MorningStar

When a person is told they have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, it is extremely difficult not only for the individual but the entire family. As it generally comes after the person as well as their family and friends have noticed a marked change in the individual, it is tough to hear but not always a huge surprise. Now the question becomes “what next?” The National Institute on Aging (NIA) offers families guidance with a list of helpful informative and supportive resources including the Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. Check if they have local chapters where you can get in-person support, meet others in your same situation, and get involved in fundraising activities. You can additionally reach out to local community centers and hospitals to find out if they have Alzheimer’s educational programs. NIA reminds families to keep up with regular medical checkups as they are important for a person with Alzheimer’s and should include their prim...

Searching for memory care for a loved one that suits the person’s needs as well as the family’s is challenging at best. Knowing the person is dependent on getting the level of care they need for both their wellbeing and safety makes choosing the right home essential. Experts say start by taking your time to think about your loved one’s needs including daily personal care required such as dressing, toileting, bathing, etc. as well as any on-going medical needs. Additionally, do they have mobility issues and use a wheelchair or a walker; or do they need assistance eating? If the person is known to wander, you will want a secure home to keep him or her safe including alarms on the doors. Another thing experts say is to let the community know if the person is prone to angry outbursts or other aggressive behaviors. Once you have a good idea of your loved one’s needs, now look at communities at are equipped to handle those needs. Ask about living arrangements, dining service, and the level ...

Research has shown gardening to be an effective low-impact exercise for seniors. Along with providing a moderate amount of exercise for aging adults, gardening can offer benefits to your mental and emotional health. To keep it accessible to the elderly for whom lifting and bending can be difficult; it is smart to incorporate a few modifications such as raised garden beds as well as using various ergonomic tools. One of the best things about gardening is it stimulates all of the senses and offers an excellent excuse to get outside and soak up some vitamin D as well as boost serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that improves your mood and helps you to feel calm and centered. In addition to relieving stress and anxiety, gardening gives seniors a sense of purpose and accomplishment with its beautiful or edible finished product. It also is an enjoyable way to use all of your motor skills and improve endurance and strength. Working in a garden has also proven helpful ...

As we grow older, many of us find ourselves becoming forgetful and worry it could be a sign of Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Researchers say it is true that the older we get we are more forgetful as at least half of those over age 65 say that they are more forgetful than they were when they were younger, experiencing ‘senior moments’ about things like where they put things or recalling somebody’s name. The question then becomes what the difference between “normal” age-related memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease is. Studies find the brain shows warning signs of Alzheimer’s approximately fifteen years before someone experiences symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and quite a while before the first real signs of dementia start. Concerning signs of memory loss include not just forgetting an appointment or someone’s name, but repeatedly forgetting it. Another sign that something more serious is going on is if family members start to notice a loved one’s forgetfulness or ...

Many times people put off creating a living will, also known as a health care power of attorney, because they don’t understand how important it is to have one; or they fear they are giving up too much control over their life. The medical community explains the reason you need one is to ensure you get the type of care you want when you can no longer speak for yourself. The Harvard Medical School says before you create a living will there are a few things to consider including separating fact from fiction. To start with, think about what quality of life means to you. Sometimes having extraordinary measures taken to save your life doesn’t factor in where such treatments will leave you. Having a living will can help guide your medical team on just such decisions. Some people worry if they choose to refuse certain life-sustaining medical treatments to prolong life even when death is inevitable that it will invalidate their life insurance policy. Medical professionals explain there is no rea...

MorningStar of Wheat Ridge is proud to offer exceptional assisted living and memory care . Our parent company, MorningStar Senior Living, operates senior living communities in eleven states. This means MorningStar of Wheat Ridge benefits from the extensive knowledge and expertise our company has gained in their 20 years of operation regarding all facets of senior living, including a deep understanding of Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. MorningStar has earned a reputation as trusted dementia care specialists, and we feel it is our calling to provide care to our most special residents. By devoting a separate area to memory care called our Reflections Neighborhood, residents have the independence to safely move about their expansive surroundings. To ensure our residents safety and well-being, services include daily health monitoring and around-the-clock staffing as well as a secure courtyard to allow them to enjoy being outdoors. Once a resident joins our MorningStar...

