MorningStar

At MorningStar of Wheat Ridge, we understand there are all sorts of emotions that occur when a family begins to look into assisted living for a parent or a loved one.  Often it is a complete learning experience as many people do not know what assisted living offers and how it differs from a nursing home.  Assisted living is a fairly new concept that started in the late 1990’s and is designed for seniors who want to maintain their independence but need a little help with daily living activities.  Based on the European social model, it creates a new paradigm in wellness and engagement, and we believe that the structure and society offered in Assisted Living communities introduces a return of healthy routines and healthier lives.  It is estimated that approximately one million Americans are living in senior care communities and that number is expected to almost double by 2030 as people are living longer.  Most assisted living residents moved into a c...

Regardless of your age, you can benefit from regular physical exercise.   Studies show exercise can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer as well as reduce the pain associated with arthritis.   It can also improve balance, flexibility, endurance and strength.   Staying active can even improve sleep quality and duration and enhance your mood.   Different forms of exercises offer different benefits but please remember to check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise.  Stretching exercises can improve mobility and flexibility and relieve sore and stiff muscles.  They can also help to reduce lower back-pain, improve posture and increase blood flow and energy.  Aerobic exercises can help improve endurance and increase your breathing and heart rate.  Moderate aerobic exercises for seniors include walking briskly, swimming and dancing.  Doctors suggest you start slowly and build up your endurance, a...

The American Healthcare Association defines assisted living as “part of a continuum of long term care services that provides a combination of housing, personal care services, and health care designed to respond to individuals who need assistance with normal daily activities in a way that promotes maximum independence.”  So rather than taking away the independence of seniors assisted living actually helps residents to maintain their independence while giving them the care they need to live comfortably and safely.  Also, please remember assisted living is not a nursing home.  It is a community designed to meets the needs and preferences of the residents and to give them their dignity, autonomy, privacy, independence, choice and safety.  While each community has its own personality, assisted living typically addresses the needs of its residents with 24-hour care services, daily meals and wellness activities .   In fact, it is often more cost effective ...

As one of the newest senior living communities in the West Des Moines area, MorningStar at Jordan Creek offers seniors an unparalleled lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community.  Our team also understands that when families are looking into assisted living for a loved one, they want to know how we meet each resident’s needs to ensure their utmost comfort and safety.  At MorningStar, that process starts as soon as you make the decision to join our community.  Each new resident and their family meet with our Wellness Director to allow us to get to know your personal preferences and normal routines.  Our Wellness Director will also review your medical history to enable us to create a customized care plan that meets your approval.  Furthermore, your care plan will be regularly re-evaluated to address any changing needs. Various auxiliary services provided by MorningStar include medical and non-medical and are priced a la carte.  For example, if ...

MorningStar at Mountain Shadows is a loving senior living community nestled at the foot of the Rockies in Colorado Springs.  We are able to provide such exceptional care and create a true “home” for our residents due to a committed, passionate team lead by our leadership team who sets an example for all of us.     Leading our team is MorningStar at Mountain Shadows’ Executive Director, Suzanne Chapple.  Suzanne explains how MorningStar means LOVE to her and how our atmosphere radiates it from the moment you walk through the door.  She is gratified to see residents and staff alike smiling and feels privileged to know she is making a difference in someone’s life, which is turn makes her life feel more complete.  Suzanne says, “Seniors teach me to slow down, to be in the moment, and to enjoy all those who make such precious moments happen.” Cheryl Nelson serves as our Wellness Director and agrees with people who say seniors are “The Greatest Gener...

Now that outside temperatures are the hottest of the year, it is especially important for seniors to stay hydrated.  Dehydration can cause serious problems, and since older adults can become dehydrated even when it is not hot outside, they need to remember to make a conscious effort to increase their fluid intake.  There are several reasons why the elderly are more at risk for dehydration including the fact that the body’s mechanisms meant to protect us from dehydration do not work as well as we age.  This means older adults often experience diminished thirst sensations that may lead to reduced fluid consumption or su ffer from conditions such as incontinence that can increase water loss.  Certain medications commonly prescribed to seniors to treat high blood pressure or heart failure can also cause dehydration.  Other things that can lead to dehydration include memory problems that result in someone forgetting to drink or mobility problems that make it ...

A recent article in the journal, Science, reports on a study that found the death rate of seniors “abruptly slows around 80 years old and then plateaus at 105 years old.”   Researchers have interpreted this to mean that humans are not close to the biological limit on how long they can live.   Up to now, a 2016 study from the Elbert Einstein College of Medicine suggested that the human maximum lifespan was about 115 years. The data for the study involved looking at the records of 3,836 Italians who had reached the age of 105 years old in 2009 to 2015.  Researchers then examined mortality rates for persons born in 1896 to 1910.  They discovered patterns when death rates seemed to naturally ebb and flow such as go up in a person's thirties and drastically increase when people reach their seventies and eighties.  While the study “doesn't explain why death rates plateau at 105 years old, one possibility is that some people have genes that make them stronge...

