With almost 50 years of combined experience, CJE’s Geriatric Care Management team is knowledgeable in all areas of aging and available to asist older adults 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bill-paying assistance, individualized care plans, referrals to legal and medical specialists, consultations on living arrangements and in-home care, advice for families who live far from aging loved ones...our staff can provide these and other services. Learn more about
Joan Richman Ente, Barbara Sarasin and Waren Tsafa and how they can help your family manage the transitions and challenges of aging.
JOAN RICHMAN ENTE, M.A., L.C.S.W., A.C.S.W.
Joan attended Oberlin College and earned her masters degree at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers and the National Association of Geriatric Care Managers. Joan has earned special certification as an advanced practioner in care managment and was recently elected to the Board of the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter.
Joan has more than twenty years of experience in mental health, family counseling and staff development. Her mental health background equips her to work with the many special needs of clients and their families. Joan brings a special interest in the management of Parkinson’s disease and associated dementias to our practice.
An excellent speaker and communicator, Joan regularly speaks about aging issues to business, community and synagogue groups. Recent presentations include: The Long and winding Road: Mapping the Journey Through Aging; The Zen of Caregiving and A Chance to Choose; Advance Directives and End of Life Care. Joan also writes a monthly column on aging issues for the Chicago Jewish News.
Joan is a resourceful, practical professional with thorough knowledge of Jewish culture, community services and other networks in Chicago and the near north suburbs. She is diligent about seeking out helpful contacts and solutions for her clients. Kind and intuitive, Joan is detail-oriented and upbeat. Her priority is offering ethical, compassionate care management and customer service to our clients.
BARBARA SARASIN, M.S.W., C.N.A.
Working in the field of aging since 1984, Barbara brings a unique perspective to her work with older adults. She has a Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois, Urbana / Champaign and is also a Certified Nurse’s Aide. Barbara understands the impact of medical issues and takes a practical, positive approach to solving problems for her clients. She has worked in private homes, skilled nursing home settings, adult day programs and in-patient psychiatric units.
Barbara spearheaded CJE SeniorLife’s bill-paying program and has helped clients manage financial and insurance matters for more than 18 years. She offers hands-on assistance by organizing clients’ paperwork, tax receipts and record-keeping systems, processing personal mail, preparing homes for sale and assisting with moves. She also provides safety assessments of homes and helps families prepare for loved ones’ return from extended nursing home care. She has extensive knowledge of senior housing resources in the Chicago area.
Barbara’s warm and practical approach is extremely helpful to many aging clients. She is highly organized, an energetic, quick thinker and an inventive problem solver. Barb gets things done quickly. Clients know they can depend on Barbara to sort through their personal matters in a non-judgmental, reassuring manner.
WAREN TSAFA, M.S.W.
A native of Tiv, Nigeria, Waren attended the Federal University of Agriculture. After college, she worked in social services and found her true calling. Waren was inspired to move to Chicago and earned her master's degree at Loyola School of Social Work.
Waren is a natural when it comes to helping people. She has a calming presence and an exceptional ability to connect and communicate with older people. Her manner is very soothing and she is quite skilled at providing comfort to those in need.
Waren supports our care management practice by managing grocery shopping, medical appointments and other practical aspects of client care. She provides oversight for in-home care workers who are living around the clock with advanced-stage dementia patients. She also transports clients who need assistance getting to important medical appointments.
OUR ADDED VALUE
The full range of CJE's comprehensive community services-counseling, home health, transportation, home delivered meals, housing and adult day services-can be used to benefit care managmeent clients. Skilled registered nurses from our organization are available for consultation or to manage medications on a private-pay/per-visit basis. Art and music therapists can see clients at home to provide individual creative arts therapy sessions. CJE also has a preferred relationship with Gentle Home Services to provide hourly or live-in care for clients.
CJE SeniorLife is a non-profit, mission driven organization. We are committed to do our work and realize our vision by striving for excellence through respect, advocacy, compassion, intent and accountability. Our values govern our practice.
