MorningStar

Have you or a loved one made the decision to move into an assisted care facility but worry about what to do with your furry friend during this transition? Pets are often seen as part of the family and bring us a lot of joy, regardless of our age or stage in life. Not only are our pets companions, but they can also help us maintain healthy lifestyles because we recognize the tremendous ministry animals are to all of us. MorningStar in Des Moines, IA is a pet-friendly senior living facility and we enjoy seeing our residents out and about with their beloved pets. In fact, having a companion animal around encourages a healthy routine in seniors. Taking a dog out for a walk each day boosts daily steps which helps overall health while reducing a sedentary lifestyle. Knowing this, MorningStar at Jordan Creek offers a spacious backdoor courtyard where you can play with your dog and participate in wonderful walking paths surrounding the community. Caring for your pet provides a sense of purpos...

In our senior living facility within Littleton, Colorado, we see the devastation that comes with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Often, family members and close friends deal with high levels of grief and even anger in regard to this diagnosis of their loved one. It is difficult to watch someone so close to you change and often feel unrecognizable. Through MorningStar’s holistic approach to memory care, “Lavender Sky,” it can be seen that the personality of the person that you knew and loved may still be able to maintain a relationship regardless of their memory loss. Cassidy Jones, an employee of MorningStar, started out as a server and quickly progressed to a concierge within our facility. Here, she met one of the residents staying in Memory Care, Elsie. Jones felt such a high calling to befriend Elsie and visits her whenever she is working. Watching Jones and Elsie, you can feel the joy radiating between them as they communicate in what looks like gibberish to the outside world. Jones tell...

Health professionals say it is important to incorporate stretching exercises into your routine especially the older we get as our flexibility naturally decreases. As joints become stiff, and tendons and ligaments tighten up, we become more susceptible to injuries as well as chronic pain and poor posture. In fact, studies show men’s flexibility drops sharply at around 70 years of age. Stretching exercises are easy to learn, relatively easy to do, and should not take more than five to ten minutes. Urvashi Chogle, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, says the shoulders, hips, knees, and spine lose the most flexibility. He explains, "This makes many everyday movements more difficult, such as reaching overhead, squatting, twisting, and bending over." Of course before you begin any new stretching exercises, you need to consult with your healthcare provider. He or she may have suggestions on how to safely get started or direct you to your loc...

Many of us have been embarrassed by forgetting someone’s name when we unexpectedly run into them or missing an appointment. The Medical News Today (MNT) describes short-term memory as the brain systems involved in storing information for short periods, usually up to about 30 seconds. Short-term memory typically holds about seven pieces of information at a time. Our long-term memory is where old memories are stored. Experts remind seniors not all problems with memory loss are caused by Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia but rather some are age-related or caused by outside factors. One example is sleep as research shows lack of sleep interferes with short-term memory and is vital to memory consolidation, which is the process of preserving key memories and discarding excessive or irrelevant information. Drinking too much alcohol and using recreational drugs also interfere with memory consolation; and overtime can cause irreversible damage to both short and long-term memory. O...

Bringing up senior living is often met with resistance from our parents and loved ones. From their perspective, they have always been in control and found daily tasks and participation in life easy to navigate. Perhaps you are noticing more unfinished things around your parent's home, maybe they have accidents more regularly, or forget to take their medication. These are all causes for concern, but how can you manage their sense of control over their life while also making sure that they remain safe and healthy as they age and deal with memory difficulties? Within MorningStar’s “Senior Life: How to have the best conversation ever with your elder parent” online guide, it proclaims that there is no shame in aging. Of course, with aging, there is the possibility of losing some memory, as well. It’s important that your parents come to terms with the changing reality that comes with aging and that you reiterate your parents’ importance within the world. It’s important to understand tha...

While every senior living community is different, assisted living at MorningStar at Jordan Creek offers services and amenities that focus on important aspects of senior wellness. Foundational pillars such as physical health, mental stimulation, and a happy community are all held to high importance within our assisted living facilities . Arguably one of the most important things to consider when picking an assisted living facility is safety. Without a strong advocate for safety in assisted living, your health, intellectual growth, and close relationships are all at risk. Falls are serious. Nearly three million elders go to the hospital each year because of fall injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls may lead to serious head or hip injuries. About 94% of hip fractures result from a fall, as stated by the CDC. In assisted living, it is important for senior living communities to pay special attention to reducing potential fall risks within their...

As people grow older, their needs change and many require help with daily personal care activities. This can present a dilemma in families as some elderly seniors firmly state that they do not want to move into assisted living . However, when the pressure to assume caretaking responsibilities continues to grow for family members and even safety is a concern, they may have to look into alternatives. It is important to know that research shows assisted living can be a healthier lifestyle for seniors than living alone. They have access to 24/7 care as well as the benefits that come from socializing with others. In addition, keep in mind that your parent’s home may need costly modifications to make it safe for them to continue to live there while assisted living communities are designed to address those needs. Moreover, along with the assistance they need with daily personal care, communities such as MorningStar of Wheat Ridge provide a range of wellness programs and activities that s...

