Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

Medical News Today reports that there is most likely already a significant amount of tissue damage in the brain by the time a person starts to display the common signs of Alzheimer’s.  This has prompted scientists to propose that specific psychiatric symptoms such as “depression, anxiety, sleep disruption, and loss of appetite – may serve as markers of very early brain changes in Alzheimer's.”    

Several groups of researchers, including the University of California in San Francisco and the Brazilian Biobank for Aging Studies (BBAS) at the University of São Paulo, recently published a paper based on their findings in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.  Studying postmortem brain tissue tests, the group compared them to a range of psychiatric symptoms they discovered in the individuals after speaking to people who knew the deceased well.  This has lead researchers to suggest that the person’s “psychiatric symptoms are not the cause of Alzheimer’s but more likely early indicators of the disease.” 

Researchers say that identifying such symptoms as the early signs of Alzheimer’s may help doctors to diagnose the disease much earlier and give the person more opportunity to take steps to slow the progression of the disease.  In addition scientists note that earlier diagnoses could save trillions of dollars in future medical costs and care. 

If you are looking at Alzheimer homes in the Colorado Springs area, we invite you to contact us to learn more about MorningStar at Bear Creek.  Our highly trained loving and compassionate team are dementia care specialists that feel privileged to serve our most “tender residents.”  We also consider caring and supporting family members as part of our job as we understand that dementia can be a scary road.  Please visit our website to inquire about availability and pricing as well as to set up a tour. 

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:  medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323366.php

Luxury Senior Living Offering a 5 Star Dining Experience

MorningStar of Billings strives to provide residents with all of the amenities and services they need to ensure carefree retirement years.  As part of those amenities, we proudly offer residents meals that are as delicious as they are nutritious. 

Daily meals are prepared under the direction of our Executive Chef, Jim Carlson.  Jim grew up Minnesota where every Sunday his family dined with the residents of a skilled nursing home where father was the administrator.  Early-on, Jim was impressed with the residents’ various life stories, and gained an abiding respect for his elders.

MorningStar of Billings’ cuisine is much the richer for Jim’s many stints as a chef in restaurants of every ethnicity and style, from American diners to haute cuisine, and from hotels to catering.  Throughout this vast experience, Jim learned he loved working at places where he had “regulars” that allowed him to honed his skills at perfecting a meal just how the customer wanted it. 

Senior living is an ideal fit for Jim as it gives him a steadfast group of regulars that are both appreciative and loyal.  His delightful meals serve the needs of our independent and assisted living residents by evoking the traditional fare of their generation.  Prepared largely from scratch, each meal includes the freshest ingredients and Jim is open to all suggestions from our residents. 

Our meals also include BrainWise super foods that are known to support brain health with their high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. These include foods such as acai and other berries, fish, nuts, dark chocolate, and dark leafy greens. 

Please visit MorningStar of Billings to learn more about our wide variety of amenities and services.  Currently we are offering a 2-year rate freeze for our assisted living suites (rent only) and a lifetime rate for memory care (suite and care).  Use our convenient online links to find out about availability and pricing or to set up a tour. 

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.  Please visit our website to set up a tour to see firsthand why we are one of Billings’ best senior living facilities. 

Medicare Offers Free Services

Many seniors on Medicare are unaware of some of the benefits provided that make it easier to take better care of your health.  Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), free preventive care was expanded including a range of free services to Medicare recipients.

One of the services offered to a new Medicare recipient is a “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit during the first 12 months you are on Part B.  During your visit, your physician will review your medical history and screen you for a variety of conditions including a risk for depression and update vaccinations.  They will also discuss future services you may need.   If you have already been on Medicare Part B for more than 12 months, you are eligible for a free annual wellness visit.  Please keep in mind that while this visit is offered at no cost, your doctor may order tests or procedures not covered by Medicare. 

Other wellness services offered to Medicare recipients at no cost include an annual screening mammogram. (If you have a diagnostic mammogram, you will be responsible for a copay and a Part B deductible.)   If you are a senior with a history of high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, obesity, high blood sugar levels, or other qualifying conditions, you are eligible for two free diabetes screenings a year.  

If you are not at risk for colorectal cancer, you are entitled to a free colonoscopy once every ten years.  Anyone at high risk is eligible for a colonoscopy every 24 months.  All males on Medicare are eligible for an annual free PSA test.  Additionally, Medicare will pay for annual flu shots, vaccines to prevent pneumococcal infections such as pneumonia, and shots for hepatitis B (for those at high or medium risk).   Currently the Shingles vaccine is not covered by Medicare Part A or B (check to see if it is covered by your supplemental plan).  

 

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: aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-2017/medicare-free-medical-tests-fd.html

Read the Rave Reviews for MorningStar at Arrowhead!

We think that Morningstar at Arrowhead offers the finest in retirement homes but you do not have to just take our word for it.  With a mission to ensure the every comfort and wellbeing of our residents, we feel honored to have so many families as well as residents express their appreciation and high regard for our community. We would like to take a moment to share a few.

One example comes from a family member of a former resident.  She states that her Mom was a resident at MorningStar at Arrowhead for the last eight months of her life.  She also says, “While I am saddened by her death, the whole experience at MorningStar was good. I definitely recommend them. The staff made my Mom very comfortable and I was pleased with the quality of care she received.”

