Assisted Living is a new paradigm in wellness and engagement built on a European social model. It is designed for seniors who do not require 24-hour nursing care but rather just need a little assistance with daily living. An assisted living community provides a secure and comfortable environment that lets you or your loved one age in place. Furthermore, it gives family members peace of mind knowing that their elderly parent or relative is receiving the care they need.
Many communities offer a range of amenities that include private suites, libraries, theater, fitness centers as well as creative and wellness programs. Some of the services typically provided by assisted living communities are daily meals, medication management, help with bathing and dressing and transportation. With a home-like atmosphere, seniors have the opportunity for companionship and to develop new friendships and interests. Assisted living can also provide a safer option for many seniors than living alone as help is much closer at hand. According to the National Institute of Health, “More than one in three people age 65 years or older falls each year. The risk of falling -- and fall-related problems -- rises with age.” In fact, over 1.6 million U.S. seniors go to emergency rooms for fall-related injuries every year. At MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care of Wheat Ridge, we think seniors are a national treasure and they deserve to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. Our beautiful community offers a choice of 45 well-appointed, private assisted living suites. In addition, our Reflections Neighborhood has 19 suites devoted to the specialized care of residents with memory impairment. Please give us a call so we can help you find your new home. 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 real home for residents within a beautiful setting, we encourage you to see for yourself our exceptional community. Source: nia.nih.gov/health/prevent-falls-and-fractures
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MorningStar at Mountain Shadows understands the healing power of “breaking bread together,” and that it provides more than just nutrients but bonds us together as family and friends. This is one of the reasons our community serves meals restaurant-style in our charming dining room.
Meals at Mountain Shadows are prepared largely from scratch by our Executive Chef and made from the freshest homegrown or locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Chef Carlos also welcomes residents’ feedback and tailors recipes to make sure everyone enjoys our mealtimes. In addition we are committed to using BrainWise foods, which have been recognized as supporting brain health. Super Foods include items such as blue and black berries and acai that contain anti-inflammatory properties and mega antioxidants. Our delicious, nutrient-rich meals may include nuts and seeds, which are not only a great source of protein but are rich in omega-3 and Vitamin E, supplements known for fighting cognitive decline. Other foods we serve are omega-3 rich fish and healthy, antioxidant treats made with dark chocolate. We also offer a selection of sugar free, no sugar added, low sodium, vegetarian and low fat choices so our residents can self-manage their diets to meet any restrictions. In our memory care wing, mealtime is a community gathering place and team members eat right alongside our residents, and family members are welcome to come and join us. Furthermore we recognize eating can be difficult for some individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia so we serve lots of finger foods as well as mechanically soft and puréed or thickened liquids. Most importantly our easy-to-recognize balanced meals taste as good as they look. Please visit our website to learn more about the many amenities and services offers by MorningStar at Mountain Shadows. At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, we represent the very best in senior living with a unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents at the foot of the majestic Rockies. Please schedule a visit to experience firsthand our beautiful senior living community. Many people are reluctant to take up their doctor’s time by asking a lot of questions. However health providers say taking an active part in your health care can help your doctor to better treat you. Also since it is easy to forget any questions you may have, experts suggest doing your homework and preparing beforehand.
If you are new to a doctor, you should write down your medical history and bring it to your appointment. For all of your appointments, bring a list of the medications you are taking including the dosages and strength of the medications as well as all vitamins and herbal supplements. Also take the time to write down any questions you have for the doctor. This way you are less likely to forget and can use your time with the doctor more efficiently. Be sure to share any health concerns you have and remember this is not the time to be embarrassed. Describe your symptoms clearly and let them know if you are experiencing any side effects from your medications. If your doctor says something you do not understand, speak up and let them know so they can explain it better. If they suggest you may have a medical condition you are unfamiliar with, ask them to write down the name. You may want to bring a family member with you to help you remember things and to write down answers to your questions. Remember it is important to follow the doctor’s instructions. If you have forgotten something or have further questions, you should call the office and request to speak to a nurse or leave a message for the doctor. If a new medication or change in the dosage is causing problems, be sure to let the doctor know. At MorningStar at Jordan Creek, we provide transportation to medical appointments along with an array of other services to ensure your wellbeing and comfort. Please see our website to learn more the area’s finest assisted living and memory care. 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 schedule a tour to discover the newest community in the West Des Moines area. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) states that living with diabetes can be difficult but with the right care and treatment, it can be effectively managed. We know the risk of getting type 2 diabetes increases as we age, and current statistics show more than 25% of seniors in the United States age 60 and over have the disease. Also as we age, the risk of complications increases.
