The Fun & Caring Hasn't Stopped at Our Beautiful Community

While MorningStar at Golden Ridge senior living community has made some changes in the way we live over the last few months in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, we do not want you to think it is all doomed and gloom. In fact our community is way too vibrant to be down and out. Celebrating holidays and special events have always been a big part of our community life and now we just do it safely. Our remarkable residents are resilient and determined to make sure each and every day counts.

To see some pictures of the fun going on, please visit our facebook page. In the meantime read about some of our recent celebrations. To celebrate Memorial Day, we posted: “Home of the free because of the brave. Family window visits were a highlight for us this Memorial Day weekend... complete with banana splits!” Moreover we did not let Mother’s Day go by unnoticed. We made sure all of our “moms” felt loved and honored. Our post from that day read: “Our Mother’s Day Celebration is in full swing! Motherhood is a million little moments that God weaves together with grace, redemption, laughter, tears, and most of all, love."

We even pulled off a vintage car show right in our own backyard! The day was beautiful day and it was a great way to walk down memory lane. Nor did we overlook May 5th as we did Cinco de Mayo proud with a fun fiesta complete with margaritas, chips and salsa, and churros! Nor do we intend to stop the fun anytime soon!

At MorningStar at Golden Ridge, we feel called to serve seniors and have assembled a dedicated team of individuals who agree with us that senior deserve to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. We currently have opening and are carefully following stringent protocols to safely accept new residents as well as to keep all who reside under our roof safe. Our community provides independent living, assisted living and memory care. 

MorningStar at Golden 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. We are in a warm, loving environment with exceptional architecture and resort-style amenities. Please visit our website to learn more about trusted independent living & assisted living in the Phoenix area.

Affordable Independent Living with Style!

If you are a senior who is starting to feel overwhelmed by the care and upkeep of a home, it may be time to consider making a lifestyle change. At MorningStar at Golden Ridge, we think you will be pleased to discover that not only are you giving up a houseful of problems but you are gaining a beautiful, no-maintain home as well as a broader community of friends. 

Golden Ridge is located in Peoria near the Cardinal’s stadium and offers easy access to shopping, restaurants, major medical facilities and metropolitan recreation, which means your retirement can be as relaxed or as active as you like. Our large campus includes a beautifully-designed building for assisted living and memory care residents; and for active senior looking for their next adventure, we have 38 independent living “Casitas” tucked into their own private neighborhood. Casitas are situated as quadraplexes with attached garages and offer an incomparable value with predictable monthly budgeting as virtually all of your expenses including homeowner’s insurance and property taxes are controlled through our bundled Monthly Rental Fee. 

Casitas are leased on a month-to-month basis and all outdoor and indoor maintenance, repairs and replacement are handled by us as well other jobs such as pest control and trash removal. In addition Monday through Friday, independent residents can enjoy a continental breakfast in our Clubhouse. Also once they resume, residents can take part in our community activities, join us for sponsored outings, and have access to the many amenities within our main building, including: Library, Chapel and Wellness Programs. 

Along with our 38 Casitas for independent living, MorningStar at Golden Ridge’s main building offers another 65 suites for assisted living. The Reflections’ wing provides 35 secure suites devoted to the individualized care of those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. We are now accepting new residents and are confident in our Covid-19 protocols for keeping all those beneath our roof safe. Also we are pet friendly. 

MorningStar at Golden 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. We are in a warm, loving environment with exceptional architecture and resort-style amenities. Please visit our website to learn more about trusted independent living & assisted living in the Peoria area.

Did You Get Enough Sleep Last Night?

Due to much research on the subject, we now know it is not only important to get a good night’s sleep but it is essential to our overall good health and wellbeing.  Sleeping balances our active life with the time our body needs to renew and rejuvenate. However, unfortunately with age comes a variety of health conditions that can interfere with getting a good night’s sleep. 

Experts explain that the elderly are more likely to “suffer from chronic insomnia characterized by difficulty maintaining sleep than difficulty initiating sleep.”  Suffering from Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) or sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and sleep apnea are more frequently seen in older adults and can result in poor sleep patterns.  We also know that bright sunlight helps to regulate melatonin (a hormone that promotes sleep) and sleep-wake cycles, and many elderly people do not spend enough time out-of-doors. 

