Learn More About Macular Degeneration

The National Eye Institute states that age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of visual loss in America.  According to their statics, close to 2.1 million people 50 years and older had macular degeneration in 2010.  That number is expected to more than double by 2050.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say approximately 6.5 percent of Americans age 40 and above have some degree of the disease.  

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs most often after age 60 and causes loss in the center of the field of vision. The two types of macular degeneration include dry macular degeneration that causes the center of the retina to begin to deteriorate.  In wet macular degeneration, new blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak blood and fluid.  Unusually fuzzy or distorted vision is one symptom and the dry form (85 to 90 percent of AMD cases) is more common than the wet form.  Wet macular degeneration typically leads to more serious vision loss. 

The degeneration of the macula affects our ability to read, recognize faces, drive, and many other visual tasks that requires us to see fine detail.  As the condition progresses, the areas of blurred vision may increase and blank spots may appear. 

The good news is that patients with dry AMD are less likely to go blind than in the past with today’s treatment options that include a specific combination of high-dose vitamins and minerals.  Dr. Peter Campbell, a retina specialist, says that “Prompt recognition of macular degeneration is important to avoid it advancing to the point where failing central vision means people can no longer recognize faces.”  The most important advice he gives is for people over 60 to get regular eye exams.  Risks for the disease include age, smoking and family history. 

At MorningStar at Bear Creek, we are dedicated to providing one of the best Alzheimer homes in the area.  Our community has 48 suites for the individualized care of those suffering from dementia, and in addition, we are a resource for families in the Colorado Springs area dealing with Alzheimer’s.  At Bear Creek, we lovingly care for seniors from the onset of the disease right through to the most advanced stages.    

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 Bear Creek embodies the very best in Alzheimer homes with a distinct mission statement of “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 set up a tour to see for yourself our exceptional community.

Source:

health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2018-02-23/macular-degeneration-managing-this-vision-condition

Individualized Senior Care for Those with Memory Loss

Along with an increased awareness of Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases, there has been a move to advance best care practices for those suffering from the disease over the last couple of decades. In addition to medications that can help slow down the progression of the disease, many specialists in the field have worked to improve the approaches to care. 

At MorningStar of Fort Collins, our Reflections Neighborhood is dedicated to the individualized senior care of those suffering from Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related diseases. Our holistic care begins with the utmost respect and compassion for our special residents that is borne out of a deep understanding of the disease. Furthermore, we recognize that a prognosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia is frightening to not only the individual but to their family and strive to provide support for them as well.

Our Reflections Neighborhood is equipped to care for your family member at the onset of the disease as well as in the most advanced stages. Our community has secure outdoor space reserved for our memory care residents and we provide assistance in whatever way your loved one needs us including eating and daily personal care activities. Right from the start, we interview the family so we may become familiar with the resident’s personal preferences, background, and hobbies, and then design a care plan suited around their needs. 

Our care techniques include a variety of multi-sensory cues designed to calm and awaken memories as well as to support the person’s capabilities and affirm their dignity and value. We strive to make each day as special as possible for our memory care residents and we have a wonderful team of caregivers that put their hearts and souls into helping us achieve that goal. Please contact us to learn more about MorningStar of Fort Collin’s quality memory care. 

MorningStar of Fort Collins represents the very best in assisted living with a mission “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is one built upon honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting team members with a felt calling to serve. We invite you to schedule a tour to discover the finest senior care in Fort Collins.

Now that the Cold Weather is Here, Remember to Stay Warm!

Many seniors are especially susceptible to the cold and end up feeling chilly all winter long.  There are several reasons why cold weather can be hard on the elderly including complications from common diseases and health conditions. 

The American Heart Association explains that seniors with cardiovascular conditions can experience increased side effects from the cold as lower temperatures and cold winds reduce body heat and cause blood vessels to constrict.  This makes it more difficult for oxygen to reach the entire body, and someone with heart disease can have difficulty breathing.  Other health conditions common to the elderly include hypothyroidism (a low thyroid gland output), which can cause the sensation of cold feet and hands.  Also a sedentary lifestyle, problems with circulation from diabetes, and losing weight can cause seniors to be more affected by the cold.   

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) cautions that if an elderly person becomes very chilled, it can be dangerous and result in a condition known as hypothermia and may happen before a person is aware of the problem.  Even residing in a very cold house may result in a body temperature of 95°F or lower, which “can cause many health problems, such as a heart attack, kidney problems, liver damage, or worse.”

Tips to help the elderly stay warm and regulate their body temperatures include eating a nutrient-rich diet and participating in age-appropriate exercises.  The NIA advises seniors not to try and save money by skimping on heating their homes but to keep the temperature at least 68–70°F.  To cut heating costs, close off unused rooms, shuts blinds and make sure your house if well-insulated.  Also wear layers throughout the day and use a small throw to place over your legs or shoulders if you do feel a chill.  Furthermore at night, wear long underwear under your pajamas and socks as well as a knit cap if you are still cold. 

At MorningStar of Billings, we specialize in providing seniors with a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community.  Along with the area’s best independent living and assisted living, we are a highly-respected memory care facility.  Please visit our website to learn more.

MorningStar Senior Living of Billings represents the finest in senior living with a unique mission statement of: “to honor, to serve, to invest.”  Proving a true home for residents, our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve.  Offering independent and assisted living as well as memory care, we invite you to setup a tour to experience one of the area’s top senior living facilities.    

Source: nia.nih.gov/health/cold-weather-safety-older-adults

MorningStar at Arrowhead’s Dining Experience

MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Arrowhead invites you to visit our Glendale senior living community.  And while you are there, we would encourage you to stay for lunch to experience our exceptional dining experience. Just let us know when you set up your tour and please allow 90 minutes so you can enjoy a leisurely meal.

