In-Home Dementia and Alzheimer’s Care in Anoka, MN

Comfort Keepers provides personalized in-home dementia and Alzheimer’s care for seniors, veterans and adults in White Bear Lake, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, Chisago City, and surrounding Minnesota communities. Caregivers help with personal care, meals, mobility, companionship, familiar routines and supervision so clients can remain at home as safely and independently as possible.

What Is Memory Care at Home?

Memory care at home provides personalized assistance to someone living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia without requiring the person to move from home. Services may include companionship, personal care, meal preparation, transportation, supervision, and respite for family caregivers.

The goal is to focus on the person’s remaining strengths while providing respectful assistance with tasks that have become difficult or unsafe.

Personalized Dementia Care Begins With a no charge In-Home Assessment

Dementia affects each person differently. Some people primarily experience short-term memory problems. Others may have difficulty communicating, navigating familiar surroundings, managing personal care, or completing everyday tasks.

Before care begins, a Client Care Coordinator meets with the client and family in the home. The assessment helps us understand the person’s:

• Health concerns and current abilities
• Daily routines and preferred schedule
• Personal care and mobility needs
• Favorite foods, music, hobbies and activities
• Personality and communication style
• Behaviors or situations that may cause anxiety
• Fall, wandering or household safety concerns
• Family support and caregiver responsibilities
• Goals for remaining at home

We use this information to develop a personalized dementia care plan. When nursing or more complex support is needed, a nurse may participate in the assessment and care-planning process.

What Services Are Included in Dementia Home Care?

Each care plan is based on the client’s assessed needs and preferences.

Personal Care

Caregivers may assist with:

• Bathing and showering
• Grooming and personal hygiene
• Dressing
• Toileting and incontinence care
• Mobility and transfers
• Position changes
• Supervised walking
• Assistance with eating

Companion Care

Companion care may include:

• Conversation and reassurance
• Familiar hobbies and activities
• Games, puzzles and crafts
• Music and family photographs
• Supervised walks
• Accompaniment to family events
• Help staying connected with friends
• Support attending community activities

Meals and Household Assistance

Depending on the care plan, caregivers may help with:

• Meal planning and preparation
• Grocery shopping
• Hydration and meal reminders
• Light housekeeping
• Laundry and linen changes
• Organization of frequently used items
• Everyday errands

Transportation

Caregivers may provide approved transportation to:

• Medical and dental appointments
• Grocery stores
• Hair appointments
• Senior centers
• Faith-based activities
• Family gatherings
• Other local destinations

Flexible Scheduling

Dementia care may be arranged as:

• Part-time assistance
• Recurring daily care
• Respite care
• Evening or overnight care
• Continuous 24-hour shift care

Service availability depends on the client’s assessment, requested schedule, location and caregiver staffing.

Care That Respects Familiar Routines

Remaining in familiar surroundings can be comforting for someone living with memory loss. At home, the client is near familiar belongings, photographs, pets, neighbors and daily routines.

Our caregivers use a calm, respectful approach and encourage clients to participate at a level that is safe and comfortable. A caregiver and client might:

• Select clothing for the day
• Prepare a familiar meal
• Fold towels
• Listen to favorite music
• Look through family photographs
• Complete an ability-appropriate puzzle
• Work on a familiar hobby
• Take a supervised walk
• Call a family member

Activities should not feel like a memory test. The caregiver adapts each activity to the client’s interests, abilities, energy and comfort.

Why Is Caregiver Consistency Important?

A familiar caregiver may make daily assistance feel less disruptive for someone living with dementia. Consistency also helps the caregiver learn the client’s routines, preferences, communication cues and common sources of anxiety.

Comfort Keepers considers:

• Care needs
• Required skills
• Schedule
• Personality
• Communication preferences
• Shared interests
• Dementia-care experience
• Client and family preferences

Caregiver consistency is prioritized whenever scheduling allows, but the same caregiver cannot be guaranteed for every visit.

If a caregiver match does not feel right, families should contact the office. Open communication helps the local team evaluate the concern and make appropriate adjustments.

How Does In-Home Care Support Dementia Safety?

Dementia can affect judgment, balance, orientation, and the ability to recognize potential hazards. During assessments and visits, the care team may identify concerns such as:

• Loose rugs or cluttered walkways
• Poor lighting
• Difficulty using stairs
• Unsafe appliance use
• Missed meals
• Confusion about medications
• Wandering or attempts to leave home
• Difficulty bathing or using the bathroom
• Increasing problems with walking or transfers

Depending on the care plan and schedule, caregivers can provide supervision, reminders, redirection and hands-on assistance intended to reduce—not eliminate—certain risks.

No home care provider can guarantee that a fall, wandering incident or medical emergency will never occur. Some clients may also need home modifications, medical-alert equipment or a different care environment as dementia progresses.