Not getting an adequate amount of sleep each night can impact vitality and resilience that seniors need to age better.  In fact, insomnia is associated with poor health and mortality.  Lack of sleep can also increase older adults’ risk of a fall, and some studies suggest a history of sleep deprivation can increase the risk of cognitive problems.  Routinely napping during the day is another problem that interferes with a good night’s sleep. 

Tips for getting a better night’s sleep include avoiding eating and working late.  Experts say to turn off the TV and other smart devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime as the blue light emitted from electronics prevents the body from releasing melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep.  Follow a set bedtime, and right before you plan to go to sleep do some deep breathing and light stretching.  It is recommended we try to get eight to nine hours of sleep on most nights.   

MorningStar of Beaverton’s senior community includes 66 suites for assisted living and 38 secure suites devoted to the individualized, specialized care for residents with memory impairment.  Our spacious suites are available in a variety of well-designed floor plans and have details reflective of those found throughout our beautifully appointed assisted living facility.    Please see our website for more information on our community as well as our coordinated defense in the fight against the coronavirus to ensure the health of both residents and team members.

MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Beaverton represents the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We are dedicated to providing a true home for residents amidst a beautiful, serene setting by creating a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Please contact us learn more about our exceptional assisted living facility.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2516307/

Thoughtful Tips for Communicating with a Loved One with Alzheimer’s

If you have a family member with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, you probably have felt at times like you were not getting through to them.  While communicating with someone suffering from Alzheimer’s is not always easy, we have a few tips to help make it more effective. 

Colleen Kavanaugh, a Certified Dementia Practitioner & Certified Dementia Communications Specialist, offers “a few tricks to have up your sleeve” that may help lessen irritation and calm and soothe more quickly.  For instance, if you want to get the person dressed, Kavanaugh suggests you take a few moments to connect with the person.  Get down to eye level so they can look directly into your face, speak slowly and ask a simple question such as “how is your day?”  Once you have their attention, let them know the tasks at hand.

Another thing to remember is to keep your instructions simple.  Ask if they would like to do a particular task such as brushing their hair; and then put the brush in their hand and using your hand, guide the first couple of brush strokes.  Do the same thing with brushing their teeth, etc.  Make sure to talk soothingly and let them know how well they are doing.    

Strategies to try to calm the person when they are frustrated or angry include also getting down to their level, taking their hand and calmly letting them know you are there to help.  Give them time to respond but if they are unable to express themselves and you cannot determine what they need, slowly distract.  Show them pictures of family members or talk about things you are going to do together.  Above all avoid criticizing or arguing.  

At MorningStar of Arvada, we offer a safe and beautiful place to age in place with 112 bright independent and assisted living suites in spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans (some as large as 1374 square feet).   In addition we have 29 secure memory care suites devoted to caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, which are staffed by a team of dementia care specialists who truly understand the disease.  Please visit our website to read our protocols for dealing with COVID-19 and how we are safely accepting new residents into our loving community.   

MorningStar of Arvada offers the very best in senior living with a 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 as we work toward creating a true home for residents amidst a serene setting.  Please visit our website for an online virtual tour and a link for info on pricing and availability.  

Source: seniorlink.com/blog/communicating-with-dementia

Assisted Living at MorningStar of Beaverton

MorningStar of Beaverton offers 66 private assisted living suites in a variety of configurations and floor plans.  MorningStar provides various levels of assistance with daily living activities as determined after a thorough assessment with our Wellness Director and in agreement with the senior and their extended family.  For the family, they rest easy knowing that a trained, caring staff is available to help whenever a loved one needs it.  

Our assisted living facility is committed to providing all of the amenities, programming and services to support the whole person – body, mind and spirit.  Our wide scope of resident care helps to extend the stay of our residents even if their health changes and they require more care.   We have experience in finding creative solutions that yield a higher quality of care for our residents at a lower cost to their families.

  

Moreover, we are pleased to give residents the benefit of our centralized, mobile Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.  EHR helps to ensure quick access to health records and offers more coordinated, efficient care.  It is used for assessments, care planning, incident tracking, wound care and more as well as to provide enhanced privacy and security of resident data.  

