NY
Aging Life Care Managers®
Dot Tagarelli, CMC
Dot Cares
Why tendercare trusts Dot
Vetted April 2026 · Verified Member5.0
Service Area
About Dot Tagarelli
Beyond the resume
Dot speaks regularly to older adults, caregivers, and community groups on navigating the practical and emotional realities of aging — from understanding medical care to organizing financial and legal documents. The talks are designed to be accessible, not clinical: helping people feel prepared rather than overwhelmed, at whatever stage they're in.
Dot Cares is an Aging Life Care Management practice serving older adults and their families in the Lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and Southern Connecticut. The team specializes in working with older adults experiencing progressive neurological disorders — including dementia and Alzheimer's disease — and mental health challenges associated with aging.
Services include care management, assessment, advocacy, family and staff coaching, transition specialist support, and companion-level assistance for clients who need regular support without the complexity of a full care plan. Consultations are available in person, by phone, or via Zoom. The engagement begins with an initial meeting to assess the needs of both the client and the family caregiver. Services are available on an hourly or subscription basis.
Dot Tagarelli built this practice out of personal experience. She grew up with a disabled sister and aging parents, and navigated the same kind of coordination, uncertainty, and family stress that her clients bring to her now. When she later worked as a clinical social worker in the community, she saw how little real support existed for families managing progressive cognitive and physical decline. That gap is what she set out to close. Her approach works because it meets families where they are.
Families who have worked with Dot often describe her team's ability to stay clear-headed and steady when the situation is anything but. She has helped families navigate guardianship proceedings, untangle financial fraud, manage emergency hospitalizations, and find appropriate care placements, often for clients who, at the outset, were resistant to any help at all. Her team's ability to build trust with reluctant clients is one of the things families mention again and again.
Licenses & Accreditation:
Care Manager Certified (NACCM - CMC)
LCSW
Aging Life Care Association Member
tendercare Trusted Network member
Services
Coordinating home care or facility placement
Attending medical appointments as an advocate
Home & safety assessments
Creating and updating care plans
Crisis support and problem-solving
Connect to local services
Specialties
Patient Advocacy
Family Education
Working with Progressive Neurological Disorders and Mental Health Issues
Senior Living Placement Assistance
Home Safety Oversight
Connect to Local Services
5.0
The single best decision we made when my mother was initially diagnosed with dementia, was to bring Dot onto the care-giving team. My mother was resistant to this new person in her life, but we now laugh that she went from initially insisting "I don't need Dot!" to telling us in a few months: "I don't know what I would do without my friend Dot." That is a testament to Dot's skill and patience in helping people with dementia. But in all honesty, she is just as invaluable to the entire family. She gave us clear-eyed advice (and nudges) on when we needed to address my mother's changing care needs, as well as coordinating her medical care. Dot was first on the scene during an emergency hospitalization, and was indispensable in helping us find the best dementia-care residence when it was time. And all of that support is delivered with a bottomless reservoir of empathy. You hire Dot for coordinating care needs. What you get is peace of mind that you are doing the very best for your loved one.
Carla
April 2025