When we look at cultures with a reputation for longevity, leading nutritionists and food scientists say there is one food group that stands out. “Blue zones,” areas known for having many of their inhabitants live to an advanced age of hundred years or more, include in their diet, five of the ten most recommended foods. All are from the bean family and include lentils, soybeans, peanuts (a legume in the same family as peas and lentils), chickpeas and black beans. People living on the Japanese island of Okinawa might enjoy a dinner of stir-fried green beans, soybeans or mung sprouts. Another meal in Nicoya, Costa Rico typically includes black beans. Known for a high level of anthocyanins, a pigment that gives red, purple, and blue plants their rich coloring, beans help fight free radicals and offer anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-cancer benefits. In fact, anthocyanins offer 10 times the antioxidants of an equivalent serving of oranges. Nutritionists say beans also boost the immun...

If you want to get something special for mom or dad or another loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or a dementia-related disease, it can be challenging to figure out a good gift. This is where the Internet can lend a hand with a range of items designed to enhance your loved one’s quality of life. Dementia care specialists say it can take a little more time and some creativity but there are many great gift ideas. One idea is personalized gifts or memory-filled ones. A photo album filled with pictures of the person surrounded by people important to them, or a picture book from a place they loved to visit. A coffee mug personalized with a photo or a cozy throw filled with favorite family pictures are also good ideas. Music from their younger years, show tunes and old movies are sure to make them smile and can be a good way to spend an afternoon together listening to their new gifts. Coloring books filled with pictures of things they love such as animals or flowers, and a set of new mark...

Alzheimer’s and other memory loss diseases have been known to impact a person’s sleep and their sleep schedules. An individual with Alzheimer’s or dementia Someone with Alzheimer’s may sleep too much or not enough and may experience waking up many times during the night and being unable to get back to sleep. Memory care facilities such as MorningStar Senior Living of Littleton, are reliable communities that are knowledgeable in the difficulties surrounding sleep and dementia and work with holistic methods to help solve the side effects of memory loss. Named the “Alzheimer’s Association Leader in Dementia Care,” MorningStar Senior Living Littleton, Co prides themselves on offering modern and holistic memory care to their senior living communities. Our bodies need sleep, and it is certainly frustrating when we can’t seem to fall asleep or stay asleep. Seniors in Alzheimer’s care or struggling with memory loss may experience heightened responses to the lack of sleep or their sleep schedu...

Littleton is ranked the 8th best small city in America and named the top spot for retirement and senior citizens. This Colorado city is minutes from downtown with shops and restaurants and is surrounded by Marston Lake and South Platte River. If you are looking for the best Alzheimer’s care, MorningStar Memory Care and Senior Living Littleton Colorado offers the finest modern and holistic senior living Littleton, Colorado has to offer. If you are considering memory care or Alzheimer’s care for a spouse or loved one, MorningStar of Littleton, Co should be at the top of your list. MorningStar of Littleton has been named “Alzheimer’s Association Leader in Dementia Care” by The Alzheimer’s Association. To be so designated for this award, a senior living community is required to enroll 75% of its staff in an eight-hour training that encompasses brain pathology, communication techniques, and methods of lessening agitation with non-pharmaceuticals. Colorado is the only Alzheimer’s Associati...

At MorningStar of Wheat Ridge, we proudly offer the finest senior care with assisted living and memory care suites .  As experienced specialists in caring for those with memory loss from Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related diseases, our community is equipped to care for residents from the onset of the disease right through to the most advanced stages. Our loving and compassionate team considers it their calling as well as their privilege to care for your loved one.  MorningStar’s holistic approach to memory care incorporates some of the most respected research-based care programs available. Our comprehensive care also includes assisting families to better understand and cope with the disease.   When a resident joins our community, we spend time with them and their family to learn as much as we can about their life before the memory loss including their talents, vocation, and preferences.  From there, we create a daily care plan based on their needs and design...

Medical experts have found that many older adults are not being screened for cognitive decline during routine physical exams and say it would be a good idea to do so. While many of us would be shocked to hear devastating news that we have early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, doctors say it is important to identify memory loss issues early as available treatments are more effective early-on. Moreover, if it is determined you do have some memory loss, there are steps you can take to help slow down or mitigate the risk. Additionally, if you are wondering if a cognitive test is expensive, Medicare does pay for an annual “wellness visit,” which is supposed to include a quick cognitive assessment to help identify some early warning signs of dementia. From there your doctor can recommend a more thorough examination. However, according to an Alzheimer’s Association survey, over half of the respondents said their healthcare provider has never asked about their cognitive health, let alone admini...