Our clinical services include a licensed nurse onsite and on call, 24-hour Care Managers, a CPR-trained staff member on every shift, and medication management by Certified Med Care Managers.  We also offer services such as mechanical lift assistance, weights and vital monitoring, diabetic management, oxygen administration, and palliative/hospice care.  Residents are offered pharmacy services, transportation to medical appointments, scheduled physician visits, onsite dental and podiatry services and much more. 

Along with assisted living, MorningStar of Beaverton offers 38 secure suites in our Reflections Neighborhood devoted to the specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.   Please see our website for more information including our new protocols in the fight against COVID-19.

MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Beaverton represents the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We are dedicated to providing a true home for residents amidst a beautiful, serene setting by creating a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Please contact us learn more about our exceptional assisted living facility.

MorningStar of Beaverton is Safely Accepting New Residents

MorningStar of Beaverton’s goal is to offer the best memory care and assisted living Beaverton Oregon offers, and we want area families to know we are safely accepting new residents.   After a thorough screening new residents are moved directly into their private suite, remaining there for a 14-day quarantine.  Team members entering the resident’s room wear full personal protection equipment during that time. In the entire community, to fight back against the coronavirus outbreak, we have set up protocols that meet, or in some cases even exceed, CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of our residents, their families, and team members. 

As a loving son, daughter, or relative of a vulnerable senior, we want you to know that MorningStar of Beaverton is working every day to ensure the wellbeing of our residents.  This includes providing nutritional meals and keeping residents hydrated as well as access to 24/7 healthcare and basic and protective supplies.  Our services also include ordering, delivering, and dispensing residents’ physician prescribed medications.   

Another thing MorningStar of Beaverton offers to your mom or dad is loving, social connections.  Based on the MorningStar name, our mission, and our ministry, we have a team of extraordinary individuals who know the value of building meaningful relationships with our residents.  Just take a look at our Twice the Story video series that showcases the tender relationships between residents and team members throughout our MorningStar communities.  These friendships testify to the fact that we need to lean upon and lean into each other—that each might receive a blessing, that each might be served, and that each might come away changed.

Our community offers a choice of 66 well-appointed, private assisted living suites in studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floorplans.  In addition, our Reflections Neighborhood has 38 suites devoted to the specialized care of residents with memory impairment.  Visit our website for more information or contact us for answers to any questions.  

MorningStar of Beaverton represents the finest in senior living with our distinct mission statement – “to honor, to value, 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 within a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest memory care and assisted living Beaverton Oregon has to offer.

The Reflections Neighborhood at MorningStar of Beaverton

Along with the finest assisted living Beaverton Oregon offers, MorningStar of Beaverton has 38 secure suites devoted to the individualized, specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.  Our approach to memory care includes using some of the most respected research-based care programs to give residents the best life possible.  Furthermore, our unique Reflections Neighborhood was designed to allow residents the freedom to explore their expansive surroundings safely and easily.  

When a family comes to MorningStar of Beaverton looking for care for a loved one with dementia, our experienced team is ready to help.  Even before we welcome a new resident to our loving community, we take the time to meet with them and their family to learn as much as we can about the person including their medical history, background, talents, and personal preferences.  We then use this information to create an individualized care plan that is used to stimulate or calm a resident in response to a particular mood or situation.

Also, we use a reimagined philosophy and approach to memory care we call “Lavender Sky, which we consider to be the next logical step to what MorningStar has always believed and aspired to be as dementia care specialists.  The comprehensive program allows us to introduce a more insightful and intentional way to support the memory-impaired and their families.  Moreover, as it guides every aspect of our dementia care, all team members are asked to attend eight-hours of interactive Lavender Sky training to help give them a better understanding of the disease. 

Finally, MorningStar wants you to know that during the coronavirus outbreak, our highest priority is the safety and wellbeing of our residents, their families and our staff; and we could not be more vigilant in our defensive approach. We are still accepting assisted living and memory care residents during this difficult time, confident in our protective protocols.  Please see our website for more information about our community and a message from the CEO detailing our coronavirus response.

MorningStar of Beaverton represents the finest in senior living with our distinct mission statement – “to honor, to value, 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 within a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest memory care and assisted living Beaverton Oregon has to offer.