We were especially gratified when the son of a resident wrote a glowing review where he explains how happy his mother is living in our community.  He says, “From the very first interaction, it was apparent that they treat their residents more like guests than like patients. This is true from the staff in the dining room all the way up to the management level staff. They are all very friendly, professional and polite, courteous and great to deal with. They communicate well and are upfront about everything.”  He ends his review by stating that, “There also seems to be a spiritual component to the facility that makes my mother feel comfortable and gives me confidence that choosing MorningStar Assisted Living was the right decision. She is being well taken care of.”

At MorningStar at Arrowhead, we have 60 private assisted living suites on two levels.  Our gorgeous suites are available in a variety of configurations including spacious studio and one and two-bedroom floorplans with some over 600 square feet.  We have another 25 suites in our Reflections Neighborhood dedicated to the specialized care of those with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.  Please visit our website for more information and to set up a tour.

MorningStar at Arrowhead provides the very best in retirement homes with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, 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 in a beautiful setting.  We invite you to schedule a tour to discover our exceptional assisted living and memory care community.   

We Provide Support to Families

At MorningStar at Bear Creek, we do not just care for our residents’ needs but also provide support to their families.  We know that a dementia diagnosis and prognosis is met with all kinds of questions and anxiety, and part of our job is to help families cope with the uncertainty.  As they try to adjust to their new reality, we deliver hope, and for the memory-impaired, hope comes wrapped in intentionality and creativity.

Our extensive experience in dementia care has shown us that healing always comes from human touch, from empathy, and from purposeful engagement.  Dementia sufferers live in a purple world – an alternative reality, and the best way to reach them is to “get purple” too.  Right from the beginning of our relationship with a resident, we find out as much as we can about their history, their preferences and special talents and use that to help us sort through what their behavior is really trying to communicate.  For example, if a resident is getting agitated and saying they must go home, we respond with, “Tell me about your home; what is it like? Why do you love it so?”  

In addition our team encourages families not to dwell on what has been lost but rather to be surprised by what is found.  We have discovered that if we truly enter the moment, we can embrace what comes next.  To help guide our families, we recommend they learn as much as they can about the disease because with understanding, comes acceptance.  We also think it is beneficial to join an Alzheimer’s Association support group.  Lastly our families are always welcomed and encouraged to join us as we participate in one of our Alzheimer’s Association events to help raise funds and awareness of the disease.

Please visit our website to learn more about our compassionate, loving community.  While you are there, use the link on our home page to setup a tour or to inquire about pricing and availability. 

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.

Why Choose MorningStar of Billings?

You may have found that there are several senior living facilities in and around Billings and may be wondering what sets MorningStar of Billings apart from all the others.  To start with, we offer seniors a wide range of senior living options that start with our comfortable independent living with private suites and spacious common areas including a pool.  MorningStar’s assisted living is designed for those who want to maintain their independence but require some help with their day-to-day personal care activities.  For our most active seniors, we offer stylish patio homes situated on our beautiful park-like campus. 

We are also proud to have earned a reputation as one of the leading memory care facilities in the Western U.S.  Our Reflections Neighborhood offers a holistic approach to caring for those afflicted with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. 

However the thing that really sets us apart from other area senior living communities is our unique mission statements.  MorningStar Senior Living was founded by Ken Jaeger, whose intention has always been to provide senior housing that feels like a loving home (just like his grandmother’s) and offers a sense of “family.”  Our mission statements start by honoring God in all of our business practices and relationships; valuing all seniors as gifted and contributing individuals; and investing heavily in our teams’ ability to serve well.

MorningStar of Billings’ extraordinary team is another reason we stand out from the rest.  Our team selection starts with heart, and we specifically seek out individuals who have a felt calling to serve and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure residents receive first-class care and services.  Furthermore we train our entire team in our culture we call Radiance, which lovingly guides the way we deliver service. 

We invite you to visit our website for more information.  While you are there, follow our link to inquire about availability and pricing or to set up a tour to see firsthand our beautiful community.  We want you to know we are offering a 2-year rate freeze (rent only) for assisted living, and a lifetime rate on memory care (on both rent and care) for a limited time. 

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 to schedule an appointment to tour one of the area’s premier senior living facilities.     

The Cost of Senior Living Communities

Do you have a loved one who needs a little assistance on a daily basis but you have shied away from senior living as you thought it was too expensive?  MorningStar at Arrowhead invites you to take a more in-depth look at assisted living and to consider all of the advantages and benefits it offers to residents. 

It may be you have heard about the monthly cost of assisted living from friends or acquaintances and thought it was more than you or your parent could handle.  While that may be true, have you factored in the real costs of a community such as MorningStar at Arrowhead as compared to mom or dad living in their own home?  Keep in mind that MorningStar’s monthly suite rental includes the resident’s meals along with a whole range of services and amenities such as scheduled transportation, housekeeping, and laundry services.  

If your parent is still maintaining a home, their expenses now include property taxes, home insurance, utilities, home maintenance and repairs.  Also you may have the costs of home care providers coming in to help your parent as well as paying for someone to take them to doctor appointments, run errands and buy groceries.  They may even need someone to prepare meals for them.  This doesn’t even include the costs of retrofitting a home to accommodate your parent’s lack of mobility such as the need to provide a ramp to their home and widening doors and hallways to accommodate a wheelchair. 

At MorningStar the monthly suite rental also includes a 24-hour care staff and an emergency call service along with a range of wellness and leisure activities, health monitoring, and much more.  Our residents are treated to three daily meals and snacks prepared by our Executive Chef and designed to be tasty as well as nutritional.  Please see our website to learn more about our exceptional community.

MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Arrowhead represents the best in senior living with a distinct 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 providing a true home for residents amidst a beautiful, serene setting and invite you to schedule a visit to experience one of the area’s finest senior living communities.