As we grow older, many of us find ourselves becoming forgetful and worry it could be a sign of Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Researchers say it is true that the older we get we are more forgetful as the following reports: “At least half of those over age 65 say that they are more forgetful than they were when they were younger, experiencing ‘senior moments’ about things like where they put things or recalling somebody’s name.” The question then becomes when what is the difference between “normal” age-related memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Studies find the brain shows warning signs of Alzheimer’s approximately fifteen years before someone experiences symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and quite a while before the first real signs of dementia start. Concerning signs of memory loss include not just forgetting an appointment or someone’s name, but repeatedly forgetting it. Another sign that something more serious is going on is if family members start to notice a...

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...

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...

The Alzheimer’s Association recommends that anyone worried about memory loss to make an appointment with their health care provider. While we all know it is scary just thinking about the possibility of having Alzheimer’s or another dementia-related disease , the Alzheimer’s Association has a list of reasons why it is to your advantage to know. The process for getting a diagnosis starts with a full evaluation with a healthcare provider that includes your medical history and any medications you are taking as well as a series of mental status tests. If the initial evaluation indicates problems, your doctor will recommend further physical and neurological exams, diagnostic tests and brain imaging. One of the top reasons to be evaluated for Alzheimer’s disease is your symptoms may be from another treatable cause. If it is determined you have Alzheimer’s, experts explain while there is no cure for the disease, there are treatment options that can lessen the symptoms including memory loss ...

Along with assisted living, Des Moines area MorningStar at Jordan Creek offers individualized care for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. Our Reflections Neighborhood has 29 secure memory care suites, and we are equipped to care for residents from the onset of the disease to the most advanced stages. MorningStar’s holistic memory care is personalized and compassionate supported living under what we call Lavender Sky, which is the way we thoughtfully enter, embrace, and explore to find purpose and encouragement in every aspect of daily routine. As dementia care specialists, we deeply understand the disease and know regardless of the extent of memory loss residents deserve to be treated with kindness, respect and dignity. All team members are trained in MorningStar’s brand standards of Lavender Sky and in the pathology of dementia and brain disease. Caregivers provide 24/7 assistance with eating, bathing, dressing and have the tools to calm or stimulat...

MorningStar of Littleton is proud to offer exceptional assisted living and Alzheimer’s care. Our parent company, MorningStar Senior Living, operates senior living communities throughout the Western U.S. This means MorningStar of Littleton benefits from the extensive knowledge and expertise our company has gained in their 18 years of operation regarding all facets of senior living , including a deep understanding of Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. MorningStar has earned a reputation as trusted dementia care specialists, and we feel it is our calling to provide care to our most special residents. By devoting a separate area to memory care called our Reflections Neighborhood, residents have the independence to safely move about their expansive surroundings. To ensure our residents safety and well-being, services include daily health monitoring and around-the-clock staffing as well as a secure courtyard to allow them to enjoy being outdoors. Once a resident joins our M...

At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, our goal is to provide residents with a comfortable, inviting home where they can safely age in place. Our services, amenities and wellness programs are all geared toward accomplishing this. Residents also receive the often overlooked benefits of community living such as healthy social connections and peace of mind knowing loving support is available whenever they need it. All assisted living residents have an individualized care plan created to help them maintain their independence, and our 24/7 care managers make sure the plan is carried out. MorningStar’s care managers are dedicated, hard-working individuals who provide loving care to our incredible residents and enjoy building strong relationships with them. Many of our daily activities are just plain fun and include movie nights, trivia and card games, craft classes, exercise classes and much more. Our all-day meal service is targeted to seniors’ palates as well as their nutritional needs. We...

Researchers say despite declining cognitive abilities, studies show those with Alzheimer’s disease do better when encouraged to participate in meaningful activities as it gives them a sense of purpose and self-worth. The Nation Institute of Health (NIH) reports, “engaging older persons with dementia in appropriate activities has been shown to yield beneficial effects such as increasing positive emotions, improving activities of daily living (ADL) and improving the quality of life.” One study’s author explains the act of staying engaged can help dementia patients maintain quality of life even in advanced stages of the disease. Just as it is important for older people to stay engaged and active, it is also important for those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia to be involved in healthy daily activities. Dementia care specialists say structure and routine helps individuals “maintain their cognitive function, sense of security, and can calm anxious or aggressive behaviors.” Espe...