MorningStar

As seniors get to the point in their lives where they need daily help in order to live comfortably and safely, many families worry that assisted living will cost more than they can afford.  The reality according to aPlaceforMom is that assisted living may actually be less expensive than the cost of cobbling together everything you need to support your parent.  They state that after “dealing with the initial sticker shock and touring a community most families change their minds and realize assisted living is a great value.” You may be asking yourself how this can be true.  To start with, if your parent is living alone in the family home, they have on-going expenses such as mortgage payments or yearly taxes and insurance as well as routine maintenance and repair costs.  If your parent is renting, costs continue to rise each year with increases in rent and utility bills. In addition many elderly adults no longer feel comfortable driving and are not getting...

At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows , we provide exemplary service to our residents to ensure their utmost comfort, wellbeing and safety.  To achieve this, we recognize it could not be done without the help of our team members who we consider to be the very heartbeat of the Mountain Shadows community.  Our team consists of a unique group of individuals who have a felt calling to serve.  They are the kind of people who do the right thing even when no one is watching, and have perfected the art of anticipating needs and going the extra mile.  Mountain Shadows’ team members see seniors as heroes and feel privileged to have a rewarding career that offers both professional as well as personal growth.  To guide us in our service, all team members, including our management team, are guided by Radiance, our exclusive brand standard of Service Excellence.  The program’s precepts are introduced to every team members upon being hired, and then reiterated an...

MorningStar at Jordan Creek is honored to provide the West Des Moines area with the finest assisted living and memory care .  To achieve this, we not only serve our residents but serve our residents’ families as well as the wider community.  From listening to problems or concerns family members may have, to lending support to those dealing with a loved one afflicted with Alzheimer’s, our team is here to help.   One example of our outreach into the Des Moines community is to host a Dementia Support Group.  “It’s About Empathy…and a Whole Lot of Love,” is a caring conversation for families living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, and we wholeheartedly encourage you to come and be encouraged! The group meets on the first Wednesday of each month from 1:30 to 3:30 PM.  Light refreshments will be served, and as seating is limited, we ask that you RSVP.   The group is in support of the Alzheimer’s Association.    At Morning...

Over the next fifteen years, the elderly population in the U.S . is expected to grow by 40 percent.  With that growth, experts expect the rate of neurological diseases such as dementia, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and strokes to grow at an unprecedented rate.   In fact Alzheimer’s disease is expected to increase threefold and affect up to 16 million people.  To meet these challenges, researchers such those at the Cleveland Clinic, a world leader in the treatment of neurological diseases, have approached the fight with a combination of cutting-edge technology, multidisciplinary teamwork, and clinical research.  For example, they are one of only a few centers in the world conducting the first-ever study of an immunotherapy that targets Parkinson’s disease.  Dr. Hubert Fernandez, directory of the Center for Neurological Restoration at Cleveland Clinic, says, “It’s a treatment that works by stimulating the body’s natural defenses to help break down the abno...

MorningStar at Mountain Shadows offers assisted living and memory care to Colorado Springs’ senior and is committed to creating a true home for our residents.  Although we think we are the area’s top option, don’t just take our word for it.  Finding the best assisted living or memory care community for yourself or a loved one is a very important decision, and a tour allows you to experience a community firsthand.    When you tour Mountain Shadows , we know from the moment you walk through our door, you are sure to be impressed. Our community was designed from the ground up to accommodate our residents’ every need and is beautifully decorated throughout to provide an atmosphere of comfort, relaxation and serenity.  In addition our stylish suites reflect the rest of the community.  A Place for Mom has a few tips for you when visiting an assisted living community.  Look around, does the community feel fresh and clean?  Observe a community...

The National Eye Institute states that age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of visual loss in America.  According to their statics, close to 2.1 million people 50 years and older had macular degeneration in 2010.  That number is expected to more than double by 2050.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say approximately 6.5 percent of Americans age 40 and above have some degree of the disease.   Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs most often after age 60 and causes loss in the center of the field of vision. The two types of macular degeneration include dry macular degeneration that causes the center of the retina to begin to deteriorate.  In wet macular degeneration, new blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak blood and fluid.  Unusually fuzzy or distorted vision is one symptom and the dry form (85 to 90 percent of AMD cases) is more common than the wet form.  Wet macular degeneration typically...

It was not that long ago that seniors moving into an assisted living community had to leave behind an important companion, their pet.  Today however, more and more retirement communities are recognizing the benefits of pets to the elderly, and many such as MorningStar of Wheat Ridge , allow residents to bring their pets with them.  There has been a lot of research that v alidates the benefits of pets in seniors’ lives.  In fact, A Place for Mom website reports on a study that shows, “just 15 minutes bonding with an animal sets off a chemical chain reaction in the brain, lowering levels of the fight-or-flight hormone cortisol and increasing production of the feel-good hormone serotonin. The result: heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels immediately drop.”  They go on to say that interactions between pets and humans can “lower cholesterol levels, fight depression and may even help protect against heart disease and stroke.” Another reason pets can be g...

