. Please take a moment to read our many outstanding reviews from Google, Facebook, and AgingCare.com and you’ll understand why FirstLight Home Care of West Suburban Boston is recognized for the highest quality of care and service as a home care and senior care agency.  Meet our office care team:

Wendy Adlerstein, LSW

Wendy serves as our Executive Director. She oversees the non-medical assessments of clients, originating service plans, and supervises the office care team including the recruiting, training, scheduling and performance of caregivers.

Prior to joining FirstLight Home Care of West Suburban Boston, Wendy served in a variety of roles during an 18 year career in elder services at a private, non- profit home care agency in Waltham, MA which provides a myriad of services to seniors and adults with disabilities. As a licensed social worker, Wendy managed programs which provided services to seniors, conducted in home assessments, provided guidance to families and individuals to create service plans that addressed the needs and safety of seniors, and coordinated home care services. During her role as Volunteer Services Manager, she was responsible for recruiting, training, supervising and managing volunteers. She has extensive experience working directly with older adults and their families and helping people connect and find the right solutions to meet their needs. Wendy is inspired and motivated by helping people and thrives on making a difference in people’s lives.

Wendy holds a B.A. from Clark University, in Psychology with a concentration in Sociology and Human Services. In addition to her Massachusetts License in Social Work, Wendy holds a Certificate in Gerontology from the Worcester Consortium Gerontology Program. She is a member of the Aging Life Care Association (ALCA), formerly the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers.  Finally, Wendy is a Certified Dementia Practitioner^® (CDP) in good standing from the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners.

Please take some time to listen to Wendy in a recent interview on the Engaging Voices podcast.  Wendy shares how she became interested in gerontology, the importance of empathy and communication in the business of care, and how she connects with stressed clients and families.  In addition, Wendy provides an inside view on what makes FirstLight Home Care of West Suburban Boston different from other home care providers.

Steve Stern

As President, Steve manages FirstLight Home Care of West Suburban Boston and leads the community relations and business development efforts.

Prior to opening the FirstLight office, Steve served in a number of management positions at marketing services organizations, where he developed programs and campaigns to promote a range of consumer brands and business services—from telecommunications and public transportation to accounting services and healthcare. Steve was born and raised in Needham and graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in Economics. He also holds an MBA with a concentration in marketing from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business.

After much success with his marketing and business development career, Steve began exploring new ways to use his skills while seeking a return to the meaningful work he enjoyed and missed of his early career where he was the manager of a Wellesley-based marketing services agency. In that position, Steve developed public awareness campaigns for a range of social issues in support of non-profit organizations and government agencies. Clients included the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, New England Home for Little Wanderers, the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, and a Medicare Options campaign for the predecessor to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Opening the FirstLight Home Care office was an opportunity for Steve to give back to the community, to seniors and others in his hometown and the surrounding area by offering an important service—one which has such a significant impact on quality of life.

Steve enjoying the company of FirstLight client, Ed King at the JF&CS Memory Cafe in Waltham, MA.

Steve has personally seen the growing need for services to help people remain independent, through care for his grandmother, relatives, and other family members. He understands firsthand, the difficulty of caring for loved ones, and the challenges of finding qualified and compassionate resources to help in meeting this goal.

The FirstLight office was opened in partnership with Steve’s father, Michael, who serves as an advisor. Michael is a retired technology company pioneer from the early days of the Route 128 Corridor. He is married to Nancy, a life-long Needham resident and active community member. Steve is married to Amy, a public health care quality advisor who helps physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals establish health care systems in developing nations. Steve and Amy are the parents of twin boys who graduated from Tufts University in May.

Jenny Wu serves as our Manager of Client Care Services. She manages the office’s care coordination team, including oversight of all scheduling, client service, and the performance of the FirstLight caregiver team.  Jenny began her career at FirstLight Home Care of West Suburban Boston as a Care Coordinator and was promoted to her current position in July 2019.  Prior to joining FirstLight, Jenny worked in the mental/behavioral health and developmental disabilities systems in Maine and New Hampshire. In her previous roles, she worked with individuals and families in the home, school, group homes and various community settings. She is passionate about working with people to help them meet their personal, academic, vocational and recreational goals. She has experience working directly with youth and children doing functional and behavioral health support, as well as parents, family members and caregivers in other case management roles. Jenny grew up living with her grandmother and relocated back to Massachusetts when her family needed additional assistance with her grandmother’s care due to Alzheimer’s. Jenny graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.S. in Family Studies. She holds a Certificate in Case Management from Boston University School of Social Work’s Center for Aging & Disability Education and Research.  Finally, Jenny is a Certified Dementia Practitioner^® (CDP) in good standing from the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners.

Elise Scaringello serves as our Senior Care Coordinator. She oversees the scheduling and performance of the FirstLight caregiver team and serves as our Scheduling Specialist. Prior to joining FirstLight, Elise attended Curry College where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Community Health and Wellness. Elise also holds a Certificate in Case Management from Boston University School of Social Work’s Center for Aging & Disability Education and Research. In her prior position as a Health and Wellness Consultant at Jenny Craig, Elise enjoyed making a positive impact on people’s lives physically, mentally and emotionally. Her job was not only to help clients lose weight, but to instill healthy lifestyle changes and behaviors to ensure clients live a long and happy life.  Elise has always had a passion for the elderly as she lived with her grandparents all of her life, and they had a very large part in raising her. She provided help to them when needed, just like our caregivers do at FirstLight. Whether helping with grocery shopping, providing support at doctor’s appointments, cleaning, or just running errands, Elise was always there for her family members needing care. She knows firsthand what great care is, and the incredible benefits that come from it. Elise’s mother is a CNA who often provides help with her grandfather for the more physical aspects of his needs. Elise loves being able to make a difference in someone’s life.

