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...

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 stre...

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, si...

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....

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 ...

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 continui...

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 bo...