Would You Love a Job that Makes You Feel Proud?

At MorningStar at Arcadia, MorningStar of Fountain Hills, MorningStar at Arrowhead, and the MorningStar at Golden Ridge communities, we are guided by a culture we call Radiance and seek those who share our commitment to service. Currently we are recruiting staff for food servers, cooks, concierges and housekeeping jobs in Phoenix as well as caregivers, medication care managers and more.  

While our jobs require diverse skill sets, they all need individuals with big hearts who love the idea of helping to improve a senior’s quality of life. As a housekeeper in one of our beautiful homes (check out our website to see pictures), you will take pride in keeping it spotless for our remarkable residents and delight in hearing their life stories. Moreover you will appreciate working with a distinguished team committed to serving our resident-families, fellow team members and a wider community here at home and across the globe.    

The job also offers the perk of having residents tell the housekeepers how much they appreciate their hard work. As an employee of a MorningStar community, you will receive competitive wages, meaningful training and comprehensive benefits including health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, telehealth coverage and life insurance. In addition to vacation, sick and holiday pay, we offer flexible schedules to help employees meet the needs of their own families. 

At Phoenix’s MorningStar senior living communities, our difference begins with a vision that states: in pursuit of excellence, MorningStar resolves to be a company of servant-minded, purpose-driven leaders in our senior communities and throughout the world. If you are searching for a job you can feel proud of and wish to thrive professionally and personally, please visit MorningStar’s Career page for a link to rewarding housekeeping jobs in Phoenix.

Several Studies Link Diet to the Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

 

Several studies are showing links to our dietary habits and our risk for Alzheimer’s. The Mayo Clinic reports that a hybrid of two diets, the DASH diet that helps reduce high blood pressure and the Mediterranean diet that improves heart health, may protect our brain health.

Known as the "MIND" diet, which is short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, the diet consists of lots of natural plant-based foods while limiting red meat, saturated fat and sugar. Based on observational studies, research suggests that following the MIND diet can “reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by up to 53 percent as well as slow cognitive decline and improve verbal memory.”

One category of food at the top of the list is green leafy vegetables with a recommendation of at least six servings a week in dishes such as salads. The diet also includes one serving of other vegetables daily. MIND’s primary fruit is to eat berries at least twice a week. Red meat is reduced to less than four times a week, cheese to less than one serving per week, while poultry and fish consumed twice or once a week respectively. Other recommended proteins include nuts and beans.

Oil should be mainly from olive oil and butter or margarine reduced to less than a tablespoon a day; and fried or fast food eaten less than once a week. MIND includes a glass of wine a day but limits pastries and sweets to less than five times a week. The Mayo Clinic says study results also found you do not have to strictly follow the diet to gain benefits. For example, “adults in the study who followed the diet most closely (an average score of 9.6 points out of 15) saw the biggest drop in their Alzheimer's risk, the ones who scored in the middle (7.5 points) still cut their risk by over a third.”

At MorningStar of Beaverton senior living community, our many services and amenities include 5-Star dining. Our delicious meals are prepared largely from scratch and include the freshest, healthiest ingredients. In addition, our nutritional choices include low sodium, sugar free, no sugar added, vegetarian and low fat for residents to self-manage. Our beautiful home offers suites for assisted living in spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans. Additionally, the Reflections Neighborhood has secure suites devoted to the specialized care of residents with memory impairment. Please contact us for more information.

MorningStar of Beaverton proudly provides the very best in senior living with our unique 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. Please visit our website to discover why MorningStar is a step above an ordinary assisted living facility.

Source: mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/15-simple-diet-tweaks-cut-alzheimers-risk/art-20342112

Our Home’s Management Team Sets the Bar for Excellence

 

We have all had experience with businesses and organizations not running well due to a lack of good management. While employees are an important element of great service, management sets the standard for the direction of the organization. At the MorningStar at Golden Ridge senior living community, we are lucky to have a team that strives for excellence.

