MorningStar

    Now that the decision has been made to move mom or dad into memory care , you may be worrying about how they will handle the change. This is a common concern of families but experts have some tips to help ease the transition for both you and your loved one. While realistically you understood the need for change, and knew your parent was not getting the care they needed to ensure their wellbeing and safety; it is still unsettling to think of them being subjected to such a big change. However, please remember you did your homework and wisely selected the community you thought was the best option. You also recognize the community is able and ready to provide the level of care you want for your loved one. So take a deep breath, and read some of the following advice. First, remember that typically when families finally make the move to memory care, the person is no longer their self and most likely does not realize the extent of the problem. Thus it is unproductive to try ...

  MorningStar at Mountain Shadows wants to reassure families considering assisted living that if they put their loved ones into our home, we will see to it they receive the care they need. Before the resident even moves in, our Wellness Director, who is also a registered nurse, will meet with the family to thoroughly discuss the person’s medical history, current health condition, medications, and personal preferences. In addition, we regularly review, evaluate, and update care plans to ensure changing needs are addressed. As a family member, some of your concerns may be focused on your parent or loved one’s medications especially if they have had problems taking them on time, all the time, or incorrectly. If you want to know if we offer medication management, the answer is yes, and we also offer pharmacy services. We consider medication management to be an important service to our residents as we know many seniors with chronic health conditions take several prescription medi...

  We all know that even as seniors, physical exercise is important to maintaining healthy bodies but medical experts want us to remember that mental exercise is also essential to good brain health. Luckily there are many fun and entertaining ways to exercise our mind and include an array of games on our tablets or computers as well as ones that only need pen and paper. Games like Sudoku, mahjong, chess, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and solitaire are enjoyable and challenging ways to improve memory and stimulate the brain. Moreover, there is good evidence that supports this claim such as the study from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The research team conducted a long-term study that found seniors who did crosswords four days a week had a 47 percent lower risk of dementia than those who only did them once a week. Also, while there is the perception that chess is only for those who are very intelligent, it turns out the skills used to play a good game of chess are o...

  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 of Wheat Ridge offers a Decision Guide to help families navigate through the process of making the move to senior living, especially assisted living, which is a relatively 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 th...

  What would happen if you or a loved one had a medical emergency that required immediate attention? Could you or another family member relay the person’s medical history to hospital personnel as well as provide an up-to-date record of their medications? Remember it needs to be right as this is important information for doctors to know before the person goes into surgery or receives treatment. The John Hopkins Medicine website reports that keeping accurate medical records may also result in better healthcare. A study found that senior cardiac patients “who kept a personal health record enjoyed better health—perhaps because they and their caregivers could better see their health picture.” For suggestions on how to efficiently organize yours or a loved one’s medical records, take a look at some of the following tips experts share. According to geriatric medicine physician Alicia Arbaje, M.D., M.P.H., the first step is to create a doctor directory for each family member....

      If you are new to the name MorningStar allow us to introduce ourselves. MorningStar Senior Living was founded in 2003 by Ken Jaeger whose intention was to create senior housing that felt like the loving atmosphere of his grandmother’s Mid-west home. We now have 25+ senior living communities scattered throughout the Western US including MorningStar at Jordan Creek , a Des Moines area assisted living and memory care home. We sincerely believe our astounding success is attributed to a mission statement of honoring God in our business practices and relationships; valuing all seniors as gifted and contributing individuals; and investing in our team’s ability to serve well. MorningStar communities are also deliberate in the type of culture we strive to create, which is why it is important for us to hire individuals that believe residents are to be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. MorningStar at Jordan Creek offers 56 bright suites for assisted liv...

  The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that every 40 seconds a person has a stroke and every four minutes someone dies from one.  While that is alarming, the AHA says that almost 80 percent of strokes can be prevented.   Did you know that one of the leading causes of strokes is high blood pressure, also called hypertension, and is the most prevalent health condition facing Americans? Statistics show one in four US adults have hypertension, and as people age, their blood pressure goes up.  Experts now believe as many as 80% of people 65 years and older have hypertension and should take steps to reduce it.  If you fall into that age group or at risk for HBP, start by regularly monitoring your blood pressure.  If high, work with your doctor to find ways to lower it including getting more exercise and eating a healthy diet.   Another way to help prevent strokes is to quit smoking.  Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in...

  MorningStar of Littleton is designed to allow our residents to comfortably and safely age in place.  By offering luxury amenities, wellness programs and activities, and a broad range of care services, we support the whole person – mind body and spirit.  Our holistic approach to successful senior living is accomplished through a balance of Life Enrichment and Wellness Care.   We consider it part of our job to find creative solutions that can extend the stay of our residents even when their health conditions change, and often are able to give them a quality of care at a lower cost to families.  For assisted living residents, an individualized care plan is determined (based on five levels of care) after a thorough assessment with our Wellness Director, and in agreement with the resident and their family.   Along with our in-house care services, which include around-the-clock care managers and access to a licensed nurse on-site/on-call...

  If your mom or dad is having serious memory problems, we have some suggestions to help you navigate through this trying time.  Medical experts recommend to do some research on Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, in order to educate yourself on how the disease is diagnosed, stages of the disease, and some of what your family can expect if it is.  You may want to visit websites such as the Alzheimer ’s Association as well as online support groups for family members dealing with the disease for suggestions on how to best prepare and support your parent.   Also, remember it may not be dementia as there are medical conditions, reactions to medications, and nutritional and hormonal issues that can cause dementia-like symptoms.  This is why you need to sit down and have a talk with you parent about the problems they are having and the need to make an appointment with their healthcare provider for a full medical exam.    Exp...

  Many families mistakenly think senior living and particularly assisted living is just a more luxurious nursing home. The fact is nursing homes are intended for people who are unable to care for themselves due to physical or mental conditions and require around-the-clock skilled nursing care. Residents may be bedridden or in wheelchairs and receive ongoing palliative and preventative long-term care. Assisted living is for seniors who are mostly independent but require help with what is known as Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and include things like dressing, bathing and other personal care activities. In some cases, people move into assisted living knowing that while they do not now need assistance with such tasks, they may need help in the near future. Assisted living also makes sense for seniors who are looking for more companionship and love the security of knowing they are not alone. As many assisted living communities such as MorningStar at Jordan Creek have a...