Activities that enrich the mind and encourage playfulness can reduce negative behaviors and symptoms that are associated with Alzheimer’s like wandering, agitation, frustration, sadness, or restlessness. Introducing regularly planned activities helps propel a sense of belonging and a sense of self that may have felt lost previously. Over time, continual practice and participation in an activity can induce feelings of mastery and comfort among individuals struggling with memory loss. No two people show symptoms of Alzheimer’s in the same way. ​​The needs of a person living with Alzheimer’s change, sometimes daily and sometimes hourly. In this way, treating every person with Alzheimer's, in the same manner, is not beneficial. Specialized and individualized care must be introduced when handling individuals with memory loss needs. It is important to find the different activities that appeal to each person, and not to assume that everyone enjoys the same things. Getting to know resident...

Father’s Day falls on Sunday, June 19th this year. If your special father figure is in assisted living rather than at home, it may seem difficult to come up with ideas to celebrate him this year. Instead of helping in the usual strenuous yard work, throwing an elaborate barbecue, or planning a fishing trip, show the dad in your life appreciation through spending some much-needed relaxing family time from the ideas below. Senior living doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate Dad the same way you may have been accustomed to. Assisted living facilities , such as MorningStar in​​ Des Moines IA, offer colorful and unique living arrangements and community involvement that keeps your father’s life full and enriched while continuing to keep him safe and healthy. Celebrating Father’s Day at MorningStar is special because family is what makes that day important. If your dad is a bit of a social butterfly, show interest in his life at MorningStar this Father’s Day by visiting with his close-knit commun...

MorningStar at Mountain Shadows’ goal is to provide the best assisted living in the area, and we are committed to the comfort, wellbeing, and safety of our remarkable residents. To accomplish this lofty goal, our approach takes into account every aspect of senior living from the design of our gorgeous community to a broad range of care services, amenities, and wellness programs. In fact, Ken Jaeger, MorningStar Senior Living’s Founder, had specific ideas on how to foster the ultimate environment for the wellbeing of seniors and it is the guiding spirit in which our community operates. For assisted living residents, private suites are available in studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans. Each suite has a handicap-accessible bathroom, ceiling lighting, wall-to-wall carpeting, and large windows. Suites also include a kitchenette with refrigerator, 24-hour emergency call system, and a private heating & air conditioning system. Cable TV and utilities are included in your mo...

A Place for Mom’s website offers some advice to families regarding the need for memory care for a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease . They explain early-on in the disease, many individuals are capable of living independently with family members overseeing some of their care. However, they also warn symptoms can vary from day to day and it can be difficult to know exactly when a person requires more supervision for their safety and wellbeing. Dr. Philip Branshaw, an internal medicine specialist in Batavia, Illinois, says when speaking to families, he centers the conversation regarding additional care for their loved one on the “ability to perform activities of daily living and safety.” ADLs include things like dressing, bathing, eating and toileting. Other questions doctors may ask to evaluate a person’s ability to live on their own include: is he or she having trouble finding their way back home from familiar neighborhood routes? Are they forgetting to eat or drink and take ...

Many adult children feel as if they let their parents down by moving them into an assisted living community . Mom or dad may have even asked years ago that you never put them into a “home,” and at the time, you made the promise; and/or you know families whose adult children have opened their home to their parents. You keep thinking your parents spent years caring for you, and now when they need help, you turn to strangers to provide the care they need. Experts explain feelings of guilt are normal and moving a loved one to an assisted living community is probably one of the hardest decisions you will have to make as an adult. However, they quickly add it is important to remember they were not getting the assistance they needed at home. For their safety and wellbeing, they needed to move to a place where they would receive the proper care. Rather than waste time thinking you have let them down, think of it as giving them a better quality of life where they can safely age in place. Expert...

Medical experts say there are five numbers adults should know that can impact their health. Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, editor-in-chief at the Harvard Heart Letter and part of the interventional cardiovascular programs at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital, explains, "For my patients, I typically look at their blood pressure, blood sugar, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides values, and their waist circumference." While there are specific recommendations, doctors also say the ideal values are good goals for most people but your doctor may suggest different numbers based on your age and other health conditions. Current recommended blood pressure numbers are less than 120/80 mm Hg. Systolic blood pressure is the first number and diastolic blood pressure the second number, and together they measure how hard your heart is working and the condition of your blood vessels. High blood pressure (HBP) can damage blood vessels and increase a person’s risk for a stroke or heart attac...