Are You or Your Loved One Ready for Assisted Living?

There are a lot of misconceptions around the term “assisted living” and what it offers to seniors.  The A Place for Mom website states that assisted living is the fastest growing long-term care option for seniors.  Unlike nursing homes that provide 24-hour medical care and supervision, assisted living facilities offer a wide range of services so adults can live independently while getting the help they need.  Assisted living services are personalized to provide the level of care each individual needs to live comfortably and carefree.    

If you were concerned about maintaining your privacy in an assisted living community, you do not need to worry.  Communities such as MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Jordan provide the services you need while still allowing you to retain your privacy and independence as much as possible.  Our services include providing basic medical monitoring as well as assistance with daily personal activities such as dressing, eating, mobility, bathing, toileting, and more. 

Residents also benefit from daily, nutritional meals as well as the often overlooked benefit of socializing.  At MorningStar at Jordan, we provide a full calendar of wellness and entertainment activities so all of our residents can find something that peaks their curiosity or just sounds like fun.  For our residents’ family members, it is reassuring to know there is a trained, caring staff around to help whenever their loved one needs.  For residents, they feel comforted by the security and safety of 24-hour support and quick access to care.   

Some of the other services offered by MorningStar at Jordan include scheduled transportation and outings, light housekeeping, and laundry facilities.  We have 55 private suites for assisted living and 29 secure suites devoted to those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.  Contact us to learn more about our loving community or to schedule a visit.  

At MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Jordan, we represent the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to value, to invest.”  We are dedicated to providing a true home for residents amidst a beautiful, serene setting and a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve.   Please schedule a tour to experience firsthand our comfortable, homey community.     

 

Source: aplaceformom.com/assisted-living

Keeping Sharp as You Age

Study after study indicates that keeping our brains active as we grow older is just as important as staying physically active.  As we age, not only do we lose muscle mass but our brain begins to shrink.  The Everyday Health Media’s website explains that, “your brain's cognitive reserve — its ability to withstand neurological damage due to aging and other factors without showing visible signs of slowing or memory loss — diminishes through the years.”   The goal of brain exercises is to help increase the brain’s cognitive reserves. 

One of Everyday Health’s simple tips for improving brain function is to test your recall.  They suggest that you make a list with several items on it such as errands to run or groceries to buy, and then memorize it.  A few hours later, try to recall as many items from the list as you can.  In addition engage in activities that require fine-motor skills such as knitting, drawing, painting, and jigsaw puzzles. 

Another activity for increasing cognitive brain function is to visualize how to spell a word and then think of other words that begin with or end with the same letters.  Also it is beneficial to undertake new activities in your daily life such as learning how to cook various types of cuisine, learning a foreign language or to play an instrument.  Seniors can also keep brains active and healthy by learning to play a new sport like golf, tennis or yoga.     

At MorningStar at Arrowhead, we recognize the importance of providing an environment where our residents can engage in meaningful as well as fun and entertaining activities, including brain exercises.  Our monthly calendar is loaded with daily activities of great interest to our residents.   

   

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 at Arrowhead represents the best in senior living with a unique mission statement “to honor, to value, to invest.”  We have built our foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. To experience firsthand the finest senior living in the Phoenix area, contact us to schedule a tour.

Source:

everydayhealth.com/longevity/mental-fitness/brain-exercises-for-memory.aspx

The Advantages of Pet Ownership for Seniors

Research continues to show a strong correlation between pet ownership and a number of benefits to seniors.  Everything from helping the elderly to stay physically active, to lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, providing companionship and making depression less likely are attributed to having a pet.  In fact there are several studies that indicate that patients with heart problems do better when they are responsible for a pet.

Not only do pets offer lots of affection and unconditional love but they can also help seniors cope with the loss of a loved one.  In an article from AgingCare.com, a New Jersey psychotherapist, Dr. Jay P. Granat, discusses some of the other intangibles that pets offer to the elderly.  He states that, "Dogs—and other pets—live very much in the here and now. They don't worry about tomorrow. And tomorrow can be very scary for an older person. By having an animal with that sense of now, it tends to rub off on people."

At MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care at Arrowhead, we wholeheartedly agree that pets provide many benefits to seniors, which is why we are proud that our community is pet friendly.  Along with our residents’ pets, we also have a special house dog of our own that provides companionship and warmth throughout our entire community. 

Tallulah “LuLu”, an adorable Golden Doodle, is our gentle, loving house dog who is a big hit with all of our residents and staff.   Recently she celebrated her first birthday and even had a cake with bacon on the top!  Now that she is a little older and better behaved, she is permitted to roam the community without a leash and even attends exercise class in the mornings with our residents.

MorningStar at Arrowhead represents the best in senior living with a unique mission statement “to honor, to value, to invest.”  We have built our foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. To experience firsthand the finest senior living in the Phoenix area, contact us to schedule a tour.

Sources:petsfortheelderly.org/articles.html

agingcare.com/Articles/benefits-of-elderly-owning-pets-113294.htm

What is Available in Senior Housing?