What Is the Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease?

Dementia is an umbrella term for changes in thinking, memory, reasoning or behavior that become significant enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia among older adults.

Other types include:

• Vascular dementia
• Lewy body dementia
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Mixed dementia

Dementia is not a normal part of aging. New or worsening memory problems should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional because medications, infections, vitamin deficiencies, and other medical conditions can sometimes cause dementia-like symptoms.

Learn more from the National Institute on Aging’s guide to dementia.

When Might a Family Need Dementia Home Care?

It may be time to consider professional assistance when a loved one:

• Forgets meals, medications, or appointments
• Repeats questions frequently
• Has difficulty bathing, dressing or toileting
• Gets lost in familiar places
• Leaves appliances on
• Experiences increasing confusion at night
• Becomes isolated or stops participating in activities
• Needs more supervision than family can provide
• Requires help after hospitalization or rehabilitation
• Has a family caregiver who is becoming exhausted
• Wants to remain at home but needs additional support

Families do not have to wait for an emergency. Beginning with a manageable amount of assistance may give the client time to become comfortable with the caregiver and new routine.

Respite Care for Family Caregivers

Caring for someone with dementia can become physically and emotionally demanding. Family caregivers may gradually become responsible for personal care, meals, appointments, supervision, and nighttime concerns.

Respite care provides temporary support while the regular family caregiver:

• Rests
• Goes to work
• Attends appointments
• Runs errands
• Spends time with other family members
• Attends an event
• Takes a planned trip

Professional home care does not replace the family’s role. It adds another layer of support around the person living with dementia.

Dementia Care for Veterans

Comfort Keepers serves veterans living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Eligible veterans may receive authorized homemaker or home health aide services through Department of Veterans Affairs programs.

The VA determines:

• Eligibility
• Approved services
• Authorized hours
• Local availability
• Potential copayments

Qualifying veterans or surviving spouses may also be eligible for pension-related Aid and Attendance benefits that can help offset eligible care expenses. Comfort Keepers can explain its services, but only the VA can determine benefits and authorize VA-funded care.

Learn more about home care for veterans.

In-Home Memory Care vs. Residential Memory Care

In-home memory care and residential memory care are not the same.

The appropriate choice depends on the person’s medical needs, behaviors, home environment, family resources and required level of supervision.

Local Dementia Care Near White Bear Lake

Comfort Keepers provides in-home Alzheimer’s and dementia care throughout the northern Twin Cities, including:

• White Bear Lake
• Shoreview
• Vadnais Heights
• North Oaks
• Hugo
• Forest Lake
• Chisago City
• Lindstrom
• Wyoming
• Stacy
• Surrounding Minnesota communities

Our local team also has experience serving seniors and veterans throughout the Elk River and Ramsey area.

White Bear Lake Office

1310 Highway 96 E
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
651-789-0317

Chisago City Office

11185 Lake Boulevard
Chisago City, MN 55013
651-789-0317

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone with dementia continue living at home?

Many people living with dementia can remain at home when they have an appropriate combination of family involvement, professional caregiving, medical oversight and safety precautions. The right arrangement depends on the person’s symptoms, mobility, behaviors, home environment and supervision needs.

Does dementia home care replace medical care?

No. Comfort Keepers supports daily living and provides authorized home care services. Diagnosis, treatment and medical decisions remain the responsibility of physicians and other qualified healthcare professionals.

Can a caregiver help with bathing and toileting?

Yes. Personal care may include assistance with bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, incontinence care, mobility and transfers when those services are included in the care plan.

Can caregivers administer medication?

Non-medical caregivers generally provide medication reminders. Certain medication-administration tasks may be performed only after an RN completes the required assessment, training, competency verification, delegation and supervision.

Is overnight dementia care available?

Evening, awake overnight and continuous 24-hour shift care may be available depending on the assessment, requested dates, location and caregiver availability.

Can Comfort Keepers prevent wandering?

No provider can guarantee that wandering will not occur. Depending on the care schedule, caregivers can provide supervision, reassurance, and redirection intended to reduce risk. Families may also need alarms, home modifications or a more secure care environment.

How do families begin dementia care?

The process begins with a complimentary consultation and in-home assessment. A Client Care Coordinator learns about the client’s abilities, routines, personal care needs, home environment and family goals before developing a personalized care plan.

Talk With a Local Dementia Care Coordinator

You do not have to manage every aspect of dementia care alone. Comfort Keepers can help your family understand available home care options and develop a plan around your loved one’s current routines, abilities and needs.

Call 651-789-0317 to ask about caregivers in White Bear Lake, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, Chisago City or a surrounding Minnesota community.

You may also contact Comfort Keepers online to request a complimentary consultation.