Learn More MorningStar’s Memory Care in Colorado Springs

 

MorningStar Memory Care at Bear Creek strives to make each day as special as possible for our residents and we have a wonderful team of caregivers that put their hearts and souls into helping us achieve that goal. We feel it is our calling – our privilege to serve seniors.

In fact, our staff tells us all the time how serving others has helped to change their own lives as one MorningStar team member so eloquently writes: “Seniors help me to realize we need to enjoy and make the most of every day with our loved ones because life is short and precious.” Another team member relates that “Seniors teach me to love more, have compassion, appreciation, and respect.”

Now read a review from a family member of one of our residents who writes, “This facility is absolutely beautiful and well run. The management team works well together and supports one another for the good of everyone. The food is delicious and there is always something fun going on! My mom absolutely loves calling Bear Creek her home! This is definitely the best memory care facility in town!”

It is comments like these that continue to motivate our team to come to work each day with a smile on their face. We work hard to provide loving memory care assisted living to address the unique needs of our cherished residents to ensure their safety and comfort. Our specialized care includes finding ways to connect with and nurture the essence of the individual, and to celebrate and elevate life.

In addition, our community was designed from the ground up to provide a secure setting, which allows residents to explore their spacious surroundings freely and easily. We are also equipped to provide care from the onset of the disease right through to the most advanced stages. Please visit our website to learn more about MorningStar at Bear Creek and all of the amenities and services we provide to residents and their families alike.

MorningStar at Bear Creek brings a unique vision to senior living with our mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing seniors and investing in a staff with a felt calling to serve, we offer loving, compassionate care within a beautiful home-like setting. Please contact us for more information about Colorado Springs’ finest memory care assisted living.

The Mission of MorningStar Senior Living

 

 

A highly respected senior housing company, MorningStar Senior Living has communities throughout the Western U.S. that are designed to be true homes for their residents. MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Arrowhead is one of four MorningStar communities in the Phoenix area.

MorningStar was started in 2003 based on a unique mission statement, principles and philosophy. As Ken Jaeger, founder/CEO of MorningStar explains his intention was to create senior living that was “defined by the human touch. I wanted to re-create my grandmother’s house, a place where one can go and feel a sense of family.”

Out of this vision, came a mission statement that still guides the way we deliver service to our residents: Honor God in our business practices and relationships; Value all seniors as gifted and contributing individuals; and Invest generously in our team’s ability to serve well.” Even the name “MorningStar” was inspired by Mr. Jaeger’s contemplation of the bible and his commitment to relieve poverty around the world.

However, while founded on a Judeo-Christian tradition; please know that we welcome and honor all faiths and worldviews in our communities, and are committed to meeting not only residents’ social, emotional, and physical needs but their spiritual ones. In our pursuit of creating a loving home, honoring spiritual preferences is part of caring for the whole person.

In addition, we recognize our mission is advanced by hiring team members who hold true to our core values of love, respect, honesty, fairness, goodness, and kindness. They are the type of individuals who feel privileged to serve seniors and help us create the kind of culture we envision building – a Family for Life.

Our all-inclusive community offers a dining service under the direction of an Executive Chef, a range of floor plans to meet our residents’ varying needs, and onsite amenities and care services to provide carefree retirement years. If you are looking for one of the best retirement communities Glendale, AZ has to offer, we encourage you to visit our website to learn more.

Our mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other retirement communities Glendale, AZ offers. We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Set in a warm, loving atmosphere with beautiful surroundings and resort-style amenities, MorningStar at Arrowhead provides outstanding assisted living and memory care.

March Celebrates Women’s History Month

 

The Women’s History Month first began as just a week in March with President Jimmy Carter issuing the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week. Regarding the proclamation, he explained that “From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America were as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”

In 1987 Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month” and every year since, presidents have continued to issue annual proclamations. Many of this year’s monthly commemorations in the celebration, observance, and study of women are sponsored by the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Most of the events will premiere on both Facebook External and YouTube External. They will also be available for viewing afterwards at those sites and in the Library of Congress’ Event Videos collection.

One interesting program is an in-depth look at Eleanor Roosevelt by renowned author David Michaelis. His book Eleanor, published in October 2020, was the first major biography of America's longest-serving first lady in 60 years. Topics covered in the extensive biography include papers of the NAACP, the National Women’s Trade League, and personal papers of many close friends and family members.

Another scheduled event is Come Alive! Young Learners Program Meets Alice Paul. An energized suffragette in the early 20^th century, Alice Paul revitalized the woman suffrage movement “with her determination, resolve, and unique plan to convince the nation that women deserve the right to vote.”

Check out the other activities and events regarding Women’s History Month. This is a great time to dive into history and learn more about all of the fascinating people that went before us.

MorningStar Senior Living of Billings represents the finest in senior living with our unique mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve in order to provide a true home for residents. Contact us for more regarding independent living, assisted living and memory care at one of the area’s most trusted senior living facilities.

