From Center for Retirement Research: Why You Might Want to Hire Home Health Aides through an Agency

When the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College wanted an on-the-ground perspective on what it really costs — and what it really takes — to staff a professional home care agency, they turned to Wendy Adlerstein, LSW, Executive Director and Co-Owner of FirstLight Home Care of West Suburban Boston. That’s not surprising. With nearly three decades of experience in elder services, Wendy is one of the most knowledgeable and trusted voices in home care in the Boston area. She began her career in the nonprofit sector providing case management and protective services to low-income, frail seniors before co-founding FirstLight Home Care of West Suburban Boston, which she has led for more than a decade. A licensed social worker, Certified Dementia Practitioner, and active member of the Aging Life Care Association, Wendy brings both clinical grounding and real-world operational expertise to every conversation about elder care.

In her interview with attorney and elder care advocate Harry Margolis for his Risking Old Age in America podcast — later featured by the Center for Retirement Research — Wendy spoke candidly about caregiver recruitment, compensation, and the impact of immigration policy on the home care workforce. She also addressed one of the most pressing issues in Massachusetts elder care: the absence of statewide agency licensure, and why even providers who already meet high standards are advocating for regulation that would protect families statewide. Her insights are both timely and practical, offering families and referral professionals a clearer picture of what sets a quality agency apart.

Read the piece from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College and listen to the full podcast.