Wednesday, August 30, 2023

What is the Best Senior Living Option for My Loved One

Seniors have different personal care needs that make it difficult to put every older adult into a neat category for a one-size-fits-all approach to living. For example, one senior might live out the golden years playing golf and enjoying a relatively healthy lifestyle. On the other hand, another senior of the same age might require much more intensive personal care by a licensed caregiver in an assisted living environment. From growing older at home to receiving memory care services, seniors have several living options to meet their unique needs.

At the MorningStar at Arcadia senior living community in Phoenix, Arizona, we offer three lifestyle options for residents. Many of our residents start with the independent living program, and then transition into a more assisted living arrangement as circumstances dictate.

Let’s review the three senior lifestyle options for residents at MorningStar at Arcadia.

Independent Living

The independent living option for seniors is the right choice for older adults who are ready to move into a senior housing facility, but do not require daily personal care assistance. Seniors who select the independent lifestyle option receive a limited number of personal care services, while having full access to the senior housing community’s amenities.

Independent living for seniors is the right lifestyle option for older adults who remain active, yet want to enjoy the companionship of other seniors in the same housing community. If your senior loved one can live independently, but does not want to live alone, the independent lifestyle option at our assisted living facility is the best way to meet both criteria.

Assisted Living

Seniors that require some form of personal care assistance, yet do not need daily medical care, opt for the assisted living lifestyle option at MorningStar at Arcadia. Assisted living residents have around-the-clock access to caregivers for emergency care, as well as receive help with daily tasks such as bathing, cooking, and dressing. Assisted Living residents receive just the personal care that they need, which allows them to enjoy much of their independence.

Examples of candidates who should consider assisted living include seniors that struggle with mobility issues like balance and coordination. Seniors who recently suffered a serious health setback also might consider an assisted living arrangement in Phoenix. Some of the signs that your senior loved should consider an assisted living facility include a decline in personal hygiene and a significant loss of weight.

Memory Care

Around seven million Americans at least 65 years old live with Alzheimer’s disease, with nearly 75 percent of memory care patients being at least 75 years old. Memory care represents the third lifestyle option for residents of our senior housing community. Memory care represents a specialized type of living arrangement for older adults dealing with advanced memory impairment. Seniors living with memory loss require intensive care to take care of standard daily responsibilities such as eating and cleaning. The memory caregivers at MorningStar at Arcadia must complete a comprehensive training program after earning the education required to provide memory care for older adults.

Memory care in Phoenix, AZ is the right lifestyle option for seniors who have entered the mid-to-late stages of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. During the early stage of memory loss, seniors can continue living at home with the family providing personal care. However, as memory decline worsens, older adults require around-the-clock care to remain safe and healthy.

Learn More About the Lifestyle Options at MorningStar at Arcadia

The MorningStar mission “to honor, to value, to invest” in our residents separates our senior housing community from other facilities in Phoenix, