June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month

June is the Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month and the Alzheimer’s Association®, wants to encourage everyone to take the time to learn the fact about Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on individuals and families nationwide.  On the front page of their website, they have a link for families to share stories and pictures of how the disease has touched their lives.   

At MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Jordan, we will again participate in a range of activities to honor the “The Longest Day.”  The event, started by the Alzheimer’s Association, takes place on the summer solstice.  Its goal is to help end Alzheimer’s and to raise funds and awareness for care and support as well as to advance research.  

This year’s The Longest Day Events at MorningStar will include starting the day off with a Pancake Breakfast.  During the morning, we will show “Alive Inside,” a moving documentary that follows social worker Dan Cohen as he uses the healing power of music to unlock memory in patients with Alzheimer's disease.   

We will also listen to a discussion from John H. Gilmore, MD, the director of the Early Brain Development Program in the UNC Department of Psychiatry.  Gilmore is the senior author of a study that is trying to identify cognitive problems and psychiatric disorders very early and to develop appropriate interventions.  Another highlight of the day will be a showing of the Glen Campbell Story, I’ll Be Me.  The film documents his amazing "Goodbye Tour" as he and his family attempt to navigate the wildly unpredictable nature of his progressing Alzheimer's disease using love, laughter and music as their medicine of choice. 

Furthermore, the day will include tasty treats such as “Lavender Smoothies on the Lanai” and “Blueberry Bingo”.  For more information on our day’s activities or to learn more about MorningStar at Jordan’s loving community, please visit our website.   

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.      

Seniors Need to Take Precautions in Hot Weather

Now that summer is upon us it is important for seniors to remember to take precautions as outdoor temperatures begin to heat up.  A recent study from the University of Chicago Medical Center reports extremely hot weather can be dangerous for the elderly and that approximately 40% of heat-related fatalities in the U.S. are in people over the age of 65.  Another publication from the Alzheimer’s Association explains why seniors 65 and older are more at risk for heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke than younger people. 

One of the reasons stated is that as we age the body does not adjust as well to sudden temperature changes as it did when we were younger.  This can be caused by heart or blood vessel problems, under-active sweat glands and normal age-related changes in the skin.  Another factor is that many elderly people suffer from chronic medical conditions such as heart, lung, or kidney diseases that can affect normal body responses to heat.    

Also prescription drugs including diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, and some heart and high blood pressure medicines can impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature and inhibit perspiration.  Other problems that can make seniors more susceptible to heat-related stress are being overweight and drinking alcoholic beverages.     

To avoid the dangers of heat-related illnesses, experts advise seniors to drink cool, nonalcoholic beverages throughout the day, and to stay away from extremely cold beverages as they can cause cramps.  They also recommend if possible to remain indoors during the heat of the day and do not engage in strenuous activities.  If you feel too warm, take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath, dress in lightweight clothing and get into an air conditioned environment.   

Our post is for information purposes only and not a substitute for seeking medical advice from your health care provider. 

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 contact us to schedule a tour.    

Sources:alz.org/alzwa/documents/Heat_Stress_in_the_Elderly.pdf

nia.nih.gov/health/publication/hyperthermia

Our Community Offers a Wide Range of Services

While MorningStar at Jordan is proud to provide high-quality assisted living and memory care for seniors, we also provide our families with some lesser known services.  One example is our Companion Living option that is designed for two unrelated people of the same sex to share an assisted living or memory care suite.  

This is an ideal solution for those wishing to share expenses as the rent of the suite is split between the two residents as well as a way to build a lasting friendship.  Even if you do not have someone in mind to share a suite, we will help you find a roommate and go to great lengths to match you with an individual who has common interests and similar background. 

A roommate can also help to ease your transition to senior living.  You and your roommate can look out for one another, and as you are familiar with each another’s habits and personalities, may be the first person to notice changes in health and abilities.  Shared lives can help to boost health through improved sleeping patterns and an increased appetite.  When you take advantage of companion living, you are still offered all of the personalized care and first-class amenities extended to our other residents.     