Source: womenshistorymonth.gov

Responding to “I Want to Go Home” from a Loved One with Dementia

 

As family members of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, there are many challenges you will face while navigating this difficult journey. One of those defining moments is the decision to place the individual in a home that specializes in caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.

While a family may instinctively understand that memory care assisted living communities make the best sense for their loved one’s safety and wellbeing, caregivers and families often hear a common refrain of “I want to go home.” In fact, due to the confusion that goes on in their brains, some sufferers even frequently complain that they want to go home even when they are already at home.

Dementia care specialists say that a repeated cry to “go home” generally is the person’s way of expressing feelings of anxiety and stress, and the best thing you can do is to respond to the emotions behind their words. To help soothe, approach the person in a calm and relaxing manner and do the things you know work to comfort them such as giving a hug or a gentle stoking, and if they use one, give them their therapy doll or animal.

Experts say it is not the right approach to explain that they cannot go home or that they are already home; rather concentrate on making them feel secure and safe. Another technique dementia caregivers frequently use is to “validate, redirect, and distract. This can include saying things like we will go after lunch, and then gently redirecting and distracting them with something like walking them out to the porch and pointing out flowers in the garden.

MorningStar at Bear Creek specializes in providing compassionate, individualized memory care for those with mild to advanced stages of Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. Our 48 suites include studio and one-and two bedrooms floor plans along with all the amenities and services required for the finest care. We want you to know we are here to help if your loved one is suffering from memory loss. Please visit our website to learn more about our holistic care and loving staff.

MorningStar at Bear Creek brings a unique vision to senior living with our mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing seniors and investing in a staff with a felt calling to serve, we offer loving, compassionate care within a beautiful home-like setting. Please contact us for more information about Colorado Springs’ finest memory care assisted living.

Source: dailycaring.com/when-someone-with-alzheimers-says-i-want-to-go-home-3-ways-to-respond/

Does Your Loved One Need Independent Living or Assisted Living?

 

If you are like many adult children of elderly parents, you may have noticed that they are not getting around as well as they used to; including not managing day-to-day care activities. In other cases, mom or dad may thrive in independent living and simply enjoy the freedom that prepared meals, built-in companionship and maintenance-free living offers.

At senior living facilities like MorningStar of Billings, we proudly offer seniors a range of options including independent living, assisted living, memory care, short-term stays and respite care. For active seniors, we offer 32 free-standing cottages tucked into their own private neighborhood within our beautiful park-like campus. Cottages include fireplaces and one-car garages, kitchens with full appliances, ceiling fans, weekly housekeeping and more.

In addition we have 72 bright suites for independent living in our main building for seniors who enjoy the idea of restaurant-style dining, scheduled transportation, housekeeping and laundry services and many other perks. All of our independent living residents are welcomed to join in with our various community activities and wellness programs, and enjoy our many amenities such as a fitness room, billiards and game room, strolling paths, life enrichment room, and more.

For families searching for assisted living, our community ensures seniors get the help they need when they need it. Along with our dining services, wellness activities, and onsite amenities, we offer a full range of care services based on an individualized care plan that includes 24/7 care managers, medication management, access to licensed nurses, and more.

Lastly we provide 36 secure suites for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory impairments staffed by dementia care specialists who have a deep understanding of the disease. Our philosophy and approach to this kind of supported living is encompassed under the expanse of possibilities we call Lavender Sky.” Under a Lavender Sky, our ambition is to thoughtfully enter, embrace and explore.

Please visit our website for more information and to inquire about pricing and availability. New residents have priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

MorningStar Senior Living of Billings represents the finest in senior living with our unique mission statement: “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents. Visit our website for more info about one of the area’s premier senior living facilities.

Keeping a Loved One with Dementia Engaged Shows Beneficial Effects

 

It is important for family members and caregivers to remember that while a person with Alzheimer’s or another dementia-related disease may be declining cognitively, they still have some abilities. Encouraging them to stay involved in meaningful activities is a good way to give them a sense of self-worth and purpose. In fact, a published report from the National Institute of Health states, “engaging older persons with dementia in appropriate activities has been shown to yield beneficial effects such as increasing positive emotions, improving activities of daily living (ADL) and improving the quality of life.” It goes on to say it is important for those with dementia to stay as active and engaged as possible and that “it may even help to maintain quality of life in the more advanced stages of the disease.”

As to what kinds of activities are the most effective, studies suggest trying to stimulate all five senses: sight, touch, sound, taste and smell; and the creative arts are a good place to start. Singing is not only enjoyable but several studies have shown it to be one of the last abilities many of those with Alzheimer’s lose. People can often remember the words to a song long after many other memories are gone. Listening to music and dancing are other activities beneficial to those with dementia. Dancing has even been shown to help stimulate social interaction, enhance mood, reduce anxiety and depression, and increase self-awareness and self-expression. Walking and getting outside can also lift spirits, but as gait can be adversely affected by Alzheimer’s, evaluate the person’s ability to walk safely.