Starting at the top with our Executive Director, Kerri Felix has a strong record of providing the best possible experience to residents and our community as a whole. She has served MorningStar for over two years bringing her work ethic, performance and love for seniors to our home. She says the first senior she loved was Raymond Clarke, known to her as Grampy. The funny thing was she never considered him to be old but just her favorite guy with white hair. Kerri explains seniors teach us to be humble, and to be respectful of time, a precious commodity not to be wasted. She finds it is an absolute privilege to have the opportunity to serve them every day.

Our Director of Community Relations, Jennifer Ellsworth, says she walked alongside her father through his journey with dementia. Now she loves helping other families navigate these waters and to lighten the burden they feel by imparting the knowledge she has learned along the way. Jennifer explains, “With sincere enthusiasm, I am proud to offer that counsel here at MorningStar, a company known for its integrity.”

MorningStar at Golden Ridge would not be the same without the loving services of our Wellness Director, Nicole Baker. As a Licensed Nurse, she fondly remembers Joyce, who was one of the first residents she had the privilege to be part of her care. Nicole says “Grandma Joyce” loved to sing and dance and taught her to be happy no matter what happens for life is a gift, and so are the people in our lives.

At MorningStar at Golden Ridge, we have a unique mission statement to honor God, to value our seniors, and to hire staff with a felt calling to serve. Our community exudes a warm, loving environment with exceptional architecture, resort-style amenities and services, and a complement of wellness programs. Please visit our website to learn more about trusted independent living & assisted living in Peoria, AZ.

Questions Regarding Our Senior Living Community

 

At MorningStar at Golden Ridge, we approach senior living from all angles to provide residents with a lifestyle of comfort, wellness, and community. For active seniors looking for carefree retirement, predictable budgeting and resort-style amenities, we have 38 Casitas (quadraplexes with attached garages). In our main building, we have 65 private suites for assisted living and another 35 secure suites devoted to the individualized care of residents suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. We proudly offer older adults 55+ a relaxing environment where they can make new friends, learn new things or just have fun with our wide variety of meaningful programs and activities.

As an independent living resident, you will enjoy carefree living in one of our Casitas tucked into its own private neighborhood with a clubhouse and pool. You will additionally have peace of mind knowing there is more than one neighborhood within our community in the event your needs change as we give residents priority to transfer without charge to assisted living or memory care. If your choice of suite is not immediately available, you are welcome to bring in a home care agency in the interim.

You will find our assisted living is ideal for those who wish to keep their independence but require a little daily help to do so. Of course couples are welcome to share an assisted living suite or one can be shared by friends who simply enjoy one another’s company. Whether you make the move to assisted living or independent living, our fashionable private suites and Casitas are designed with high ceilings, large windows, carpeting, and mini blinds. Moreover beautifully appointed common areas throughout, ensure residents feel right at home. In case you wondered, we are pet friendly.

Please visit our website for more information about the area’s best independent living & assisted living. To contact us, use our Virtual Assistant chat service to: Get Pricing; Request a Tour; Ask a Question; View Photos & Videos; and Talk to Live Chat. We look forward to hearing from you.

Tips to Building Healthier Life Habits

 

 

If the pandemic caused you to gain a couple of pounds or waylaid your efforts to get to the gym or take a walk, now is the time to resume your resolve to be a better you. “Research shows that the start of any new phase — be it the resumption of post-pandemic life, turning a year older or the invigorating days of spring — can serve as powerful psychological motivation to kick-start new habits. It’s called the fresh-start effect.”

In fact according to behavioral experts, anytime we have a change in our lives such as the stage we are now going into is a good time to think about habits we want to change. However they advise many of our actions are habitual and many of us may need more than motivation to create new habits.

One tip to healthier habits is to gradually lay the foundation for a new habit by setting realistic and specific goals. For example if a goal is to begin walking, start by putting on your walking shoes every day at a time anchored to something you already do such as right after dinner. From there evolve your habit into actually walking.

