There are many benefits of in-home senior care, retaining independence and privacy perhaps being one of the most vital, especially for those seniors that have been extremely independent for the majority of their lives.

At Foothills Home Services, we provide live-in carers as well as casual home care, allowing your senior loved one to stay in the familiar and comfortable surroundings of their own home. With in-home senior care comes the ability to retain privacy and consistency by having companionship from the same health care aide, ensuring familiarity, routine, friendship and rapport.

Fall is a season known for its harvest times and turning leaves. The days offer warm sun, and the nights grow cool and darker as we transition into winter. There are several reasons to get outdoors and enjoy the autumn weather, as well as some preparation for the winter months to come.

There is a part of life where people go through a period of time when they just want to be isolated with their thoughts for a while to sort out circumstances in their lives or simply to experience some downtime without distractions. However, for seniors, being isolated for too long might signify a serious condition - depression.

At Foothills Home Services, our experienced caregivers understand depression in seniors and offer several care options to help fight the battle.

At Foothills Home Services, we work with a wide range of seniors with all different ailments - including dementia. Caring for someone with dementia can be challenging, and having a better understanding of how it typically progresses will make caring for your senior loved one easier. We offer several program types, including round-the-clock care for individuals in need; this includes taking care of all the planning, shopping, cooking, and of course, providing companionship. Our Health Care Aids are available to help with personal care such as bathing, washroom, and dressing. 

Getting older involves changes in all realms of life, from the physical to the mental, social, and emotional. In many regards aging is positive and it is important to maximize those positives while taking proactive steps to maintain your health and minimize the negative. Providing care for seniors in the Foothills since 2002, Foothills Home Services possesses all the expertise to assist in making sure the senior you love is happy and healthy - our trained, qualified, and dedicated caregivers offer seniors the gift of love and we vow to enable your senior loved ones to maintain their independence for as long as possible.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways to ensure both happy and healthy aging!

Modern medicine has allowed for hip and knee replacements to become a common and simple procedure for seniors, these surgeries can be life-changing in the long run but it is important to take recovery seriously at home. Foothills Home Services puts the well-being of seniors at the forefront, over 20 years we have been there to care for many seniors after surgery by providing a range of home care services in Calgary and surrounding areas. 

Staying socially active as a senior can help promote better mental health, physical health and also create new routines. Living in the Foothills there are many opportunities catered towards seniors to promote a healthy social life! For seniors who need a helping hand getting to and from events and social gatherings Foothills Home Services can help - through our Elderly Personal Care & Senior Support Services, we provide long-term or temporary companionship for seniors in Calgary and areas along with assisting in tasks such as grocery shopping and appointments. Take a look at some of our recommendations to help stay social in the Foothills!

Spring is the season of new beginnings! Fresh buds bloom, animals come out of hibernation, and the earth seems to come alive again! We can finally get excited about being outdoors once more and soaking in that vitamin D.

Are you in that tough spot where you feel it might be time to organize some live-in care for your senior loved one? Foothills Home Services offers private home care in Alberta for seniors, servicing small towns in southern Alberta and home care services in Calgary including palliative care in Calgary and the surrounding area. At Foothills Home Services our trained, qualified, and dedicated caregivers offer seniors the gift of love and we vow to enable your senior loved ones to maintain their independence for as long as possible.

Let us guide you through some of the concerns to look out for, and ways to approach that tough conversation about extra care.

From the glistening snow to the twinkle in a child’s eye, the holidays are a magical time. Cheer and joy fill the air and kindness seem to spread a little easier this time of year. There are many simple ways to spread goodwill to the senior companion in your life and bring back the wonder of the season! 

This time of year is one of the most beautiful, our town becomes covered in a glistening blanket of snow and the hoarfrost twinkles, along with this beauty becomes risk, risk of slip and falls and hypothermia. It is especially important that our senior companions are safe and smart when it comes to venturing out into the cold and snowy weather, and when staying snuggled up inside too! One of the best ways to get peace of mind regarding the seniors in our lives is to reach out and get that extra help. Foothills home services offer private home care in Alberta centring on small towns in southern Alberta and home care services in Calgary including palliative care in Calgary and area. 

It is the time of the year that the leaves turn and the cold weather befalls us and for many the perfect time to stay in and cook! Food is a great tool for bringing people together and has been for centuries; whether eating a meal with one another or creating those meals seniors love, side by side in the kitchen, share food with the senior loved one in your life this fall! 

When it becomes apparent that members of your family require extra help and care, both caregiver and your senior may feel a volley of emotions: denial, anger, resentment, sadness, guilt...the list goes on. The greatest hurdle you will face as a caregiver is managing those emotions both for yourself and your senior. Similar to the playground rules we followed as children, it’s important we combat the negative feelings with some positive ones.

The Hard Conversations

Remember your parents sitting you down at the table, or trapping you in the vehicle for a long drive to have a talk? Remember how you felt? The sinking stomach, holding your breath, and rapidly going through every mistake you made, trying to get ahead of the talk? Your biggest concern was being grounded and losing your independence! Well, it comes full circle, as they say. Eventually, we have to sit the senior(s) in our life down and have the talk about Homecare. 

They will have feelings, just like we did when we were kids. But it has to be done, and it can be done in such a way that promotes a partnership for care, instead of taking control of their care. 

Since 2001, Foothills Home Services has provided “families with tranquillity and peace of mind” with our wide range of personalized home care servicing Calgary, Okotoks, High River and surrounding areas. Learn more from the proud owner, Sylvia McKinley, when it is time to start considering home care, and why Foothills Home Services is one of the best choices for your senior loved one.

If you are currently caring for your ageing parents, and feeling a deep sense of guilt that you aren’t doing enough —you are not alone. Balancing your own life, family, work as well as taking on the responsibility of caring for your ageing parents can be exhausting- we understand. In 2018, over one-quarter of all Canadians provided caregiving to someone in their family— over half of these individuals were caring for their elderly parents. We know you love your parents and want the best for them, which is why we are here to provide reprieve with a supportive hand for short-term, long-term or around-the-clock care-- Foothills Home Services is here to help.