Along with your health care provider, organizations such as the ADA and the National Institute of Health offer tips and information for coping with the disease and ways to avoid or delay complications. Also, even if you do not have the disease, it is still a good idea to educate yourself to try and prevent the onset. The ADA recommends the following suggestions for living as healthy as possible with type 2 diabetes. Their first recommendation is to keep your blood glucose levels under control. Know your target range and check your levels daily or as recommended by your doctor. In addition make the appropriate changes to your diet to not only lower your blood glucose, but to lower your risk for heart disease. Another important part of living with diabetes is to work to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the normal ranges. Many of the same lifestyle changes we do to control blood glucose can help control blood pressure. The ADA recommends “a blood pressure target of less than 140/90 mmHg for most people with diabetes and hypertension, a lower blood pressure goal might be beneficial for some patients who have a high risk of cardiovascular disease.” Along with medications, you can lower your cholesterol by eating a healthy diet, losing weight and exercising. You can also manage your diabetes better if you stop smoking. We recognize that smoking is bad for everyone but it is far worse for those with diabetes. Finally if you increase your physical activity, you will gain more strength and energy and be better able to manage your blood glucose as well as help to lower your blood pressure. This post is intended for informational purposes only. Please contact your health care provider with any questions or concerns you have regarding your health. 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 real home for residents within a beautiful setting, we encourage you to see for yourself our exceptional community. Now that summer is here, it is important to apply sunscreen if you are going to be outside for any length of time regardless of your age. Sometimes seniors mistakenly think since they have never had skin cancer, they probably are not going to get it now. However the Skin Cancer Foundation (SCF) warns that older adults have already sustained decades of damage from the sun, which increases the risk of developing skin cancer.
The SCF explains that, “Suffering just five sunburns over your lifetime more than doubles your chances of developing melanoma, and each successive tan or sunburn raises the risks further.” While it is not known how much damage results in skin cancer, we do know it is important to continue to protect our skin. In addition statistics show skin cancer to be on the rise. Scientists speculate one reason for this is the earth’s ozone layer has depleted, which is allowing increased levels of UV-B to reach the Earth. This compounds the negative effects of spending too much time in the sun and can cause the development of wrinkles and premature aging skin. Wearing sunscreen can also help prevent facial brown spots and skin discolorations as well as reduce the appearance of facial red veins and blotchiness. The experts stress that sun precautions for seniors is fairly easy. To start with, stay out of tanning beds. Use effective sun protection and avoid spending time outdoors between 10 AM and 4 PM when UV rays are the most intense. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sun-safe clothing and UV-filtering sunglasses. Sunscreen should be SPF 15 or higher, and if you intend to be out for longer periods, use a water resistance 30+ SPF. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming. There is no need to worry about a lack of Vitamin D if you always wear sunscreen. Doctors report you get your vitamin D requirement of 600 IU or 15mcg per day with normal daily outdoor activities of five to 30 minutes two times a week. At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, we represent the very best in senior living with a unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents at the foot of the majestic Rockies. Please schedule a visit to experience firsthand our beautiful senior living community. At MorningStar at Jordan Creek, we provide area families help with navigating options to ensure their loved one gets the best care. On our website, you will find a variety of resources that offer answers to many of the questions seniors and their families have in regard to senior living communities.
Did you know that after all of the services and amenities provided to MorningStar’s assisted living residents are factored into the cost, our community is typically less expensive than trying to cobble together the same level of care at home? However we understand that for some seniors, the cost may be an obstacle. If it is something you and your family are struggling with, we encourage you to read through our Affordability guide on our website for recommendations to help make it more affordable. We want you to know there are a wide array of financial solutions available beyond the retirement savings and investments you have built up through the years. In addition to these traditional ways of financing senior living, we discuss some innovative financial, and often under-used, benefits. One such benefit is long-term care insurance, which may be used to help pay for senior care that is not covered by Medicare. We advise that you read through your policy’s Benefits Summary to see what is eligible. MorningStar does not accept Medicaid. Another source of often untapped income is to leverage your life insurance policies. Whole life and universal life policies build a reserve of cash through interest-earning excess premiums (known as the policy’s “cash value”). Before you cash in a policy, we recommend seeking the advice of a financial consultant as there may be tax consequences. Please take a look at all of our suggestions online. Also we are happy to sit down with you and discuss financial options or any other questions you may have. MorningStar at Jordan Creek has 56 bright suites for assisted living and 29 secure suites devoted to the specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. 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 schedule a tour to discover the newest community in the West Des Moines area. MorningStar at Jordan Creek is pleased to provide families with ideas for additional financial solutions beyond traditional retirement savings and investment income to help pay for assisted living. On our website, you will find extensive information on several under-utilized financial benefits and resources including a full explanation of the generous “Aid & Attendance” pension from the US Department of Veteran Affairs.