Now that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day has just past, you may have realized it can be difficult buying gifts for a parent, grandparent or a relative living in an assisted living community .  Not only is mom, dad or grandma no longer running their own home but most likely they have a limited amount of space (they probably had to get rid of a lot before they moved).  In addition they have already received a lifetime of gifts, so there is not much they haven’t gotten at one time or another.   One meaningful thing you can do is personalize a gift.  For example if mom is always feeling chilly, you could give her a cozy throw with pictures of the grandkids or your family tree on it?  Check the Internet as there are several companies that specialize in making them.  Another thoughtful gift is a talking photo album that creates memories with both family pictures and voices.    Giving your time is also something special your parent or grandpar...

As seniors get to the point in their lives where they need daily help in order to live comfortably and safely, many families worry that assisted living will cost more than they can afford.  The reality according to aPlaceforMom is that assisted living may actually be less expensive than the cost of cobbling together everything you need to support your parent.  They state that after “dealing with the initial sticker shock and touring a community most families change their minds and realize assisted living is a great value.” You may be asking yourself how this can be true.  To start with, if your parent is living alone in the family home, they have on-going expenses such as mortgage payments or yearly taxes and insurance as well as routine maintenance and repair costs.  If your parent is renting, costs continue to rise each year with increases in rent and utility bills. In addition many elderly adults no longer feel comfortable driving and are not gettin...

We know that each year more than one-third of people age 65 or older suffer a fall and many of those incidents cause serious injuries or in some cases even death.  This is why preventing falls is extremely important for the elderly, and balance as well as strength excises can help to prevent falls.      The National Institute of Health (NIH) recommends 5 simple exercises that do not require any special equipment other than a chair (and someone to assist you if needed) that can improve balance and increase lower body strength. The series of exercises include the following:  standing on one foot; walking heel to toe; balance walk; back leg raises; and side leg raises.  These easy-to-do exercises can be done throughout the day and only take a few minutes to do each of them.  For further instructions on how they should be done, the NIH website offers a video on each exercise.  In addition the NIH recommends that seniors try to do three oth...

It is sometimes difficult for adult children to realize their parent needs more care in order to ensure their safety and wellbeing.  This is why MorningStar at Mountain Shadows offers a Decision Guide to help families navigate through the process of making the move to senior living, especially assisted living , which is a new paradigm in wellness and engagement.  Some of the typical signs that indicate your parent needs more help include falling, driving mishaps, and forgetting significant things such as leaving the stove-top on.  Also really take a look at how they are living.  Does their home seem a lot more cluttered and less tidy?  Is unopened mail piling up?  Does your parent suffer from failing eyesight, poor balance or forgetfulness?  Another sign your parent is not doing well on their own is if they look less groomed or appear to be wearing the same clothes for days at a time?  When you put all of this together, it probably me...

According to an article recently published by the Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience journal from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, it reports socials connections may be key to preserving memory .  The study, led by Elizabeth Kirby, an assistant professor of behavioral neuroscience at the university, explains their findings influence "a body of research in humans and animals that supports the role of social connections in preserving the mind and improving quality of life.”    The university’s research involved studying a group of mice 15 months to 18 months old, which is the period in a mouse’s life when it starts to have significant memory decay.  For three months, some mice lived in pairs while others were housed in groups of seven.  The researchers put the mice through a series of trials each day that tested their recognition and memory skills.  Consistently the mice housed in larger groups improved their performance on the tests, whi...

Forgetfulness is a natural part of aging ; however, it is important to recognize the difference between normal forgetfulness and serious memory loss.  As we grow older, we may experience problems with things like finding our keys or glasses, remembering names or certain words, and taking longer to learn new things.  In most cases this is just mild forgetfulness, and there are things we can do to help sharpen our memory. Experts recommend that activities such as taking a class, playing cards and word games , or volunteering can all help to improve mental acuity.  Also it may be helpful to use memory tools such as calendars and to-do-lists, and to eat well, get plenty of rest and limit your alcohol intake.  Tricks like al ways putting away your day-to-day items in a designated place can be helpful.  As depression along with some medications and health conditions can adversely affect memory, it is important to consult with your doctor if problems continue ...

Approximately 795,000 people in the U.S. suffer a stoke each year and is the leading cause of serious, long-term disabilities.  In addition strokes result in more than 140,000 deaths annually.  Seniors are at the most risk for strokes as 75% of them occur in adults over the age of 65 .  However the good news is the majority of strokes are preventable.  According to the American Stroke Association, there are several risks factors you can “control, treat and improve.”    High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for a stroke as well as one of the most controllable.  In fact doctors attribute the current decline in stroke-related deaths to today’s effective high blood pressure treatments and medications. Another significant risk factor you can control is to stop smoking.  Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke causes damage to the cardiovascular system and increases the likelihood of a stroke.  In addition diabet...