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Christmas Gifts Sure to be a Hit

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We all know how hard it is to buy Christmas or Hanukah gifts for the person in your life who has everything, or is limited on space without the room for yet one more item. This is where gift cards can be greatly appreciated, and with a little bit of research, you can find something for even your most hard to buy family member. While everyone loves a gift card to an already favorite restaurant or a new one in town, gift cards can also be found for a whole lot of other things. If you are absolutely stumped by what to get, you could settle for a preloaded VISA (or another brand) card that enables the person to shop wherever a VISA card is accepted. Experts say purchasing a virtual card to send through a person’s email account eliminates the risk of a physical card being tampered with, and stick to trusted online retailers. A virtual gift card is also a solution for last minute procrastinators, as they arrive quickly in a person’s inbox. The Internet provides some unique ideas such as purc...
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Concerned About All the Food Recalls Lately?

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It may seem as if you are hearing about food recalls every other week, and you are not too far off. A recent study reports food recalls grew annually from 454 to 547 between the years of 2020 to 2024. Experts say however, one of the reasons for the recalls is actually a good thing as more money is being invested in testing, investigation, identification and tracking systems to help ensure our food safety. Nonetheless Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University says it is far from being a perfect system. Food recalls can be voluntarily pulled off the shelves by the producer or the result of an investigation by the FDA. The reasons for a recall can be because the food is contaminated with bacteria, viruses or parasites. Another cause might be a foreign substance was inadvertently introduced to the product such as broken glass, plastic or metal. The FDA has also instigated a recall due to the fact important allergen in...
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Make Sleep a Priority

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One thing we can do to maintain our health as we age is to get a good night’s sleep. Learning to prioritize and manage our sleep is important to good brain health including our cognitive health. However for far too many older adults, it becomes harder and harder to sleep through the night. Seniors often buy-in to the myth that they no longer need as much sleep as they did when they were younger; but experts disagree. They say the truth is older adults require the same amount of sleep as their younger counterparts, which is at least 7 hours a night according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Moreover studies show older adults are typically getting less REM (rapid eye movement) sleep per night. This is the period of time when we dream and the brain is active; and is important for memory, learning, mental focus and mood. Another sleep cycle is the period when the brain purges toxins. AARP writes, “The glymphatic system uses cerebrospinal fluid to flush out toxins a...
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Want to Keep Your Brain Sharp?

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As we age, many of us may feel like we lost a step or two in terms of our cognition and memory skills. However, just as there are things we can do to improve our brain health; there are things we should avoid to protect it. To start with, some of the same things bad for our physical health are bad for our mental health such as lack of exercise and poor diet. Moreover experts say we may also be missing some lesser known causes that contribute to a decline in cognitive health and impact our chance for better and happier aging. One of those things is too much negative thinking. The AARP reports several studies have found older adults who are more prone to negative thoughts and spend more time ruminating on slights and grudges are more likely to show a decline in memory and cognitive thinking. Researchers reported study participants who engaged in more negative thinkers had more amyloid and tau deposits in their brain, the biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease. While we all experienc...
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A Place that Helps You Get Your Independence Back

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One of the hardest things many seniors face is a chronic illness or condition that interferes and limits their independence. Burdening our spouse or another loved one with our day-to-day care is not the thing most of us want to do. In fact it may be the time to look into assisted living and learn what it can offer to you and your family. Assisted living is not skilled nursing but rather compassionate senior care for the ADLs (activities of daily living). It is based around the person’s needs to ensure they get the proper support to maintain their independence within a community setting. Senior living communities like MorningStar of Littleton provide residents with responsive 24/7 caregivers, access to licensed nurses, medication management, third-party care providers and more. Our spacious suites are designed with handicap-accessible bathrooms, emergency call systems and wall-to-wall carpeting in a choice of studio, or one- and two bedroom floorplans. Each unit is equipped with a kitch...
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Women and Health Disease

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Despite a long-held belief that more men are affected by and even die from heart disease, the American Health Association says we now know that is only half the story. Recent studies show more women die from heart disease than from all forms of cancer. Perimenopause and post-menopausal women are at the most risk from heart disease, and the older they get, the higher the risk. Doctors say the drop in estrogen that occurs in women during and after menopause is why older women have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Robin Noble, MD, a board-certified OB/GYN, explains before menopause, estrogen has a vasodilatory effect on the vascular system. This anti-inflammatory effect fights against the development of the type of inflammation that causes cardiovascular plaques. Once a woman’s body experiences a drop in estrogen, it creates problems such as higher cholesterol levels, higher blood pressure and an increase in visceral fat - all linked to plaque buildup and hardening of the arterie...
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Making Lasting Friendships in Assisted Living

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Seniors can often feel anxious before moving into assisted living . For many, they have spent their life up to this point living on their own, with a loved one, or with their families. It can be intimidating to start this new chapter. But, you don’t have to do it alone. At MorningStar Senior Living you will meet friendly neighbors and staff that will strive to make you feel right at home. As a community, we believe in the power of community. Here are a few tips to help you make lasting friendships in assisted living. Introduce Yourself The simplest way to meet new people is to introduce yourself. It’s likely your neighbors will want to meet you upon your move-in, but for others in the community, the first step to the road of lasting friendship is to say hello and share a little about yourself. A warm smile, a compliment, or asking someone if they’d like to join you for coffee is a great idea when trying to make new friends in your senior living community. Join Community Activities and ...
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