Blog | In Home Care Anchorage | How To Care for Aging Parents

Alzheimer’s Research Milestones Reached This Past Year

Published February 18, 2021

Alzheimer’s research brought promising progress made in the treatment and cure of this disease in 2020. With so much negative news in the forefront of 2020, it’s worth reflecting on some of the incredible achievements the year brought – such as the advancements in Alzheimer’s research. Katie McDonough, director of programs and services at the… Continue reading →

Posted in Alzheimer's Disease, Medical News

Caring for Aging Parents SOS: Family Therapy for Caregivers

Published February 11, 2021

Family therapy sessions can help adult children work through differences when caring for aging parents. There are specific milestones we might encounter in our lives that, while not automatically negative, are known stressors. Losing a job. Starting a brand new job. Getting divorced. Getting married. And one that we in the home care industry are… Continue reading →

Posted in Caregiver Tips, Family Caregiving, Family Matters

Caring for Aging Parents: Assessing Mental Health from a Distance

Published February 4, 2021

Caring for an aging parent from a distance includes assessing their mental health. The isolation and fear due to COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the wellbeing of older adults, with nearly half of seniors surveyed in a Kaiser Family Foundation poll stating that their degree of stress and worry was negatively impacting their own health.… Continue reading →

Posted in Caregiver Tips, Depression, Senior Safety

Tips for First-Time Caregivers

Published January 20, 2021

Check out these tips for first-time caregivers from our Mat-Su home care professionals. It might have come altogether out of nowhere: an unanticipated fall that caused a fractured hip and the need for Mom to have assistance to stay at home. Or, it may have been building up over the years, such as through the… Continue reading →

Posted in Caregiver Tips, Family Caregiving, Respite Care

Maintaining Dignity While Aging: Tips for Caregivers

Published January 14, 2021

These tips from our Alaska home health professionals can help with maintaining dignity while aging. It’s easy to get swept up in the day-to-day tasks of caregiving for an older adult you love. There is so much to be done, and often it’s just much easier and a lot more efficient to do it all… Continue reading →

Posted in Caregiver Tips, Family Caregiving

Shadowing in Dementia Patients: How to Help Overcome the Fear of Being Alone

Published January 7, 2021

Better manage shadowing in dementia patients with the help of our expert care services in Anchorage. Primary caregivers for those with Alzheimer’s disease in many cases are all too acquainted with the difficulty experienced in trying to take a quiet moment or two alone – to use the restroom, get a brief shower, and even… Continue reading →

Posted in Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimers and Dementia Care, Caregiver Tips

Creating a Memory Book for Alzheimer’s Patients

Published December 17, 2020

Memory books are a great way to help those with dementia store and share memories. “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss Memories are what bind together our past experiences with who we are today; and for an individual with dementia, confusion around these… Continue reading →

Posted in Caregiver Tips, Dementia, Mental Health

Help for Seniors Experiencing Holiday Depression

Published December 10, 2020

Holiday depression affects many seniors this time of year. Although this season is typically viewed as the season of joy, for many older adults, holiday depression is an all too real experience, making the holidays a time of deep despair. Yearning for holidays past, grief over the loss of family and friends, and difficult… Continue reading →

Posted in Caregiver Tips, Mental Health, Resources

Celebrate the Holidays Safely with Seniors During COVID-19

Published December 3, 2020

There are many ways to still safely celebrate the holidays in spite of COVID-19. Think about the most ideal holiday season you can envision. While that image may vary a little for every one of us, it might include gifts, lights, good food, and traditions passed down through the generations. However, what most certainly holds… Continue reading →

Posted in Mental Health, Resources, Senior Safety

Can Humidifiers Help with COPD Symptoms in Seniors?

Published November 19, 2020

Dry air can contribute to poor health in those suffering with COPD. If you or a loved one are considering using a humidifier to treat COPD symptoms in seniors, it is important to learn about the risks and common safety precautions of using a humidifier. Air that is too dry, for example, may cause or… Continue reading →

Posted in Caregiver Tips, COPD, Senior Health

Learn to Let Go of Family Caregiver Guilt

Published November 12, 2020

Family caretaker guilt can be alleviated with these tips. Family care providers give so much of themselves to attend to their loved ones, often surrendering their own desires and needs in the process. It seems normal to assume then that caretakers would feel good about themselves, rich in self-esteem and sense of purpose. However, the… Continue reading →

Posted in Caregiver Tips, Family Caregiving, Respite Care

Are Senior Moments Normal? What to Do When Memory Issues Are a Concern

Published November 6, 2020

Some memory issues are a normal part of aging, but if there is a concern about possible dementia, bring the issue up with your primary care provider. You altogether forgot about the physician’s appointment scheduled for last Thursday, misplaced your reading glasses for the umpteenth time, and can’t remember the name of your new neighbor… Continue reading →

Posted in Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, Senior Health

Expired Prescriptions? Here’s How to Dispose of Medication Safely

Published October 22, 2020

Proper and safe medication disposal is important. With many aging parents taking multiple prescriptions, and with physicians adding and changing medications and dosages to discover ideal solutions, it is crucial to know how to dispose of medication safely once it is expired or no longer needed. There are several medication disposal options: Check labels. The… Continue reading →

Posted in Caregiver Tips, Medication, Senior Safety

Overcoming Challenging Behaviors: Refusal to Change Clothes and Dementia

Published October 15, 2020

Learn tips to help manage challenging dementia behaviors. Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia requires empathy, creativity, and patience, being able to step away from your own reasoning and logic and understand why a certain behavior is happening, and then to understand exactly how to successfully manage it. Refusal to… Continue reading →

Posted in Alzheimers and Dementia Care, Caregiver Tips, Dementia

Home Care for Seniors: Is it Safe Now?

Published October 8, 2020

Home care for seniors follows rigorous safety protocols to keep clients safe. Looking back at the past several months, family caregivers have had to face seemingly insurmountable challenges connected with the care of the senior family members they love. With COVID-19’s specific dangers to the elderly and those diagnosed with underlying health conditions, such as… Continue reading →

Posted in Senior Health, Senior Safety