If you are an older adult, you may feel like you are past the point of worrying about a few new wrinkles and think you no longer need to protect your skin with sunscreen. The medical profession wants you to know that nothing could be further from the truth as seniors are actually more sensitive to sunlight and of getting sunburnt in a shorter period of time than when they were younger. This is due to a couple of reasons including as we age, our skin becomes thinner and loses it protective fat, and medications commonly taken by seniors including antibiotics, NSAIDs, oral diabetes drugs, and diuretics may increase photosensitivity.
Doctors recommend that seniors avoid exposure to the sun during peak times (from 10 am to 4 pm) and to remember that the sun’s UV rays are still potent even on cloudy days. Also be sure to wear sunscreen choosing a cream or lotion that is broad spectrum (protecting against both UVA and UVB rays) of SPF 30 every day. If you plan to be at the beach or to play golf, wear SPF of 50 or higher. Be sure to reapply every 1½ to two hours. You also need to wear a hat and protective clothing. The brim of your hat should be at least 3” and cover your neck and ears, and long-sleeved shirts and long pants or long skirts that are loose and light-weight. Don’t forget to wear good sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of the sun’s rays. Finally, remember to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, our senior living community provides all the amenities, wellness programs, activities, and care services residents need for their comfort and wellbeing. Our beautiful community offers 45 bright suites for assisted living in a range of configurations, including studio and one and two-bedroom floor plans, to accommodate residents’ preferences and needs. We provide another 19 suites devoted to the care of those with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Please see our website for more information including our new protocols in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19). MorningStar at Mountain Shadows’ mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other senior living options. We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Set in a warm, loving atmosphere with beautiful surroundings and resort-style amenities, we provide our residents the best assisted living and memory care in Colorado Springs.
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Getting a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or another dementia-related disease is devastating for the person and their family. All of one’s carefully laid plans are cast aside as their future takes a much different path. At MorningStar at Jordan Creek, our mission is to provide the best senior living Des Moines-West Des Moines offers, which includes compassionate and loving memory care to those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
MorningStar Senior Living has communities throughout the Western U.S, where we have worked hard to become dementia care specialists. Unlike other memory care communities, MorningStar’s extensive experience has allowed us to gain a deep understanding of the disease, and we consider it our privilege to serve those with memory loss. We recognize that the person’s essence remains and are committed to finding ways to connect with and nurture that essence. We also consider residents’ family members to be part of our MorningStar family as we walk alongside the memory-impaired and their families on this unexpected journey. Our unique approach to memory care is called Lavender Sky, which is how we thoughtfully enter, embrace and explore the entirely different and isolating world of memory loss. Every aspect of our memory care is designed to address the needs of our residents including 24/7 compassionate Care Mangers, wellness programs and activities that will stimulate and calm as needed. Even our meals are designed with our most tender residents’ needs in mind and are as good to look at as they are to eat. Along with memory care in our Reflections Neighborhood, MorningStar at Jordan Creek offers 56 assisted living suites in a range of floorplans for those needing help with the activities of daily living. Please see our website for more information about our exceptional community. While you are there, you may read the statement from our CEO which details our defense against the coronavirus to help ensure the health of residents and team members during this difficult time. MorningStar at Jordan Creek offers the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents. Visit our website to learn more about the finest senior living Des Moines-West Des Moines has to offer. Dementia may still be one of the most misunderstood medical conditions of today. From believing dementia is an inevitable part of aging to thinking any sign of forgetfulness is evidence of dementia, many people hold inaccurate views regarding the term. The Alzheimer’s Association defines dementia as not being a specific disease. Rather they say, “It's an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities.”
Also, it can complicate the matter as the term dementia covers a range of conditions with the most common one being Alzheimer’s disease. Other forms of dementia include vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and other disorders. To determine if you or a loved one’s memory loss is a symptom of dementia, you need to be evaluated by a health care professional. Simply being forgetful is not enough for a doctor to make the diagnosis of dementia but rather he or she will run a series of tests to determine if there is other evidence of cognition problems. Other signs of dementia involve a person having difficulty completing sentences or finding the right word to say, difficulty completing tasks, and difficulty recognizing items or people. In some cases, the person may exhibit signs of poor judgement and have trouble performing common household chores, paying bills, or preparing food. They may have problems with organizing thoughts, and repeatedly ask the same questions or relate the same stories. A person with dementia can lose their way even in a familiar environment as well as become more agitated and irritable. At MorningStar at Jordan Creek, we specialize in providing seniors with a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community. Along with exceptional memory care, we provide the finest assisted living Des Moines-West Des Moines offers. Please see our website for more information including our new protocols in the fight against COVID-19. MorningStar at Jordan Creek proudly provides the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest memory care and assisted living Des Moines – West Des Moines has to offer. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) states that, “falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans. Falls threaten seniors’ safety and independence and generate enormous economic and personal costs.” They report one in four adults over the age of 65 fall each year and account for more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency rooms annually, and result in over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths.