The population of aging adults continues to grow and so does the demand for quality housing solutions and services.   To make it easier for people to find senior housing that best meets their needs, the following is an explanation of the terms you will come across while shopping for a new home for you or your loved one.  

One popular senior living option is referred to as “independent living.” These are apartments or suites designed specifically for older adults who want the advantages associated with senior living communities, but do not require any assistance.  

Another term used to describe senior living is “assisted living.”  This is housing that is geared toward those who need various levels of assistance with their daily activities.  Generally a resident’s needs are evaluated and agreed upon with the senior and their family.  Assisted living communities provide daily meals as well as around-the-clock care to ensure the safety and well-being of their residents.  Most facilities offer wellness programs, social activities, housekeeping services, 24-hour care, scheduled transportation and more. 

Lastly another form of senior living is “memory care” that is devoted to the specialized care of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.  The best communities offer their residents comprehensive care that includes recreational and purposeful activities, scheduled outings and daily health monitoring.   

If you or your loved one is looking for assisted living or memory care in the Phoenix area, we invite you to take a look at our newly opened MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care at Arrowhead.  Dedicated to making a true home for our residents, our community offers 60 private assisted living suites on two levels, with spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans.  In our Reflections Neighborhood,  located in its own one-story wing, we have 25 secure suites devoted to the individualized care of those with memory impairment from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.

MorningStar at Arrowhead represents the best in senior living with a unique mission statement “to honor, to value, to invest.”  We have built our foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. To experience firsthand the finest senior living in the Phoenix area, contact us to schedule a tour.

Find a “True Home” at the Area’s Best Senior Living Community

Our mission at MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Jordan is to create a community built on warmth, sincerity and love.  Every day, our entire team works to provide residents with a lifestyle of comfort and wellbeing.   

Right for the moment you walk through the door, we are sure you will be impressed with our exceptional architecture, beautiful common areas and stylish suites.  Our community has 55 private suites for assisted living and 29 secure suites devoted to the individualized care for those with memory impairment from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.  We offer a choice of floor plans including spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units with 9′-10′ ceilings, bay windows (in most units), wall-to-wall carpeting and mini blinds.   All you need to do is to bring your personal furnishings and mementos. 

In addition MorningStar at Jordan provides our residents with daily, delicious meals served restaurant-style in two dining rooms or in a private dining room for intimate dinners.   Around our grounds, we have a fireside patio, all-season porches, and resident gardening beds.  Inside our décor includes a tropical aquarium and a general store, fitness and wellness center, theatre, chapel, salon and more.  Also we have equipped our life enrichment room and theatre with the technology to allow those with hearing aids to directly receive audio, thus eliminating reverberation and background noise.    

In case you did not know it, Colorado is a great place to retire in and was awarded the #2 ranking by MSN.com in 2015 for good weather, personal wellbeing, cost of living and better than average healthcare.  Contact us to learn more about our beautiful community in historic Centennial.  We proudly offer residents a safe, comfortable place to age in place and to take advantage of resort-style amenities and meaningful activities. 

MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Jordan represents the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to value, to invest.”  We are dedicated to providing a true home for residents amidst a beautiful, serene setting and a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve.   Please schedule a tour to experience firsthand our comfortable, home-like atmosphere.      

More Seniors are Living to 100!

Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that more and more seniors are living to celebrate their 100th birthday.   A 2014 CDC report indicates that the number of centenarians in the U.S. is 72,197, which is up 43.6 percent from only 14 years ago in 2000.  Back then the number was 50,281.  Even farther back in 1980, statistics report that there were 32,194 American centenarians.  Looking ahead, experts note that we may have as many as 387,000 centenarians by the middle of the century.  Among today’s centenarians, more than 80 percent of them are females.

Experts point to the fact that the reason why so many seniors are living longer is attributed to getting better medical care as well as living a healthier lifestyle.  One of the contributors to the study, Dr. Thomas Perls, a geriatrician and director of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston Medical Center, reports that genetic research shows close to “17 percent of the U.S. population has traits that increase their chances of living past 100.”   He predicts that baby boomers will significantly increase the number of centenarians as they grow older.     

The report reiterates that in the past people were susceptible to a number of diseases that no longer constitute as big of a threat.  In addition the study states that the primary causes of death in centenarians are: heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, cancer, influenza and pneumonia.

Our goal at MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care at Arrowhead is to offer seniors a chance to fully enjoy their retirement years by providing a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community with an array of incredible amenities and activities.  Furthermore, once you see our community firsthand, we are confident you will be impressed with our beautiful private suites and gorgeous common areas.

MorningStar at Arrowhead represents the best in senior living with a unique mission statement “to honor, to value, to invest.”  We have built our foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. To experience firsthand the finest senior living in the Phoenix area, contact us to schedule a tour.

Sources:usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/articles/2016-01-21/more-americans-are-living-to-be-older-than-100, reuters.com/article/us-usa-centenarians-idUSKCN0UZ2IR