How to keep a blood sugar log your doctor will actually use
A blood sugar log is only useful if it shows patterns. Here is what to write down, when to check, and a three-day plan that fits on one page.
Read articlePlain-spoken writing on tracking your family's health.
Caregiving, chronic conditions, wellness habits, and getting the most out of wearables — without the optimization theater.
Five daily habits to reduce stress, with the evidence for each
Five small daily habits to reduce stress, what the research behind each one found, how long each takes, and how to tell when habits alone are not enough.
Read articleWhat is respite care, and who actually pays for it?
Respite care gives family caregivers a short, planned break. Here is what it looks like, what Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA cover, and how to set up the first one.
Read articleWhite coat hypertension: what seven days of home readings show
Your reading is high at the doctor and normal at home. Here is what white coat hypertension means, whether it is risky, and the home routine that answers it.
Read articleHow to share Apple Health data with your doctor in 10 minutes
Only 19% of wearable users ever show a clinician their numbers. Here is how to share Apple Health data with your doctor, and what to leave out.
Read articleLong-distance caregiving: five jobs distance doesn't change
You live an hour or more from your parent and feel useless. Research says the highest-leverage caregiving work does not actually depend on how close you live.
Read articleWhen to see a therapist: two questions clinicians ask
Deciding when to see a therapist is hard from the inside. Clinicians weigh two things: how much this distresses you, and how much it is getting in the way.
Read articleHow to do a fall risk assessment at home for an aging parent
A fall risk assessment at home takes about 20 minutes. Here are the three screening questions, the three timed tests clinics use, and the room-by-room hazard check.
Read articleHow to get a HIPAA release form for parents on file
A HIPAA release form for parents lets your mom or dad's doctor talk to you directly. Here is how to get one signed, what it covers, and what HIPAA already allows.
Read articleHow long does it take to form a habit? 66 days, on average
How long does it take to form a habit? Not 21 days. Here is what the research actually found, and why the range matters far more than the 66-day average.
Read articleWhat is a good HRV by age? The chart, and its limits
A good HRV by age is a moving target, since heart rate variability falls across adulthood. Here is what published data shows, and why your baseline matters more.
Read articleA 7-question hospital discharge checklist for family caregivers
Discharge happens fast. This hospital discharge checklist covers the seven questions to ask before your parent leaves, and what to do in the first 48 hours at home.
Read articleThe signs of sleep apnea you can spot without a bed partner
Most signs of sleep apnea show up in your day, not your night. Here's what to look for on your own, what to log for two weeks, and when to ask for a sleep study.
Read articleWhat to bring to a parent's doctor appointment (and what to ask)
You get about 19 minutes. Here's what to bring to a parent's doctor appointment, how to get permission to speak with the doctor, and which questions to lead with.
Read articleSleep and mood: the loop you can break from either side
Sleep and mood run in a loop: short sleep flattens good moods and feeds anxiety, and stress disrupts sleep. Here's the research, and where to interrupt it.
Read articleThe 30-second daily health check-in that actually sticks
A daily health check-in takes 30 seconds: three questions, one place to record the answer. Here's how to build one that survives past week two.
Read articleWhat is a normal resting heart rate, and when does yours matter?
A normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute, but real-world averages sit near 79. How to read yours, and the changes worth a doctor's call.
Read articleWhat goes in an asthma action plan, and how do you get one?
An asthma action plan sorts symptoms into three zones so you know what to do at 11 p.m. Here's what belongs on the page and how to get one filled out.
Read articleHow to build a family health history your doctor can use
A family health history is one page your doctor can act on. Five steps to build one: who to ask, the questions that get real answers, and what to write down.
Read articleHow to track your parent's health when they won't use apps
You can track your parent's health without a single app: a paper log, a set weekly call, and one page for the ER. A realistic system for parents who refuse technology.
Read articleHow to set up MyChart proxy access for an aging parent
MyChart proxy access lets you see an aging parent's health record from your own account. How to set it up, what a proxy can see, and why power of attorney isn't enough.
Read articleJust diagnosed with prediabetes? Your first 90 days
A prediabetes diagnosis is a warning, not a verdict. Six evidence-backed steps for your first 90 days, from getting your real numbers to booking the retest.
Read articleWhat does your sleep score actually measure?
Your sleep score blends duration, estimated sleep stages, and heart rate into one number. Here's what it can and can't tell you, and when to trust how you feel.
Read articleHow much water should you drink a day? What the evidence says
How much water should you drink a day? The eight-glasses rule was never a guideline. Here's what the National Academies recommends and how to tell if you're hydrated.
Read articleSeven signs of caregiver burnout, and how to recover
Caregiver burnout is exhaustion that a day off won't fix. Learn the seven signs to catch it early, why it hits sandwich-generation caregivers hardest, and how to recover.
Read articleWhat a daily mood log actually tells you after 30 days
What 30 days of daily mood log entries reveal about your triggers, sleep, and weekly rhythm, what research honestly shows, and when the log says talk to someone.
Read articleSeven early signs of medication confusion in an aging parent
The seven early signs of medication confusion in an aging parent, what separates normal forgetfulness from a pattern, and three first steps that respect their independence.
Read articleHow to share your blood pressure log with your doctor
How to share your blood pressure log with your doctor: how many readings to take, how to average them, and the formats clinics actually read.
Read articleTeen health privacy: why you can't see your teen's records
Around age 12 or 13, teen health privacy rules limit what parents see in a child's patient portal. Here's what changes, why it happens, and how to keep helping.
Read articleHow to choose the best home blood pressure monitor in 2026
The American Heart Association says an upper-arm cuff beats a wrist monitor. Here's how to choose an accurate, validated home blood pressure monitor in 2026.
Read articleSleep debt, explained: why one lost hour takes days to repay
Sleep debt is the running gap between the sleep you need and the sleep you get. Here's how it builds, what it costs, and how to pay it back without obsessing over a score.
Read articleSharing caregiving with siblings without the resentment
Sharing caregiving with siblings rarely splits evenly, and that's where the resentment starts. Here's how to divide a parent's care fairly, using each sibling's real strengths.
Read articleA1C vs daily glucose: what the average number can't tell you
A1C vs daily glucose: your A1C is a three-month average that can read 'at goal' while your blood sugar swings all day. Here's what daily readings reveal that A1C can't.
Read articleHow to organize a parent's medical records in one weekend
Scattered across portals, a kitchen drawer, and your memory? Here's how to organize a parent's medical records into one system you can hand to any doctor.
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PHQ-9 and GAD-7 explained: what your score really means
The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are short depression and anxiety screening questionnaires. Here is what each score means, where the cutoffs sit, and when it is worth talking to a doctor.
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Apple Watch heart rate alerts: which ones are worth a doctor visit?
Your Apple Watch can send high, low, and irregular rhythm alerts. Here is which Apple Watch heart rate alerts actually warrant a doctor visit, and which ones are usually noise.
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Why 10,000 steps a day is the wrong goal — and the better number
10,000 steps a day came from a 1965 pedometer ad, not a study. Here's what the research says about daily step counts, and the lower number that captures most of the benefit.
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How to run a 5-minute family health check-in every week
A 5-minute weekly family health check-in moves invisible caregiving work out of one person's head. Here's the agenda, the script, and how to make it stick past week three.
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Why your home blood pressure trend tells a better story than a single reading
One BP reading can be misleading. A 30-day trend from a home cuff is what your doctor actually needs. Here's the AHA protocol — plus what your numbers mean over time.
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Welcome to the Katika Care blog
A new home for plain-spoken writing on tracking your family's health together — caregiving, chronic conditions, wellness habits, and getting the most out of wearables.
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