However they say falls do not have to be an inevitable result of aging. Rather with some practical lifestyle adjustments as well as public campaigns on how to reduce the problem from the NCOA and other organizations, the number of yearly falls can be reduced. The NCOA’s evidence-based Falls Free® National Action Plan was updated in 2015, and includes “goals, strategies and action steps to increase physical mobility, reduce the impact of medications as a falls risk factor, and improve home and environmental safety.” The National Institute on Aging explains some of the steps seniors can take to help protect themselves from a fall. The first thing is to stay physically active. Weight-bearing exercises such as walking or climbing stairs improves muscle strength and keeps joints, tendons, and ligaments more flexible. Another fall-prevention tip is to have your eyes and hearing tested. If you need glasses, wear them, and if you have a hearing aid, wear it. In addition, ask your healthcare provider if your medications have side effects that can make you dizzy or sleepy. It is also important to get enough sleep and to limit the amount of alcohol you drink as even a small amount can affect your balance. Stand up slowly, and have your blood pressure checked if you feel dizzy. If you feel wobbly when walking, use an assistive device such as a cane or walker. A physical or occupational therapist can help you choose the right device and teach you how to safely use it. During wet or icy conditions, use extra caution when walking, and always wear non-skid, rubber-soled, low-heeled shoes. Lace-up shoes give you the ability to adjust the amount of support you need, but do not buy shoes with soles that are too thin or too thick. Around the house, wear shoes or slippers with non-slip bottoms. At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, our goal is to be one of the area’s best assisted living and memory care communities, and the safety and comfort of our residents is our highest priority. Please visit our website for more information, availability and pricing. MorningStar at Mountain Shadows’ mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other senior living options. We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Set in a warm, loving atmosphere with beautiful surroundings and resort-style amenities, we provide our residents the best assisted living and memory care in Colorado Springs. Sources: ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/falls-prevention-facts/ nia.nih.gov/health/prevent-falls-and-fractures At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, we not only provide some of the best assisted living Colorado Springs offers, but also experienced memory care. Our Reflections Neighborhood has 19 secure memory care suites dedicated to residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. MorningStar’s compassionate team expertly provides the care your loved one requires for their utmost comfort, wellness and safety.
Our holistic approach to memory care is done through our program we call “Lavender Sky.” By utilizing our extensive understanding of dementia, it provides the tools to empower and equip our team to advance our vision and mission of providing a more insightful way to support the memory-impaired and their families. All of our employees receive training in the program as we understand knowledge provides greater wisdom and insight into interacting with our most tender residents. The eight hours of training includes the pathology behind the disease as well as communication techniques, and holistic solutions to dining, safety and challenging behaviors. Through Lavender Sky, our caregivers thoughtfully enter, embrace and explore the “purple world” of dementia as they crossover the physical and emotional boundaries that would otherwise separate us. By exploring each of our residents’ life stories including their history and preferences, we create an individualized care plan. We also involve and engage family members in how to follow our lead. Please visit our website for more information regarding experienced, compassionate memory care. At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, we do not consider serving our memory care residents to be depressing but rather offer hope to families as we strive to find ways to elevate and celebrate each resident’s life. We look forward to meeting you. MorningStar at Mountain Shadows represents the best in senior living with a unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We have built our foundation on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. Contact us to learn more about the finest memory care and assisted living Colorado Springs has to offer. If you are looking for the best memory care or assisted living Colorado Springs offers, we encourage you consider MorningStar at Mountain Shadows. We provide area seniors with resort-style amenities, wellness programs and activities, and a wide range of care services to ensure their utmost comfort and wellbeing.