At MorningStar at Arrowhead, our goal is to be one of the best retirement communities Glendale, AZ has to offer, which includes compassionate care to those with memory impairment. Our holistic memory care is individualized for each resident and designed to stimulate or calm in response to a particular mood or situation. Each day is filled with activities that incorporate music, dance, art, aromatherapy, or animals to heal and comfort residents.

In addition, our Reflections Neighborhood provides daily health monitoring, assistance with meals prepared by our Executive Chef, and an enclosed, secure patio and courtyard. Our memory care suites accommodate a resident’s own furniture and mementos so they are sure to feel right at home. Please visit our website to learn more our home, our staff and the philosophy that guides our care.

Our mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other retirement communities Glendale, AZ offers. We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Set in a warm, loving atmosphere with beautiful surroundings and resort-style amenities, MorningStar at Arrowhead provides outstanding assisted living and memory care.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684326

Diagnosed with Osteopenia?

 

If you have had a bone density test that came back with a diagnosis of osteopenia, you probably want to know how worried should you be. Bone density refers to the mass and strength of the bone and “osteopenia refers to having low bone density when compared to others of the same age.” Doctors explain that the biggest risk of osteopenia is it can lead to the more harmful disease of osteoporosis. Patients with osteoporosis have an even lower bone density that results in bones becoming fragile and easily fractured.

The CDC reports that 54 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis but many more have osteopenia. In fact the Harvard Medical School says half of all people over the age of 50 in the US have osteopenia. Risk factors include women, especially those who have gone through menopause; however, one-third of white men and Asian men over the age of 50 have osteopenia. Other risk factors include smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, a diet low in vitamin D, and certain medications as well as certain medical conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, among others.

Medical experts warn that most people do not have any idea they have osteopenia until they have a bone density test. Most commonly the test is done by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and uses a low-energy X-ray to painlessly assess the level of calcium in the bones.

Recommendations to improve bone density include eating foods high in calcium such as leafy green vegetables and dairy as well as foods high in vitamin D including oily or fatty fish, mackerel and fortified cereal. Exercise also play a role in preventing the loss of bone density and may even help to improve the situation. Doctors say your regimen should include weight bearing and strengthening exercises. There are medications to deal with the condition but are not typically prescribed until a person has osteoporosis.

At the MorningStar of Billings senior living community we offer independent living, assisted living and memory care. We also provide residents with nutritional, tasty meals as well as suitable exercise programs and activities to help them stay fit. Visit our website to see more about the wide range of resort-style amenities and services we provide to ensure the comfort, wellness and security of our residents.

MorningStar Senior Living of Billings represents the finest in senior living facilities with our unique mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve in order to provide a true home for residents. Please schedule a tour to experience unsurpassed assisted living and independent living in Billings.

Changing Your Diet May Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

 

 

Several studies are showing links to dietary habits and the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. 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 are 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.”

For exceptional memory care, Colorado Springs’ MorningStar at Bear Creek lovingly provides care for seniors with mild to advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. We are a team of compassionate, professionals who feel privileged to serve our special residents. Please visit our website for more information

MorningStar at Bear Creek brings a unique vision to senior living with our mission statement “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. We are dedicated to creating a true home for residents within an ideal setting and encourage you to learn more about the finest memory care Colorado Springs offers.

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

Memory Loss and Confusion: When a Loved One Doesn’t Know You

 

Apart from having to watch a loved one go through the devastating stages of Alzheimer’s or another dementia disease, the next saddest thing may be when the person stops recognizing you. This can bring up all sorts of feelings, of which some while not fair, are there nonetheless. When we take time to visit a family member (in person or via video call) in a memory care community and they don’t even know who we are, some people wonder why they are making the effort.

However, a long-term caregiver reminds us how can we be certain the person is not reacting to our presence in some way? Maybe the sound of our voice, or the touch of our hand? In the same way people in comas have said they heard the voices of loved ones even when they were unable to communicate, perhaps a person in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease knows we are there for them on some level. At the very least, in whatever way they can understand, we want them to know they are loved and valued.

Experts suggest a way to help make yourself more recognizable to your parent or spouse. If you are an adult child, try putting together a photo timeline of you as a small child, an adolescent, a young adult to a current picture. Spouses can do the same starting with a picture from their early days as a couple to the present.

For anyone having difficulty being around a loved one with Alzheimer’s, it may be helpful to learn all you can about the disease so you understand what is going on. It will also teach you better ways to more effectively communicate with the person.

At MorningStar at Arrowhead, our mission is to be one of the best retirement homes Glendale, AZ offers, which includes compassionate and loving care to those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. Our approach is holistic and encompasses every aspect of the disease as well as individualized care. Visit our website to learn more.

Our mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other retirement homes Glendale, AZ has to offer. We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Set in a warm, loving atmosphere with beautiful surroundings and resort-style amenities, MorningStar at Arrowhead provides outstanding assisted living and memory care.