Many Older Adults Prefer Senior Living

Many older adults are attracted to the idea of carefree retirement years and have found that senior living communities offer the opportunity for a very comfortable lifestyle.   Much of that is due to the fact that senior living communities like MorningStar of Arvada are designed to meet seniors’ social, physical, spiritual and wellness needs.  Senior living communities include independent living and assisted living as well as memory care that specializes in caring for those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related diseases. 

The physical upkeep involved in owning a home such as mowing lawns, shoveling snow, and other routine chores become harder as we age.  At a senior living community, someone else does the outdoor and indoor maintenance, and communities like MorningStar of Arvada offer housekeeping, laundry and other services.  In other words, senior living residents have the freedom to focus on more fulfilling activities like relaxing and enjoying themselves.

Senior living is also a perfect solution for older adults who live alone and are feeling lonely.  Their world may have gotten smaller as they retired from careers or suffered the loss of a spouse or close friends.  Some seniors no longer feel comfortable driving, which can lead to more isolation.  Senior living offers you privacy but now you have the comfort of knowing that people are around when you need them.  Also you will have the chance to socialize and meet new friends.  At MorningStar of Arvada, we provide scheduled transportation along with outings to places such as entertainment venues, museums, shopping malls, outdoor parks and more.    

If senior living sounds like something you would like to know more about, please visit MorningStar of Arvada’s website.  If you like what you see, please contact us for more information about our new community offering independent living, assisted living, and memory care. 

The unique mission statement of MorningStar of Arvada, “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 learn more about our exceptional community.

Source: aplaceformom.com/blog/why-seniors-prefer-senior-living-communities/

Cataracts are Common in Seniors

As we age, it is more important than ever to get regular eye exams.  The American Optometric Association recommends that every person over the age of 60 have an annual eye examination.  They also advise that if you notice any changes in your vision, see an eye doctor immediately. 

Cataracts are a common eye problem in older adults and develop as the tissue in the eye’s lens breaks down and clumps together causing cloudy or opaque areas.  Aging or an eye injury can cause cataracts as well as other conditions such as diabetes and the long-term use of steroid medications.

The size and location of the cataract determines how much it interferes with your vision.  If the cataract is only affecting a small part of the eye, you may not even know you have one.  Noticeable symptoms occur as the cataract grows and starts clouding more of the lens and distorting the way light passes through the lens.

 

The Mayo Clinic says that cataract symptoms include:

·         Clouded, blurred or dim vision

·         Increasing difficulty with vision at night

·         Sensitivity to light and glare

·         Need for brighter light for reading and other activities

·         Seeing "halos" around lights

·         Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription

·         Fading or yellowing of colors

·         Double vision in a single eye

Once a person cannot clear their vision with prescription glasses and the cataract is interfering with normal daily activities including driving at night and reading, surgery is the only effect treatment.  The procedure involves removing the damaged lens and replacing it with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens, which becomes a permanent part of the eye.

The surgery is done on an outpatient basis and the person experiences a few days of discomfort.  The complete healing process takes about eight weeks.  If a patient needs surgery on both eyes, the second one is done once the first eye has healed. 

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 Beaverton 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 area’s finest assisted living and memory care.

Sources:aoa.org/patients-and-public/good-vision-throughout-life/adult-vision-19-to-40-years-of-age/adult-vision-over-60-years-of-age?sso=y 

mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/symptoms-causes/dxc-20215129

Visiting a Loved One with Memory Loss

The Reflections Neighborhood at MorningStar of Glendale senior living community emphatically agrees with the Alzheimer’s Association about the importance of visiting your loved one in a memory care community.  While it can be hard to see your parent or family member struggling with memory loss, many times they are aware that they have a visitor even if they do not know your name. 

The Alzheimer’s Association wants you to remember that you are an important link to your loved one’s identity and to keep in mind that there is more to them than just their memory.  They recommend keeping visits simple and to try to limit distractions and excess noise.  In addition they remind visitors that they may have to adjust their expectations and to not take it personally if your loved one becomes angry or upset with you.  It is also helpful to know as much about the disease as you can as it will help you to better understand the struggles of memory loss.

Jolene Brackey also shares some tips from her book, Creating Moments of Joy for the Person with Alzheimer’s Disease, to help family members when visiting.  She suggests you begin your visit by introducing yourself, and to use their given name rather than calling them “mom” or “dad” as they may have forgotten that their kids are already grown.  If your loved one has a familiar nickname, you can use that.   

Ms. Brackey also recommends that you visit “one on one” or in small groups, and to bring the conversation around to pleasant memories from their past.  If you do get them talking, give them plenty of time to respond to a question or to follow directions.    

MorningStar of Glendale reminds family members that a new voice is always a welcome change and a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers can lift the spirits of someone struggling with dementia.  Your friendly, loving visit can have a positive effect on your loved one for the rest of the day. 

At MorningStar, we exemplify the best in Glendale 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…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting.  We invite you to contact us to learn more about why our new community provides a true home to our residents.    

Source:  alz.org/stl/documents/Visiting_Your_Loved_One.pdf

MorningStar at Dayton Place Offers Suites and Cottages

To quickly find out what MorningStar at Dayton Place offers, we encourage you to take a look at our website.  It provides all kinds of useful information for both potential residents and their families including the floor plans of our stylish suites as well as The Cottages at Dayton Place.  As you will discover, our spacious suites and cottages have been designed with every detail in mind and reflect the beauty and comfort found throughout our community.  