Professionals say it is easier to adopt a new habit into your routine if it is something you enjoy. Adding a social component like walking or taking an exercise class with a friend can make exercise more pleasurable. Studies find people who team up with an “exercise buddy” have more success, and researchers say it is a probably the combination of enjoyment and accountability.

MorningStar at Golden Ridge in Peoria, AZ is a beautiful senior living community offering older adults a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and security. We have 38 Casitas for independent living (quadraplexes with attached garages) and 65 private assisted living suites in a range of floorplans as well as compassionate memory care. Remarkable for our exceptional architecture and resort-style amenities, we are most proud of our dedicated team who understands it is a privilege to serve seniors.

Source: aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2021/creating-healthy-habits.html

Hear Loss is One of the Most Common Conditions Affecting Seniors

 The National Institute of Health reports approximately one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing. Hearing loss causes someone a range of problems including difficulty understanding and following a doctor’s advice, responding to safety warnings, and hearing doorbells, phone calls, and alarms. Another all-too common problem is it can be hard to follow conversations with family and friends, and many start avoiding situations where they may be frustrated or embarrassed. 

Medical experts advise asking your primary care physician for a referral to an otolaryngologist, an audiologist or a hearing aid specialist. An otolaryngologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. They will try to determine the cause of your hearing loss and treatment options. They may refer you to an audiologist who is trained in measuring the degree of loss as well as recommend treatment, which may include fitting you for a hearing aid. There are three different types of hearing aids and it may take some trial and error to find one that works for you (most can be purchased for a trial period).  

In some cases, doctors may recommend Cochlear implants, “small electronic devices surgically implanted in the inner ear that help provide a sense of sound to people who are profoundly deaf or hard-of-hearing.”  Other treatment options include hearing assistive devices for your phones to amplify sound; closed circuit systems for churches or theaters; and lip or speech reading classes.   

Our beautiful MorningStar of Arvada senior living community has an excellent reputation in the greater Denver area. With a mission to value all seniors as gifted and contributing individuals; we promote a healthy, engaged lifestyle, while providing security and independence. We have 112 bright independent living and assisted living suites, with another 29 secure memory care suites in our Reflections’ wing devoted to caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.  Visit our website to learn more about various living options including compassionate memory care in Arvada, CO.

Our Team Members are Special Individuals

 One of the frequent questions we are asked when a family is considering MorningStar of Arvada for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, is how much training does our staff have. The answer is quite a lot. In addition to vetting the person before they are hired, each employee, regardless of their position, completes three foundational one-day training sessions. 

These include our O2 (onboarding and orientation), which is a general introduction to the various aspects of our operations and culture. Radiance, which is our culture and customer service initiative, is another essential training for new hires and is reiterated and strengthened every day in our daily Huddle. An introduction to Lavender Sky, our dementia care philosophy and approach to programming, gives our team members the tools to understand the disease and helps them to care for our most tender residents.

New hires in direct contact with residents have a three-day shadowing period, and then are continued to be coached by a senior team member. Many employees are certified in CPR and First Aid; and we conduct continuing education classes through in-services and online video training. Our Med Techs (QMAPs) receive additional training in medication administration.

As the worst of the COVID pandemic is behind us, MorningStar of Arvada has loosened up many of our more strict rules in adherence to CDC guidelines. Residents are back to enjoying many of the amenities they love as we reintroduce communal dining, activities, outings, salon and therapy services, and other healthy markers of normalcy.    

MorningStar of Arvada offers 112 bright independent and assisted living suites in a choice of configurations including spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans (some as large as 1374 square feet). Our memory care provides 29 secure suites devoted entirely to the individualized care of residents with memory impairment from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Our resort-style amenities and Life Enrichment programs give residents a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and security. Visit our website to learn more about trusted independent living, assisted living and memory care in Arvada, CO.