It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Atco Drive In Theater gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Atco, NJ is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Always Best Care is a great co host to a beautiful summer celebration at Artis”
“Very easy to work with and set up care plan for my mother.”
“The service is excellent. The staff is really great. I love Working with Always Best”
“Fabulous team to work with. The best care senior service to work with. Especially Kendra,”
“Always Best Care has provided 24 / 7 Live in care for my mother. They”
“Always Best Care is a great co host to a beautiful summer celebration at Artis”
“Always Best Care is a great co host to a beautiful summer celebration at Artis”
“Always Best Care is a great co host to a beautiful summer celebration at Artis”
“Always Best Care is a great co host to a beautiful summer celebration at Artis”
“Fabulous team to work with. The Best of the Best...... We know that when we”
“They are phenomenal!! Took great care of my not so easy Mom. They have ur”
“Great team to work with!!”
“I would like to recommend Always Best Care Senior Services of Greater South Jersey.. a”
“Always Best Care is a great co host to a beautiful summer celebration at Artis Senior Living of Evesham”
“Very easy to work with and set up care plan for my mother.”
“The service is excellent. The staff is really great. I love Working with Always Best Care because they take care of their employees. They work with you to see what hours you could work. When ever I have a emergency and I can not make it they find coverage. They give cases that are most of the time good with you. They work around my schedule. I love Working with ABC.”
“Fabulous team to work with. The best care senior service to work with. Especially Kendra, she is always available and always willing to help anyway she can and will go out of her way to make the patient and family’s experience 100x better. When our families are looking for additional care I know I can count on Always Best Care, to always give their very best. Big thank you to Kendra, Kerry and staff.”
“Always Best Care has provided 24 / 7 Live in care for my mother. They have taken very good care of my mother and I look forward to them continuing my mother’s care.”
“Always Best Care is a great co host to a beautiful summer celebration at Artis Senior Living of Evesham”
“Always Best Care is a great co host to a beautiful summer celebration at Artis Senior Living of Evesham”
“Always Best Care is a great co host to a beautiful summer celebration at Artis Senior Living of Evesham”
“Always Best Care is a great co host to a beautiful summer celebration at Artis Senior Living of Evesham”
“Fabulous team to work with. The Best of the Best...... We know that when we refer our families to this "Wonderful" Company that they will take exceptional care of our clients.... Thank you Tammi, Kerri, Kendra and staff..”
“They are phenomenal!! Took great care of my not so easy Mom. They have ur back!!”
“Great team to work with!!”
“I would like to recommend Always Best Care Senior Services of Greater South Jersey.. a Veteran and Woman owned Company.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Winslow Township West Atco Park II with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Zito's Tavern or visit Wyck Historic House And Garden, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Atco, NJ, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Atco, NJ understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Atco, NJ 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
The Royale Banquet & Event Center is opening soon in Atco and is in the final stages of construction. The large banquet facility will also offer a beautiful upscale public restaurant featuring 2 bar areas and plans for a weekend nightclub atmosphere.I stopped in twice recently to chat with members of the management team as well as one of the owners. I got the full tour of the restaurant aspect as well as an overview of the plans for the 31,000sf facility which they hope to open in the next several weeks.The Royale team has ...
The Royale Banquet & Event Center is opening soon in Atco and is in the final stages of construction. The large banquet facility will also offer a beautiful upscale public restaurant featuring 2 bar areas and plans for a weekend nightclub atmosphere.
I stopped in twice recently to chat with members of the management team as well as one of the owners. I got the full tour of the restaurant aspect as well as an overview of the plans for the 31,000sf facility which they hope to open in the next several weeks.
The Royale team has hired many local residents who are all excited about the “coming soon” opening! Follow along on Facebook as they provide more opening date details
Core construction of the restaurant interior is effectively complete, and what I saw is an exciting and beautiful restaurant facility which is positioned to be a must-visit destination restaurant.
That being said, they are in the “9th inning” of the buildout and multiple crews were on site during my tour, knocking out their final punch-list construction details… so the interior images presented here are architect renderings.
Of course I will be back ahead of their opening to showcase the final product!
But everything that’s depicted in these images are actually developed within the restaurant space, which offers a front lounge space (with bar), and the second larger rear room is the restaurant dining room and main upscale bar.