We also feel privileged to have veterans as part of our community and when we hear of vets who are interested in our community, we are pleased to direct them to the local resources that can expertly handle their application process for “Aid & Attendance.”  This is monthly benefit payments extended through the V.A. to certain wartime Veterans (and their survivors) with financial need and physician orders for regular assistance with the activities of daily living. 

Please visit our website to learn more about these and our other programs designed to serve our seniors.  Offering both assisted living and memory care, we are committed to giving our residents a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community.  

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.      

Get Screened for Osteoporosis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report in 2015 that states 25 percent of all American women aged 65 years or older suffer from osteoporosis.  They found that in men over 65 years, it is closer to 6 percent.  Since anyone with osteoporosis is more at risk for dangerous fractures, it is important for seniors to be aware of whether they suffer from the condition.   

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, “Osteoporosis means “porous bone.” Healthy bones look like a honeycomb when viewed under a microscope, but for those with osteoporosis, the holes and spaces in the honeycombs are much larger and the abnormal porous bone is compressible or sponge-like.  As the bones lose density or mass and are made up of more abnormal tissue structure, the bones become less dense, weaken and more likely to break. 

Healthy, strong bone is composed of protein, collagen and calcium. Osteopenia is the term used when a person’s bones are slightly less dense than normal bones but are not considered as severely compromised as those with osteoporosis.    

Thankfully it is easy to evaluate a person’s risk of fracture with a painless X-ray absorptiometry test (also called DXA or DEXA).  The noninvasive test measures the bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine, hip or total body bone density and only takes about 10 to 20 minutes. 

Health care professionals recommend a bone mineral density test for all postmenopausal women with risk factors and all women 65 or older.  Men should be tested at age 70 or at age 50-69 based on risk factors.  The test lets you and your doctor know if you have normal bone density, low bone density (osteopenia) or osteoporosis, and if there appears to be a problem, what steps to take to help prevent broken bones in the future.  If you are taking osteoporosis medications, professionals advise having a bone density test by central DXA annually or once every two years to determine if your medication is working.    

This post is intended for informational purposes only; please consult your health care provider regarding any medical concerns.  

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.     

Sources: 

webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20150813/1-in-4-senior-women-in-us-has-osteoporosis-cdc

nof.org/patients/what-is-osteoporosis/

Beautiful Private Suites Designed for Your Comfort

At MorningStar at Jordan, we are committed to providing residents with a “true home” and offer 55 stylish,private assisted living suites.  Additionally we have 29 secure suites devoted to individualized care for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementia related diseases.  Our graciously-appointed Centennial, CO community is in the South Central area of Metro Denver, and convenient to hospitals, banks, shopping malls, restaurants and grocery stores.

One look at our website and you will see that MorningStar at Jordan is indeed a beautiful, special place.  Right from the beginning, we worked to ensure our community would be a comfortable place for our residents to enjoy carefree retirement years and have designed our entire community from the ground up to cater to those needs.

All of our assisted living private suites offer 9′-10′ ceilings, bay windows (in most units), wall-to-wall carpeting, lighting and mini blinds; and includes a kitchenette with sink and refrigerator and a full, handicapped-accessible bathroom.  Each suite is also equipped with an emergency call system, private heating and air conditioning, and basic cable TV and utilities.  We offer residents weekly housekeeping and laundry service as well as spot cleaning and daily trash removal.  To help residents feel right at home, we are pet friendly, and all you need to do is to bring your furnishings and personal items.

We encourage you to take a look at our various floor plans as they were designed for the utmost comfort.  Starting with a large two-bedroom 740 sq. ft. configuration to our studios from 340-426 sq. ft., we are certain you will feel right at home, however, please set up a tour to see for yourself why we are so proud of our gorgeous community.

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.