At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, we recognize for many seniors change can be both difficult and challenging.  While moving to an assisted living community may be the best decision for the person and their family, this doesn’t mean there won’t be a transition period.  Many seniors mistakenly think touring assisted living communities, deciding on one, figuring out budget considerations, and perhaps selling the family home is the most difficult part of moving to community living.  However, experts report it can typically take anywhere between 30 to 90 days before a senior feels comfortable in their new home , but there are few things that can be done to help the process go more smoothly. To start with it is important to make sure your loved one’s new home is filled with familiar and beloved objects such as personal photos, books, and knick-knacks.  As the new resident, you should try to keep a positive attitude toward the move and be a good sport about ...

MorningStar of Wheat Ridge proudly offers seniors a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community.  Along with lots of amenities and services , excellent food and beautiful surroundings, our residents benefit from WellStar, our signature wellness program. Every day MorningStar’s Life Enrichment team presents our community with ways to stay active and productive for man’s good and God’s glory.  Our programs are designed to enhance your health and wellness, stimulate your brain and encourage social connections that allow you to continue learning and contributing.  The breath and scope of our wellness programs tap into a wide range of various interests, hobbies and talents and provide seniors with the chance to explore a range to topics.  Furthermore, if our programs do not address a special interest, residents are invited to start a club themselves.  To get an idea of what goes on around our community, we invite you to visit MorningStar of Wheat Ridge’s ...

The MorningStar at Mountain Shadows’ website is loaded with resources and information for families in the Colorado Springs area looking for senior living options .  While we are more than happy to personally answer any questions you may have, we have found it is helpful to provide information on commonly asked questions under our “FAQ” tool bar.  Here you will get a good start on questions such as “What is an assisted living community?” We explain our assisted living community is for seniors 62 years and older who require assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).  Within a residential setting, we offer families peace of mind knowing trained and compassionate care managers are there to help navigate their loved ones’ changing health conditions.  Like many assisted living communities, we offer a secure neighborhood for the memory-impaired (those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia) . Couples will learn that of course, they can move in...

As one of the most respected senior living communities in the Denver area, MorningStar of Wheat Ridge offers seniors an unparalleled lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community.  Our experienced team also understands that when families are looking into assisted living for a loved one, they want to know how we meet each resident’s need to ensure their utmost comfort and safety.  At MorningStar, that process starts as soon as you make the decision to join our community.  Each new resident and their family meet with our Wellness Director to allow us to get to know your personal preferences and normal routines.  Our Wellness Director will also review your medical history to enable us to create a customized care plan that meets your approval.  Furthermore, your care plan will be regularly re-evaluated to address any changing needs. Various auxiliary services provided by MorningStar include medical and non-medical and are priced a la carte.  For exa...

MorningStar at Jordan Creek is hosting an All American Summer with bi-weekly Block Parties this summer in our parking lot.  While we have already had a couple (fun was had by all), we still have several yet to come.  Events will take place on July 28 th and on August 11 th and 18 th, and everyone is encouraged to invite their family and friends to join in the fun.  Activities will start at 11:30 AM and each event has a theme.  On July 28 th , it is “All Things Boots” and activities will include a mechanical bull and a petting zoo.  The theme on August 1th is “All Things Elvis” and coincides with the National Elvis Presley Day.  We invite you to come join us as we rock n’ roll back to the 1950’s.  Our last Block Party on Aug 18 th is “All Things Scooped” and celebrates National Ice Cream Day where we will all chill out with our favorite flavors. The free community events have lots of food, activities and live entertainment and will bene...

The executive editor of Harvard’s Men’s Health Watch, Matthew Solan, suggested in a recent article that writing out your life story may be good for your health.   He explains it can be used as a therapeutic tool and help you to explore issues that may still trouble you.  Published in the March 2018 JAMA Psychiatry the study found that “writing about a specific upsetting memory was just as effective as traditional cognitive processing therapy in treating adults with post-traumatic stress disorder." There are several tools including books and articles on the Internet that can help you get started and guide you through the process.  Debby Bitticks, the author of "Cherished Memories", reminds seniors that writing your life story provides the opportunity for self-growth as well as to pass along any life lessons.  By making time to reflect on your life, you can exercise your memory or “discover if any events from your past are still impacting your life.” ...

While MorningStar at Jordan Creek opened early this year in the West Des Moines area, the MorningStar Company is proudly celebrating 15 years of providing seniors with exceptional senior living options.  Our company was founded by Ken Jaeger who was born and raised on a large multi-generational farm in the Midwest where he was daily presented with lessons in economics, diligence, and hard work.    After working for over fifteen years in leadership roles within senior living, Ken had a dream that he could do it better.  His desire was build a company that was built on human touch.  In fact, Ken wanted to re-create his grandmother’s house, “a place where one can go and feel a sense of family.” So began MorningStar, which was grounded on three mission statements: ·          Honor God in our business practices and relationships — a commitment to strong moral values and ethics ·        ...