Each of our suites, regardless of the configuration, is equipped with lighting, high ceilings, and large windows offering lots of natural light.  In addition, the units have wall-to-wall carpet, mini blinds, and handicap-accessible bathrooms.  To ensure your optimal comfort, you control your own heat and air conditioning.  We also offer weekly housekeeping as well as laundry and linen services and trash removal and spot cleaning that is done daily.   

At The Cottages at Dayton Place we offer a stress-free, stair-free and maintenance-free lifestyle for independent living with all of the comforts and none of the burdens.  Each cottage features a two-car garage with opener, private back patio, 9-foot ceilings, gas fireplace, full size washer and dryer and much, much more.  With easy access to restaurants, shopping, medical facilities and metropolitan recreation, your lifestyle at The Cottages can be as active or relaxed as you choose.

Along with a wide range of wellness programs and activities, MorningStar at Dayton Place is the perfect place to call “home.”   With beautiful surroundings and a hospitality and care team who feel honored to serve seniors, we have succeeded in creating a life of comfort and community for our residents.  We would love the opportunity to tell you more.  

The unique mission statement of MorningStar at Dayton Place, “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 schedule a visit to see for yourself the finest independent and assisted living in Denver.

Learn More About MorningStar of Beaverton

At MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Beaverton, we understand that our senior community’s success will begin with our caregivers. This is why one of our founding principles is to invest generously in our team members, including providing the necessary development and training required to create leaders with the ability to provide the best life possible for our residents.  Our beautiful new community will be opening late this year.

We are proud of the fact that our staff will be comprised of people who champion our mission and have a sense of calling to serve seniors.  They will be a group of unique individuals who do the right thing when no one is watching and work diligently to perfect the art of anticipating the needs of our residents.  In addition, they will not only believe that Senior Living, at its best, is love in action but do it every day. 

As a part of our commitment to bringing together an exceptional staff, we offer generous compensation and benefit packages to each employee in an effort to recognize caregiving as a respected career choice.  We have found that our vetting of employees has paid off as we have a staff that works hard to ensure residents at all of our MorningStar communities feel loved and cared for in every way possible. 

Furthermore, all of our in-coming staff receives Radiance training, which is reiterated every day at our Team Stand-up.  The Radiance program celebrates an attitude of selflessness that comes from a deep and sincere place, like a beam of light and reflects the way we deliver customer service at MorningStar - with warmth, sincerity and depth.  The program provides a tangible and purposeful way to advance our mission of honoring, valuing and investing in others and allows us to take our professionalism to the next level. 

MorningStar of Beaverton 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 area’s finest assisted living and memory care.

Time to Consider Senior Living?

Often a family is not sure whether it would be better for mom or dad to move into a senior living community.  Making the decision more difficult is the fact that many seniors can be resistant to moving, and they do not like the idea of leaving their home and everything familiar to them.  However the most important thing to consider is whether your parent’s current living situation meets their overall health and medical needs, their physical needs, and safety.  If it doesn’t, it is time to start a conversation about making a change. 

Your parents or senior loved ones may no longer be safe at home if they are having falls.  The National Council on Aging reports that one in four adults over the age of 65 have a fall each year and those statistics are higher in older seniors.  In fact every 11 seconds a senior is treated at an emergency room for injuries suffered in a fall.  Other mobility factors that may comprise their safety include struggling to go up and down stairs as well as difficulty getting up from a chair or their bed. 

Another indication your parent may not be functioning well on their own is if you find they are looking disheveled and neglecting their appearance.  You probably will also want to take a look around the house and see if they are keeping it up or is it untidy and disorganized.  Furthermore, are they taking their medications as prescribed and are they eating well? 

The staff at MorningStar of Glendale senior living community knows how to take care of these needs as well as to provide a warm, comfy atmosphere to make sure all of our residents feel right at home.  Our beautiful new community offers Casitas for independent living as well as suites for assisted living and memory care. 

At MorningStar, we exemplify the best in Glendale 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…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting.  We invite you to contact us to learn more about why our new community provides a true home to our residents.    

Memory Care at MorningStar of Beaverton

While there is not a cure for Alzheimer’s and many other dementia-related diseases, it is important to provide the person with the proper level of care.  MorningStar Assistant Living & Memory Care of Beaverton is committed do just that.  Our mission is to provide compassionate, professional care to our residents, and give families the peace of mind knowing their loved one is receiving the very best care available.

Opening in late 2018, our Reflections Neighborhood will have 38 suites that are devoted to the individualized care of residents with memory impairment from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.  Our staff will be trained in progressive therapeutic approaches to palliate symptoms for our special residents.  

One of the important aspects of our program is to provide plenty of recreational and purposeful activities such as music, life skills, art, entertainers and exercise.  To ensure our residents safety and well-being, services include daily health monitoring and around-the-clock staffing.  We accept residents in the earliest stage of the disease right through to those in more advanced phases that require the highest level of care.  As a way to calm and awaken memories as well as support and encourage residents’ capabilities, our professional methods include using multi-sensory cues such as aromatherapy. 

At MorningStar of Beaverton, everything we do is in a loving environment that affirms the dignity and value of the individual.  In fact, one of our mission statements is to value all seniors as gifted and contributing individuals. To learn more about our exceptional memory care please visit our website, give us a call or drop by the Information Center on our construction site. 

MorningStar of Beaverton 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 area’s finest assisted living and memory care.