At MorningStar we define health and well-being holistically and as such, offer programming that supports the whole person – body, mind and spirit, and are thus the perfect destination for successful aging. Reflective of the full authority of our licensing with the Department of Health, our resident care services are broad and help extend the stay of residents even as their health conditions change. In fact we will routinely look for creative solutions (within our licensing mandate) that yield a higher quality of care for residents at a lower cost to their families. To improve care services, we proudly use the MorningStar Electronic Health Record (EHR) system at our Mountain Shadows community. It provides us with a central, mobile solution for assessments, care planning, incident tracking, wound care, behavior management and eMARs (electronic medication administration records). The system benefits both our team and residents with quick access to accurate, legible, and complete demographic and medical information on residents. It offers different modules to monitor various vitals and key health metrics as well as provides enhanced privacy and security of residents’ data. Our services include: 24-hour care managers, medication management by certified med care managers, licensed nurse—on call 24/7, care planning reviews and scheduled health & wellness evaluations. We also offer mechanical lift assistance, weights and vitals monitoring, diabetic management, oxygen administration, transportation to medical appointments, pharmacy services, and much more. Please see our website for more information about our community and a message from the CEO detailing our coronavirus (COVID-19) response. MorningStar at Mountain Shadows represents the best in senior living with a unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We have built our foundation on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. Contact us to learn more about the finest memory care and assisted living Colorado Springs has to offer. According to the U.S. News & World Report, every year there are 5 million cases of elder fraud in the U.S., resulting in as much as $27.4 billion in losses. Additionally, these crimes are often hard for law enforcement to prosecute because in many cases victims are too embarrassed to report the crimes. The FBI says con artists also know that seniors do not make good witnesses even if they do report the crime due to the effects of age on their memory and the length of time it takes to bring a case to justice.
Experts explain there are several reasons why seniors are more susceptible to fraudulent schemes starting with the fact they tend to be very trusting. Our elderly population was typically raised to be polite, to believe people are basically good, and have a hard time saying “no.” These are the traits con artists exploit. Lonely seniors can easily be preyed upon as they are willing to stay on the phone and engage in conversation with a stranger. A recent scheme that targeted a large group of seniors was a robocall that informed people they needed to return the call as there was a security issue with their social security number. When the person called back, they were asked for their full name, address and S.S. number, and told their SS# had been comprised and they would be receiving a new one. Authorities warn that if criminals obtain someone’s full name and SS#, it allows them to do all kinds of damage to the victim including trying to collect their benefits. Another scam is romance fraud, which involves a person being approached by the scammer through dating sites or other social media. A relationship ensues through online contact but never face-to-face. After a level of trust is established, the person is asked to send small amounts of money for alleged emergencies to test their willingness and gullibility. Finally as the scam plays out, the person may give the con artist large amounts of money, or even be used to receive money or goods purchased with stolen credit cards or to transport drugs. The FBI warns that there are many fraudulent schemes to be aware of including telemarketing scams, Medicare scams, tax fraud, etc. They say, “If you are age 60 or older—and especially if you are an older woman living alone—you may be a special target of people who sell bogus products and services by telephone.” Remember to never give out personal or financial information over the phone or online and do not send money. The unique mission statement of MorningStar of Wheat Ridge, “to honor, to serve, to invest,” sets us apart from other senior living communities. Our foundation is built upon honoring God, valuing all seniors, and investing in staff with a felt calling to serve. Dedicated to creating a true home for residents within a beautiful setting, we encourage you to learn more about our exceptional assisted living and memory care. Sources: health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/how-to-prevent-senior-fraud fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes/seniors The National Stroke Awareness Month began in May, 1989 after President George H. W. Bush signed a Presidential Proclamation aimed at promoting public awareness of the signs and symptoms of strokes and reducing the number of incidences in the U.S. The National Institute of Health (NIH) partners with the National Stroke Association, the American Heart Association and other non-profits to education Americans not only on warning signs but how to control risk factors to improve brain health.
