Meet Our Team
Malka Young, LICSW, CCM
Director – Allies in Aging JFS Elder Care Solutions
Malka Young is the Director of the Allies in Aging JFS Elder Care Solutions program and provides a full range of life care management services for older adults and their families with a multidisciplinary team of social workers and nurses.
Malka received her Master’s degree in Social Work from Boston University and graduated from Brandeis University. She is a frequent presenter at local and national conferences. Malka addresses the challenges of aging in community, living well with chronic illness, caring for aging parents, grief and bereavement. She is a published author and was the first social worker in the pioneering Geriatric Evaluation Unit at the VA Medical Center in Jamaica Plan.
She is an advanced professional member of the Aging Life Care Association and holds specialty certification from the National Association of Social Workers as a certified advanced social work case manager.
Specialties:
- Living Well with Chronic Illness
- Geriatric Care Management
- Family Relationships/Caring for Aging Parents
- Dementia and Neurological Disease
- Family Caregiver Coaching
- Jewish Resources for Aging Well
Lynn Schuster, RN, CDP
Geriatric Care Manager – Allies in Aging JFS Elder Care Solutions
Lynn is a graduate of Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and brings a wealth of experience serving clients from pediatrics through end-of-life care. Her professional background spans healthcare marketing, business development, and direct client support across all ages. While working with the Greater Medford VNA, she was honored as Businessperson of the Year by the Medford Senior Center, recognizing her commitment to improving the lives of those she serves.
Lynn was drawn to JFS for its exceptional mission and meaningful impact – “I was drawn to JFS because of the organization’s outstanding mission to support the individuals they serve through life’s challenges with outstanding compassion and kindness.”
Laila Vehvilainen, MS, MPH, NASM-CPT, CDP
Geriatric Care Manager – Allies in Aging JFS Elder Care Solutions
Prior to joining the Allies in Aging JFS Elder Care Solutions team as a Geriatric Care Manager, Laila worked with the JFS Healthy Aging program as a Fitness Instructor and provided in-home personal training services for Allies in Aging clients. She brings a wealth of experience to her practice, including five years at North Hill Life Care Community in Needham. She has also conducted research in aging as a Research Project Manager and served as a Program Director at a Council on Aging.
Laila holds certifications as a Senior Fitness Specialist, Arthritis Instructor, and Dementia Care provider. She earned master’s degrees in Gerontology and Public Health, grounding her work in a strong understanding of the physical, cognitive, and social aspects of aging.
In April 2024, Laila presented at the 36th Global Conference of Alzheimer’s Disease International on the topic of supporting clients who are living with dementia by engaging with them through personal training, integrating exercise, strength and balance training.
Among her many talents, Laila also speaks Latvian fluently and has working knowledge of Spanish, Germán and Finnish.
Eileen Winston, MD
Geriatric Care Manager – Allies in Aging JFS Elder Care Solutions
Eileen practiced rheumatology, primarily in Framingham, for 33 years and retired from medicine 6 1/2 years ago. She did primarily clinical practice, seeing patients. She also taught interns and residents for years, giving them introduction to rheumatology lecture series. Eileen has always been interested in healthcare advocacy, having trained in an inner-city hospital and later on working with pharmaceutical companies to try to make medication more affordable to her patients while in practice.
“I think that people should be able to age in a way that is best for them and their families, but even more importantly have a Voice-and have someone who advocates for them”
Shashona Kaye, RN, BSN
Registered Nurse – Homecare
Shashona Kaye received her nursing degree from Northeastern University. Upon graduation Shona immediately began working with the senior community at a nursing home specializing in long term care, dementia, sub acute care and rehabilitation. Her wide range of nursing experience has included camp nursing, operating room, recovery room, office setting and several years working in the home care industry.
Throughout her nursing career, Shona has worked as a nurse liaison between home care agencies and doctors/hospitals as well as having worked closely with nurse case managers, social workers and physicians, giving her a unique and comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of elder care and home care.
Shona enjoys the process of assessing, planning, coordinating, monitoring and providing services for the elderly and their families. She finds great reward in working with seniors as she truly respects and appreciates their life experience and all they have offered to society. Shona brings an exceptional level of compassion and empathy to her work and that, combined with her vast experience, makes her a valued asset to the JFS Homecare team.
Valerie Montuori, RN
Registered Nurse – Homecare
Valerie Montuori is a registered nurse with a long-standing commitment to caring for older adults and supporting families. She earned her nursing degree from Framingham Union Hospital School of Nursing in 1988 and began her career in hospital-based care, working in Labor & Delivery and the Maternity Unit. Her diverse background also includes roles as a health care administrator and nurse at a summer camp, as well as serving as the School Nurse Consultant at MetroWest Jewish Day School.
Valerie’s passion for elder care began early in her career while working as a nurse’s aide at St. Patrick’s Manor Nursing Home during high school. It was there that she discovered how meaningful it is to support older adults with compassion, dignity, and respect. This commitment deepened later in life as she spent the final four years of her career caring for her own aging parents—first in their home, then in assisted living, and ultimately through end-of-life care at St. Patrick’s Manor. These personal and professional experiences have given her a deep understanding of the physical, emotional, and practical challenges faced by older adults and their families.
Valerie brings a unique blend of clinical expertise, caregiving insight, and heartfelt dedication to her work at JFS of Metrowest. She is committed to ensuring that older adults receive the highest quality care and support, tailored to their individual needs.
Mayra Tardiff
Director – Homecare
Mayra, originally from El Salvador, is a longtime resident of Massachusetts. She oversees the JFS Homecare program, ensuring that our older adult clients have the homemaking and personal care services they need to live in their homes, safely and with dignity. Mayra speaks English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. She loves to travel and spend time with her family.
Dámaris Medina-Hernández
Training Manager – Homecare
Dámaris joined the team at JFS in 2000, and has extensive experience caring for and attending to the needs of elders in the Metrowest community. Before coming to JFS, she studied mental health and computer software at the CUC University of Puerto Rico and the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. She especially enjoys the opportunity to give back to the community and the chance to work with many different cultures and to learn from them.