MorningStar

Celebrating the birthday of our country is a special day for most seniors.  After all much of our older generation experienced the hardships and sacrifices that came from spending months away from loved ones while serving in various branches of our military.  In some cases, they made the ultimate sacrifice with the death of a parent, spouse, son, or daughter during combat.  Seniors have fought or sent loved ones to defend our American’s values and freedom and feel an ownership and pride in our country, and thanks for all it has given them.  Also many seniors who migrated earlier to America have a special affection for their adopted country and feel grateful to have been so warmly welcomed.  Independence Day is a national holiday and our 4 th of July celebration is the only holiday that is unique to our country.  This year marks our 243rd Independence Day from British rule after our founding fathers finally approved and signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776

The longest, most comprehensive study ever done on aging by the Harvard Study of Adult Development has turned up some unexpected results.  The study, which began in the 1930s, examined more than 800 men and women from adolescence into old age.  The purpose of the research is to find clues to the participants’ behaviors that translate into happy and healthy longevity. George Vaillant, MD, director of the Harvard study and seni or physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, states that, "I had expected that the longevity of your parents, the quality of your childhood, and your cholesterol levels would be very influential.  So I was very surprised that these particular variables weren't more important than they were." Another commonly held belief regarding aging well has typically included avoiding stress.  However, the results from the study indicate that stressful events did not predict future health and that some people who have had a lot of stres

Mother’s Day is celebrated in one form or another on various days throughout the world but most commonly in March or May.  In the U.S., the day celebrates our own mothers as well as honors the glory of motherhood and the loving influence mothers have on our society. The “mother” of Mother’s Day is Anna Jarvis who held the first ceremony on May 10, 1908 in honor of her own mother, who had died three years earlier, as well as for all mothers.  Celebrations were held in Philadelphia where Anna was living at the time and also at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where her mother had attended services.  As the site of the first official observance, the Andrews Church was later incorporated as the International Mother's Day Shrine on May 15, 1962. Ms. Jarvis and her supporters campaigned for a national holiday and Mother’s Day became an officially observed event when President Woodrow Wilson known as the “father” of Mother’s Day, signed the p

As one of the most respected senior living facilities Colorado Springs offers, MorningStar at Mountain Shadows offers seniors an unparalleled lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community.  Our experienced team also understands t hat when families are considering 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 you requ

Alzheimer's disease is identified by the buildup of toxic plaques of amyloid protein in the brain, and until recently, there was not a medical test to diagnosis the disease; it had to be done post mortem.  Now a new type of scan known as amyloid PET imaging has made it possible for researchers to detect Alzheimer’s disease on living people . The recent study was a nationwide trial with over 11,000 participants who had MCI (mild cognitive impairment) or dementia symptoms and beneficiaries of Medicare insurance.   While still evaluating all of the results, researchers report that in “more than 60 percent of participants, amyloid PET scans caused doctors to change their minds about medical management. This was more than twice the number that the investigators had been expecting.”  To do the scan, the person first gets an injection of a chemical tracer that travels to the brain and sticks to any amyloid plaques that may be present. As the scan is performed, the tracer all

While many older adults wish to live out their senior years at home, for some, it is not a manageable option. Moreover, no matter our age, change can be challenging, and it is no different for seniors when the time comes for them move into an assisted living community .  To ease the transition, experts offer several tips that can help make the move less stressful.  One suggestion is to start planning way ahead of the time you anticipate you will need to make the move.  So if you can, do not wait until your parent needs to go from a hospital stay into assisted living.  The advantage to starting your search in advance of the move is it allows you the time to find a place ideally suited to your loved ones’ needs and personality.  Always remember it is a huge life transition and should be treated as such. If possible, it is recommended to try and pick from one of the senior communities in the area they reside in as it allows them to retain some continuity in their lives includ

Looking for one of the best assisted living facilities Colorado Springs has to offer that provides memory care?  We invite you learn mor e about MorningStar at Mountain Shadows. Our community is proud to offer 19 secure suites devoted to the care of seniors with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases, in addition to our 45 private assisted living suites .  Our Reflections Neighborhood is designed to encourage and support residents’ independence as much as possible, while providing individualized memory care that stimulates or calms as the situation requires.  At MorningStar our approach to memory care is designed around our comprehensive program we call “Lavender Sky.”  Our reimagined philosophy encourages us to walk alongside a resident as we thoughtfully enter, embrace and explore the world of dementia.  With insight and intentionality, we enter into our memory-impaired residents’ “purple world” to cross over the physical and emotional boundaries that would othe