The NIH warns that “stroke is a leading cause of death & can happen to anyone.” With over 800,000 incidences each year, it is also the leading cause of serious long-term disabilities. The majority of stokes occur in people over 65 and the risk more than doubles each decade after the age of 55. The American Heart Association advises all American to know F.A.S.T., the warning signs of stroke as it may save a life. They include: Face Drooping Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven or lopsided? Arm Weakness Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? Speech Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Time to Call 9-1-1 If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately. Other warning signs include:
The more we know about strokes, the better we are at controlling the associated risk factors. As the leading cause of stroke is high blood pressure or hypertension, the American Stroke Association says it is also the “most significant controllable risk factor.” They recommend knowing your numbers and following doctors’ advice to keep them low. Quitting smoking also reduces your risk, and as Type 1 or 2 diabetes is another risk factor, you need to mitigate the danger by managing the disease. Eating a diet of five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day, reducing your sodium intake, and avoiding foods high in saturated fat additionally helps to keep your heart healthy and reduces the risk for stroke. MorningStar at Jordan Creek offers the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents. Visit our website to set up a tour of the finest senior living Des Moines-West Des Moines offers. The CDC, the Arthritis Foundation and other partners have all come together to observe Arthritis Awarness during the month of May. The CDC reports that the widespread disease affects about one in four adults in the U.S., and currently 54 million men and women as well as an estimated 300,000 children have the disease.
Research has found that while there is a genetic predisposition to arthritis, it can also be a result of environmental factors including toxins and viruses or damage due to excessive repetitive motions. Signs you may be developing arthritis include joint pain and swelling, stiffness or deformity of joints, lumps and bumps around joints, joint tenderness, and warm or red joints. While there is no cure for arthritis, doctors recommend regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and diet, and using hot and/or cold packs. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories can also help, but before taking any medication, please consult with your health care provider. The CDC says walking can be the best form of exercise for someone suffering from arthritis. They explain that, “All adults, including adults with arthritis, should get 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) per week and do muscle-strengthening activities two or more days a week.” If you are unable to walk any distance at one given time, they recommend taking three small 10 minute walks spread out throughout the day. The CDC reminds everyone there is no better time to begin a walking program or recommit yourself to a walking routine than during Arthritis Awareness Month. MorningStar of Littleton’s goal is to provide the best assisted living Littleton, Colorado has to offer, and we take the wellbeing of our residents seriously. Our monthly calendar includes programs and activities that encourage residents to get engaged not only physically, but also intellectually, spiritually and socially. Please visit our website for more information about our exceptional community. While you are there, you may read the statement from our CEO which details our coordinated defense in the fight against the coronavirus to ensure the health of both residents and team members during this difficult time. This post is intended for informational purposes only. Please contact your health care provider with any questions or concerns you have regarding your health. MorningStar of Littleton represents the best in senior living with a unique mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We have built our foundation on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. Contact us to learn more about the finest assisted living Littleton offers. Source: cdc.gov/features/arthritisawareness/index.html If a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia and you are looking for the best care, a memory care community may be your answer. While typically more expensive than other senior living options, they are equipped to provide the most comprehensive care.
Memory care communities such as MorningStar of Wheat Ridge care for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia from the onset of the disease right through to the most advanced stages. Services include 24-hour supervision and typically offer a secure environment specifically designed to keep residents safe and secure. This means residents are encouraged to be as independent as possible and are free to explore their surroundings. Another thing to know about memory care is that it has evolved through the years. Today’s communities now offer wellness programs that help deal with memory impairment and wandering issues as well as other common dementia behaviors. At MorningStar of Wheat Ridge, we provide residents a number of specialized programs and highly personalized care that addresses their unique needs. Studies also show residents in memory care communities have a higher quality of life. A Place for Mom, the largest senior living referral website, reports that residents in memory care have “reduced medication and medication side effects; fewer falls, injuries, and hospital visits; increased nutrition and wellness; and greater independence and social interaction.” They also add that close to 75 percent of residents experience an improvement or maintenance of mental functioning. As a family member of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or another dementia, you may be struggling to understand the disease and its consequences. MorningStar of Wheat Ridge recognizes many of our residents’ families need help navigating through the various challenges of the disease, and we are grateful we can provide the support they need. Please visit our website to learn more about our individualized, holistic memory care. The unique mission statement of MorningStar of Wheat Ridge, “to honor, to serve, to invest,” sets us apart from other senior living communities. Our foundation is built upon honoring God, valuing all seniors, and investing in staff with a felt calling to serve. Dedicated to creating a true home for residents within a beautiful setting, we encourage you to learn more about our exceptional assisted living and memory care. |
Offering a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community, MorningStar is committed to giving residents a quality of life surpassing that of other senior living communities. To experience firsthand the finest in senior living, contact us to schedule a tour. Archives
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