Previously the facility was known as Shannon’s Country House. A NJ.com article from 2012 reported on Shannon’s closing… I had no idea the facility has been empty for 12 years.
While the exterior walls and roof of the building maybe from the prior establishment, from my tour I saw that basically everything else is new about the Royale facility… with an innovative upscale design which effectively brings two food offerings together under one roof; Banquet Hall and Restaurant.
The main banquet and event space of Royale is approximately 25,000 square feet. The banquet space offers a variety of configurations so they can handle events and weddings of all sizes… even as large as 1,000 guests or more!
The restaurant section on the left is in it’s own segregated space… fully attached to the main banquet building, but was developed in its own deep rectangular section. The restaurant is approximately 6,000sf which makes it a somewhat larger restaurant and lounge on its own.
The team at Royale Banquet and Event Center are already booking weddings and events, and if you’re interested in more details please reach out to Dottie or Lauren at Royale.
The provided architect renderings show an absolutely beautiful facility, perfect for your wedding or special events.
Dottie tells me they will be adding a beautiful outdoor component to the property which will be perfect for on site wedding ceremonies or photos.
During my visit the focus for me was on the public restaurant, which as I stated will be an upscale dining experience.
Along with a delicious dining experience, management is already working on plans for interesting events such as Comedy Club, Whiskey & Steak Night and more.
The restaurant has its own distinctive main entrance on the left which opens up into a large lounge area.
This initial lounge space alone is likely as large as many local taverns, and does feature a smaller 6-stool bar off to the left.
The lounge space will feature several interesting design aspects such as a custom wine rack wall, and a bench style alcove seating area.
A deeper space off to the right looked like it would also be perfect for bridal showers for similar events.
The opening at the back of the lounge space leads into the large restaurant area which features inverted arches on the two side walls, an intricate cubbyhole shelving design in the back.… and the large main bar.
The main bar runs in a straight line along the front wall of the restaurant space. It’s tough to judge when furniture isn’t in place but seeing the main bar in person, it looks larger than what is in the architect renderings.
Dotty tells me that the goal of the restaurant is to be an upscale dining experience where customers are asked to dress to impress!
As the dining crowd winds down on the weekends (Thurs-Saturday) the center of the restaurant space will be opened up as a dance floor area… extending the upscale fun.
I’m also told that they will be opening early on the weekends to serve breakfast, and there is some thoughts of having the breakfast available as the nightclub is closing for the evening.
Overall this is just the highlight of what’s to come.
As close as Royale is to the finish line, there’s absolutely many more details to be worked out. Of course will be back ahead of the opening day of the restaurant and will share many more details and images with the readers!
Royale Banquet and Events 490 White Horse Pike Atco NJ
To: Leonard Capone, Andrew Feranda, Matthew T. Waite, Waterford Twp, Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA), Waterford Twp Joint Land Use Board, Gregory Fusco, Robert Scott Smith, Pinelands Commission, NJDEP, Camden County, NJ, Rich Hoopis The owner of Atco Raceway, Leonard Capone, allowed a "material change" in the applicant's (IAA - the purchaser) plan for the property in that they will perform "substantial and critical changes to the overall site plan" where over 6,000 vehicles in various stages of damage or disrepa...
The owner of Atco Raceway, Leonard Capone, allowed a "material change" in the applicant's (IAA - the purchaser) plan for the property in that they will perform "substantial and critical changes to the overall site plan" where over 6,000 vehicles in various stages of damage or disrepair would be stored. This modification, as cited in The Pine Barrens Tribune is "a proposed change from a paved surface on which auction cars would be stored to one consisting of 'crushed stone' (otherwise known as gravel) in order to comply with the township's 'conditional use standards' for such a facility."
Some people would like to preserve Atco Raceway as a treasured landmark. To those people, I would say that it is a nostalgic idea for preserving a place that generations have enjoyed.
To all people who get their drinking water from wells in the surrounding area, whether Atco Raceway is preserved as a landmark or not, we cannot and should not allow the asphalt to be pulled up and replaced with gravel. As reported in The Pine Barrens Tribune by Mr. Thomas J. Stalba, Jr., of Hammonton, NJ, "Now they (IAA) are trying to convince the board and the community that they are a 'used car establishment' that should be able to tear up paving and put 6,000 recently wrecked cars, and the fluids remaining in them, on a bed of gravel with a water table that is as little as 1.7 feet below the surface of the ground on top of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, right next to the Mullica River watershed, in the heart of the Pine Barrents."
