BILLINGS — The need for quality senior care continues to grow as the population ages, and the transition to a nursing home can be overwhelming — both emotionally and financially.
One woman is helping to ease that burden and expand options in Billings by offering an alternative: in-home senior companion care.
Anycia Wipf is a registered CNA and the founder of Heaven Sent Senior Care. She made this move after working as an optician for 17 years and eventually burning out.
"I just got to a point where it just wasn't my calling anymore. I just kind of came to a dead end with it,” said Wipf.
She changed her career path after her mother, a traveling nurse, told her there was a shortage of assistance for senior care.
After completing her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) license, she decided she wanted to further her passion after witnessing the challenges her great aunt faced in a nursing facility.
"It was heartbreaking to me to see what she had lost and how she knew she wasn't home,” said Wipf.
She then created Heaven Sent with the mission of making senior care more accessible and supportive for families in Billings.
Although in-home care is not always cheaper than a nursing home, it provides a crucial alternative for families who may not need 24-hour care but want the reassurance of a caregiver checking in regularly.
Wipf is committed to ensuring her clients receive the attention and care they deserve, whether they have long-term care insurance, are veterans utilizing VA benefits, or are private-pay clients.
To help assist with the workload, she employs nursing students from Montana State University Billings and offers them valuable, hands-on experience.
“I know that just having this experience will just make them better at whatever they want to do. It's heart, it means something to them. It's not just another job,” said Wipf.
She has grown her business to include seven clients, one of them being Michelle Bomar's mother, Linda.
For over 35 years, Linda helped people in the community through her work at Family Service. Now, she needs help herself. Nine years ago, she was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's.
“You basically grieve every day because you see her, but it's not her," said Bomar.
With Linda being now nonverbal, Bomar needed help to care for her parents. After searching online, she found Wipf on Facebook and has been a part of the family for nearly two years.
“It's been a relief to know that they're in good hands when she is here," said Bomar.
As a senior care companion, Wipf completes various tasks around their house, like shopping and cleaning up, and makes sure Linda is watched and cared for. She is not a nurse, so she does not administer medications, but the assistance is still vital.
“You try not to get attached, but, you know, with a family like this, it's going to happen. You try to let everything go, but in senior care, how do you?” said Wipf. "I've definitely bonded with Linda. I think about her when I'm not working.”
For families like Bomar's, the services Wipf offers have been life-changing. Heaven Sent Senior Care focuses not only on physical care but also on emotional support, offering seniors the chance to maintain a sense of normalcy by staying in the comfort of their own homes. It is something she said is lacking in Billings.
“My services offer that companionship for them so they don't feel like they're alone or like they're invisible," said Wipf. “I think the main benefit is just preserving what they have left.”
For Michelle and her family, the support has been fitting to the name.
“My dad was born and raised in this house, so it's been his home, and then my mom, it's been her home. It's so much more comfortable for them to be able to stay in their home," said Bomar. “It's a terrible disease, and Heaven Sent is very good. A very caring company."
While the work is difficult, for Wipf, it is also rewarding.
“I've learned to just slow down and realize that what she's went through is important. They are important people and they get overlooked. I feel like what I do now is meaningful, you know, it's rewarding. Glasses are important too, but you know, this is it for me," said Wipf.
Heaven Sent Senior Care hopes to expand its ability to reach out to the community and serve more seniors.