Jamie Bisson serves as a Care Coordinator.  She oversees the scheduling and performance of the FirstLight caregiver team.  Prior to joining FirstLight, Jamie worked as a private geriatric care coordinator, working one-on-one with clients to make sure they were living their best possible lives. Jamie began working with the elderly through Grand Circle Travel, a travel agency geared towards the retired and elderly population. She was able to connect with her clients over the phone and anticipate their travel needs and desires.  Nothing made her happier than seeing someone enjoying a cruise down the Rhine or a safari in Africa. Jamie became a Certified Nursing Assistant in 2018, and she holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Retailing from Lasell College in Newton, MA.  She has a Boston terrier named Cheech, a rescue from the Northeast Boston Terrier Rescue League. Jamie spends some of her free time volunteering with the Rescue to find forever homes for geriatric Boston terriers that are usually displaced because their owners have passed. When she’s not finding the perfect home for an elderly pup, she enjoys traveling the world. On her most recent trip to Cuba, she spent some time singing and dancing with a group of elderly Cubans where they showed her how to Cha-cha-cha.

Debby Toto serves as our Human Resources Manager. Prior to joining FirstLight Home Care, Debby served in a variety of roles in the Human Resources field, including as a recruiter in Boston’s financial district, as a Human Resources Generalist for an insurer, followed by working as a Human Resources Manager with a high-tech start-up.  Throughout her childhood, Debby had a close relationship with her grandparents, and in recent years she has assisted her mother who has had a barrage of challenging health diagnoses, and age-related mobility issues.  Debby holds a B.A. from Florida Atlantic University in Arts and Humanities, and is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management.  She is the Co-Chair of Fundraising for Gifts of Hope Unlimited Inc., a non-profit whose mission is to support and assist individuals affected by relationship violence to gain access to resources for a safe and empowered future.  Debby lives west of Boston with her husband, John, who is a Sales Director for a high tech start-up and a District Deputy for the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts.  Debby and John are the proud parents of two daughters, one of whom works in business development, and the other is at Georgetown University.

Melander Taylor serves as our Scheduler and On-Call Specialist.  Prior to joining FirstLight Home Care of West Suburban Boston, Melander worked as a Patient Care Technician within an Intensive Care Unit of a large Merrimack Valley Area Hospital.  She has always loved to be working within the sector of public service and being able to be an advocate for the varying needs of others. As a former Special Education Teacher, Melander worked diligently to identify the unique strengths of each student in order to help him or her attain a highest level of potential by creating both academic and service plans.  Melander brought this passion for helping others over with her as she worked as a CNA for the past 7 years.  She has extensive experience working with older adults in order to ensure that there is optimal health care service always being delivered.  From an early age, Melander would spend summers with both sets of grandparents, her great grandparents and her great-great grandparents. The time that she was able to spend with them helped shape her into the kind and patient person who loves to attend to the needs of others and has a special affinity for older adults.  Melander grew up in Connecticut and holds a B.A. in English and a Master’s in Special Education, both received from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT.  She lives north of Boston with her husband, Larry who is an accountant with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  They have one son who will be starting his Junior year of high school in the Fall.

Amanda Nalepa serves as our Human Resources Recruitment Specialist.  She oversees the recruitment process of finding the most qualified of caregivers to join the FirstLight team.  After graduating from Newbury College with her B.S. in Psychology, Amanda began her career of providing support to children & adolescents in the mental health field. In this role, Amanda supported families by implementing specifically tailored behavior programs in support of a particular child’s development.  Amanda has always been passionate about helping others, and as such, has devoted the last seven years of her life in the home care industry. She has and continues to build relationships with clients, on-board the most qualified of caregivers, and network in communities surrounding Boston. Amanda has always been passionate about finding the right caregiver for her clients’ particular needs and supporting families during their transition to home care.  Amanda lives west of Boston with her husband Walter and daughter Isabella. In her free time, Amanda enjoys spending her time cooking and trying new recipes. Her friends and family say she should open her own restaurant to show off all of her cooking creations.

Kaia serves as our official Office Pup.  She ensures that no crumbs are left on the floor and most importantly, that each team member has a smile on their face when they see her.  She is always game for a belly rub.  Prior to joining the office team in September 2019, Kaia unfortunately, had a less-than-enjoyable life.  But thanks to a rescue agency and our Executive Director & Owner, Wendy Adlerstein, LSW, she has found a renewed enthusiasm–and most certainly, round the clock love.  Kaia is currently working towards enrollment in classes to become a therapy dog, and down the road, we see her bringing much warmth and cheer to FirstLight Home Care clients.

When you come to us for care, we know it hasn’t been an easy decision to make. Trust you’re in good hands with FirstLight Home Care – One of the highest rated and best home care/senior care agencies serving the West Suburban Boston communities.  Please take a moment to read some of our outstanding reviews.