Carl Miller, as quoted in The Pine Barrens Tribune, who said he has participated in drag racing since the late 1960s, "called allowing cars in disrepair to be parked on gravel 'a terrible idea' that would allow chemicals to seep directly into groundwater with little possibility of containment." Car liquids, such as gasoline, antifreeze, brake fluid, and even oil do not have the chance to pool under a vehicle if there is gravel underneath.
Do the residents of Atco, NJ know that they are responsible for their clean drinking water? Visit these two state sites:
https://www.nj.gov/health/ceohs/documents/pw_faq.pdf
IAA states that they have millions of dollars in insurance should well water become contaminated. How would the homeowner know if his well water was contaminated? He would have to use a NJ state certified testing center that would cost thousands of dollars. Then do a second test just to be sure that the chemicals we are drinking now are "within allowable limits." Then it is our responsibility to make every effort to fix our own wells. The cost to do this would be thousands and thousands of dollars each year for each homeowner.
When I moved to Atco almost 30 years ago, we were presented with giant carbon tanks placed inside the laundry room by the State of NJ. We were told that the blueberry field at the end of the road had sprayed pesticides on the plants and the pesticides made their way into the water table in "amounts that exceeded what was allowable." You see, we are still drinking water with contaminants already. We just cannot afford to test our well water annually, as the State of NJ recommends. Why then are we allowing the very obvious poisoning of our water table to occur?
If you believe this is an injustice, if you want to keep your loved ones safe, if you want to stop what is so obviously wrong from occurring, you will sign this petition to stop this from happening immediately. Then tell your neighbors to sign as well. We all deserve clean drinking water. We certainly pay enough in our taxes for this "privilege."
Thank you for listening.
Fires have been prevalent in recent weeks, spreading quickly because of the region's worsening drought; another wildfire began on Monday. Michelle Rotuno-Johnson, Patch StaffNEW JERSEY — New Jersey forest fire service crews are battling yet another wildfire on Monday, this one in Wharton State Forest.Outdoor fires have been prevalent in recent weeks, spreading quickly because of the region's ...
Michelle Rotuno-Johnson, Patch Staff
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey forest fire service crews are battling yet another wildfire on Monday, this one in Wharton State Forest.
Outdoor fires have been prevalent in recent weeks, spreading quickly because of the region's worsening drought — and there is no rain in the forecast until this weekend. Several major wildfires, and dozens of smaller ones, have broken out over this period of dry weather.
The latest blaze was detected Monday morning around Tremont Avenue and Burnt Mill Road in Waterford Township, officials said. Residents in nearby Atco, Berlin, and Waterford are expected to see smoke from the wildfire, but officials said no homes or businesses are currently threatened at this time.
On Sunday, a small fire was also reported south of Chester Township, in Morris County. That's according to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management's Wildfire Monitoring Dashboard, which also maps potential hotspots that are picked up by satellite (see below).
Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette noted that the state is experiencing an "unprecedented" dry spell and urged residents not to build bonfires, set off fireworks, or drop their cigarettes on the ground. Forest Fire crews have responded to more than 351 wildfires since the dry spell began on Sept. 15, LaTourette said.
"Please be careful, be observant, and be safe," he said. "Do not start an outdoor fire."
Statewide fire restrictions continued into Monday, prohibiting charcoal fires and only allowing fires in elevated stoves that use only propane, gas, natural gas or electricity. The state also issued a drought watch on Oct. 17, encouraging residents and businesses to conserve water.
"If you use an indoor wood stove or fireplace, make sure to fully douse those ashes with water before disposing of them," LaTourette advised.
As of the latest updates, firefighters have mostly contained two major wildfires that began on Halloween: A 137-acre blaze in Downe Twp. (Cumberland County) and a 202-acre fire in Rockaway Twp. (Morris County). Crews are remaining on scene to address any areas of concern.
And last week, officials announced that a 192-acre fire burning in Livingston (Essex Co.) had reached 90 percent containment — meaning that it is not expected to spread any farther, though small areas may still be burning.
Smoke is expected to linger in the air near these communities until the next significant rainfall douses any burning fuel left remaining, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service noted.
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