Aid & Attendance is a monthly benefit payment available to certain wartime veterans and their survivors who qualify for financial need and have a doctor’s order for regular assistance with daily living activities. To be eligible, the vet must have served for at least 90 days of active duty with at least one of those days spent serving during a period of a foreign war. Furthermore the vet cannot have been dishonorably discharged. The benefit does not require the vet to have served overseas, seen combat or retired from the military. Surviving spouses of the vet are also eligible for the Aid & Attendance pension if they were married to the vet at the time of their death and have not remarried. When we find out that a vet or the family of a vet is interested in our community, we are pleased to direct them to local resources that can help to ease and quicken the application process for “Aid & Attendance. In every state including Iowa, there is a Department of Military/Veteran Affairs staffed with Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) who will help you complete the 41-page Aid & Attendance application free of charge. The approval process typically takes 3 to 4 months. Throughout our many MorningStar’s communities, we are privileged to have veterans from all five branches of military service call us home. Please visit our website and take a look at our Family Resources information regarding ways to finance assisted living including “Aid & Attendance” pension benefits for Veteran. 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 schedule a tour to discover the newest community in the West Des Moines area. We know that falls can be dangerous, and in fact, they are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) statistics state that one-quarter of Americans age 65 years and older fall each year. They report that, “every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall.”
However, there are several risk factors that can be addressed that may help prevent falls. The National Institute of Health (NIH) explains that it is not only chronic health conditions that lead to falls but also safety hazards within or around a senior’s home. The NIH cites muscle weakness, especially in the legs, along with a lack of flexibility and endurance as a significant risk factor that puts seniors at risk for a fall. Another factor increasing risk is an unsteady gait when walking as well as poor balance, which can be contributed to chronic health problems and lack of exercise. In addition older adults need to be sure to wear safe footwear and should avoid backless shoes or slippers, high-heeled shoes or shoes with smooth soles. Furthermore, a condition known as postural hypotension (when blood pressure drops too quickly when getting up from a lying down or sitting position) can increase the risk of falling. There are several chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s or diabetes as well as certain medications that can cause this to happen. Also, vision problems, sensory difficulties, confusion and medications can lead to dizziness and unsteadiness, and result in a fall. The NIH advises seniors to report any fall to their doctor as is may be a sign of a “new medical problem that needs attention, such as an infection or a cardiovascular disorder.” It could also be a signal that your medication needs to be adjusted or changed. 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 Wheat Ridge’s distinct mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other senior living options. Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve. Set in a warm, loving environment with beautiful surroundings and resort-style amenities, MorningStar of Wheat Ridge invites you to learn more about our senior living community. Sources: ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/falls-prevention-facts/ nihseniorhealth.gov/falls/causesandriskfactors/01.html Most of us have walked out of our doctor’s office and quickly thought of a question we wished we had asked the doctor. We know that doctors are busy and our time with them is short, but the medical profession says it is important for seniors to proactively communicate with their health care providers and control the appointment.
They recommend putting together a list of questions you want to ask before your next visit. This can help to give you a better understanding of your medical conditions and improve your ability to self-manage them. You should also bring a list of all of the prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and vitamins and supplements you are currently taking. General questions to ask include:
Too many seniors are reluctant to ask questions of their health care providers but it is important to become educated about your medical conditions, treatments and possible health risks. In fact, most doctors say they wish their patients would be more proactive and ask questions during their visit as it lets them know you understand your health conditions. At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, we represent the very best in senior living with a unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents at the foot of the majestic Rockies. Please schedule a visit to experience firsthand our beautiful senior living community. At MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care of Wheat Ridge, we recognize that our wonderful assortment of amenities and our beautiful surroundings are fantastic; however, we know that the real heart of our community rest in our caregivers. We have made it a point to hire individuals who have a real calling to serve seniors and understand the magnitude of their contribution when they work at our assisted living community.
The MorningStar team consists of a group of people who have perfected the art of anticipating the needs of our residents and going the extra mile to serve them. Filled with compassion and care, each of our staff members has a smile for the residents and is as quick to listen to a story as they are to lend a helping hand when needed. In fact as part of MorningStar’s on-going commitment to the well-being and care of our residents, we train all of our new hires as well as reiterate every day with our full staff the principles of our mission. Our Radiance program teaches and celebrates an attitude of selflessness that issues from a deep and sincere place like a beam of light and reinforces our mission of honoring, valuing and investing in others. MorningStar was founded on the premise that we operate with “servants’ hearts” and our Radiance program gives us the framework that enables us to take service professionalism to the next level. We are sure that once you learn more about our community you will agree with us that MorningStar is a great place to call home. Please contact us today to schedule a tour to discover for yourself our loving, home-like community. MorningStar of Wheat Ridge’s distinct mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other senior living options. Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve. Set in a warm, loving environment with beautiful surroundings and resort-style amenities, MorningStar of Wheat Ridge invites you to learn more about our senior living community. |
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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