MorningStar recognizes that with proper diets and healthy choices food can be a healing medicine. That’s why our residents are provided with three daily meals that are meticulously prepared by our own Executive Chef.  Our meals are prepared largely from scratch and are modified to accommodate low sodium, sugar free, no sugar added, vegetarian and low-fat diets along with seasonal menus. 

MorningStar also makes it a priority to use BrainWise ingredients in our meals.  BrainWise super foods include those that have been recognized by the medical community to support brain health and have a high concentration of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds.   Many of the common items we incorporate into our meals include items like acai berries, Omega 3 fats, dark chocolate and dark greens.  All meals are served restaurant-style in our dining room; and for intimate dinners, we have a private dining room.  In addition, we have an onsite bistro. 

For our memory care residents, we feel that dining is as much about socializing as it is about nutrition.  MorningStar has lots of experience caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and we understand their abilities at the table may be compromised.  This is why we serve lots of finger foods; softened and puréed, thickened liquids; and easy-to-recognize balanced meals packed with nutrients.  

Furthermore, team members sit with residents to help make mealtime enjoyable and encourage their appetite.  We also serve meals “family-style” from serving bowls and platters like we do at home.  Family member are always welcome to join us.    

MorningStar at Arrowhead represents the best in Glendale senior living with a unique mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We have built our foundation 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, serene setting. Call to schedule a visit to the finest assisted living in Glendale AZ.

MorningStar at Bear Creek Offers Individualized Memory Care

At MorningStar Memory Care at Bear Creek we are proud to bring the Colorado Springs area specialized dementia care designed to connect with and nurture the individual regardless of the extent of the memory loss.  Furthermore, our unique community was designed to allow residents the freedom to explore their expansive surroundings safely and easily.  

When a family comes to MorningStar at Bear Creek looking for care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, our experienced team is ready to help.  Even before we welcome a new resident to our loving community, we take the time to sit down 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 dementia 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, team members are asked to attend eight-hours of interactive Lavender Sky training to help give them a better understanding of the disease. 

MorningStar at Bear Creek feels privileged to offer area families trusted dementia care.  Our community has 48 secure suites in a variety of floor plans for both permanent and short-term residents.  Please contact us to learn more about our exceptional community.

MorningStar at Bear Creek brings a unique vision to senior living with a mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Built on a foundation of honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we are committed to creating a true home for residents in a magnificent setting. Contact us to schedule a visit to learn more about our loving dementia care.

We Proudly Welcome Veterans to MorningStar at Arrowhead

MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Arrowhead proudly welcomes veterans to our community.  Throughout all of MorningStar’s communities, we are privileged to have veterans from all five branches of military service call us home.   

Whenever we hear that veterans or families of vets are interested in our community, we are pleased to direct them to local resources that can help to ease and quicken the application process for “Aid & Attendance”. This is a monthly benefit payment allocated by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to certain wartime veterans and their survivors who qualify for financial need and have a doctor’s order for regular assistance with daily living activities.   

Additional qualifications for the vets include having served at least 90 days of active duty, of which at least one day was spent serving during a period of a foreign war.  Also, the vet must not have been dishonorably discharged.  The Aid & Attendance benefit does not require the vet to have served overseas, seen combat or retired from the military.  For surviving spouses to be eligible for the benefit, they must have been married to the vet at the time of their death and never remarried.    

MorningStar at Arrowhead is dedicated to providing the finest senior living Peoria AZ and Glendale AZ has to offer.  Our community has 60 private assisted living suites on two levels, with spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans. In addition, our Reflections Neighborhood offers 25 secure suites devoted to the individualized care of those with memory impairment from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. Contact us to learn more about the Aid & Attendance benefit and our exceptional community.

MorningStar at Arrowhead represents the finest in senior living with our unique mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Arrowhead’s foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, all directed at creating a true home for our residents. Contact us to schedule a tour to fully experience the finest senior living Peoria AZ and the surrounding area has to offer.

Study Shows New Hope in the Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Although it is estimated that over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and that the number will triple in the coming decades, experts are giving us some reason to hope.  Recently reported results from a large study show that while cases of Alzheimer’s are still increasing at an all-time rate, the increase appears to be slowing.  

The new research suggests “higher levels of education and heart-healthy lifestyle measures may be helping to perhaps prevent, or at least delay, the onset of dementia.”  So as researchers race to find a cure for Alzheimer’s, the study is another indication that people can make specific changes in their lifestyle to help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. 

Published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the findings are part of the Framingham Heart Study and included 5,200 participants.  One of the study’s authors, Dr. Sudha Seshadri, a professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, says she hopes effective preventive measures will lessen the estimated increase in the number of people affected with the disease in the coming decades. 

This study provides the best evidence to date to suggest better education and improvements in heart health may be staving off dementia.  Researchers studied risk factors such as smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and levels of education and found the biggest declines were in those who took better control of their cardiovascular health.  Vascular dementia had the highest decline but researchers also saw declines in Alzheimer’s; however, they noted many people with Alzheimer’s also have signs of vascular dementia.          

To summarize the study, researchers explain a healthier lifestyle appears to be an important part of Alzheimer’s prevention and includes eating well, challenging the brain, and participating in regular physical activity.  A healthier lifestyle also offers the benefit of increased energy levels and better thinking skills in old age.    

Please visit MorningStar at Bear Creek’s website to learn more about our dedicated and compassionate assisted living for dementia residents.  We consider it an honor to walk alongside the memory-impaired (and their families) on this unexpected journey.

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 within an ideal setting and invite you to schedule a tour to see firsthand the best assisted living for dementia residents in Colorado Springs.

Source:alzinfo.org/articles/research/dementia-rates-are-slowing-but-alzheimers-cases-continue-to-rise/