Over the last several decades, there has been an increased awareness of Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases .  Along with efforts to develop medications to treat or to cure the disease, there has also been a move to advance best care practices for those suffering from the disease. In a publication from the Alzheimer’s Association titled the “ Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for Assisted Living Residences and Nursing Homes,” they explore ways that professional caregiving can be more effective.  Their first recommendation is to make sure a resident is receiving proper food and fluid consumption.  They note that “Inadequate consumption or inappropriate food and fluid choices can contribute directly to a decline in a resident’s health and well-being.” The next point they discuss is pain management.  They cite the fact that many times people with dementia have trouble communicating pain so it is often overlooked and not treated.  However, the problem with not managin

Now that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are almost here, many of us are having a hard time coming up with fresh gift ideas for elderly parents.  Not only do many older adults live in smaller, paired down apartments with not much room for more “stuff,” but most likely do not need much. This is why the most appreciated gifts are often practical ones that improve their quality of life or are meaningful. Memory-making presents are usually a hit and the marketplace has lots of options to choose from.  One example is a Memory Journal, which provides a series of questions to get people thinking about the things they would like to share about their life.  Other books are designed to make it easy to put together a scrapbook full of memories. If your parent has a hard time getting to sleep at night, you may want to consider a sound machine.  Most of them have timers that can be set for as little as 15 minutes or up to an hour. Another useful gift is a humidifier.  Kathrin Nicolacakis, MD of

It is hard to believe that MorningStar at Jordan Creek has been open to residents for more than a year now.  We are happy to report that things could not better and residents are proud to call MorningStar home.  Over the last year, we have had the privilege to get to know our residents, and together they and our dedicated team have become a loving family.  As a thank you for the warm welcome the West Des Moines community has given to us from the moment we opened our doors, we are offering area seniors the chance to join our community for only $1 for the first month’s rent and $1 for our community fee.  It doesn’t get any better than that! If you are interested in learning more about our assisted living and memory care community we encourage you to start by browsing our website .  We have lots of information and pictures to give you a good idea of all we offer in terms of amenities, apartment choices and our wide array of care services.  As you will see, our goal is to pro

If you are a senior , having good balance can help to prevent falls and maintain your independence.  Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among people 65 years and older, and the risk of falls increases proportionately with age.  By age 80, over half of seniors fall annually.  Some of the reason for this is a decline in seniors’ overall physical fitness as well as chronic diseases, certain medications, and surgeries.  One example is diabetes, a common disease in the elderly that can lead to peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage and cause numbness in the hands, feet, and other parts of the body.  Medications that lower blood pressure may cause faintness or dizziness, and hip replacements and knee surgeries can result in the elderly being unsteady on their feet.   While many exercises help with balance including something as simple as walking, experts recommend that older adults incorporate exercises into their daily routine that are specifically designed to impr

Across the globe, thousands of people will participate in The Longest Day 2019 event sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association in an effort to raise awareness and funds to end Alzheimer’s disease.  On June 21 st , the summer solstice, teams will participate from sunrise to sunset in activities they love such as walking, baking, dancing, golfing, exercising, and more to raise money as well as honor someone with Alzheimer’s.  While officially on June 21 st , people also use their creativity and passion to raise funds and awareness for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association throughout the year.   If you wish to participate in this worthy cause, there are several ways you can do it.  You can simply make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association, or if your friends, neighbors, or a business is sponsoring an event, you can donate directly to them.  The Alzheimer’s Longest Day webpage makes it easy to search for a particular organization or a friend’

A Place for Mom recently posted the results of a study from the Brown School at Washington University in St . Louis, which was published in the journal, The Gerontologist.  The study focused on “vulnerable” seniors, who were defined as older adults with moderate or low incomes who lived alone. The purpose of the study was to “understand how the senior living environment can mitigate the effects of multiple chronic conditions on hospitalizations.” Hospitalization information from participants in the 2002-2012 Health Retirement Study was compared with the results of the question, ““Is your home part of a retirement community, senior citizens’ housing or another type of housing that offers services for older adults or someone with a disability?”  Results showed that older adults with multiple chronic conditions in senior living communities were less likely to experience high levels of hospitalization than those who lived alone.  Researchers believe there are positive effects a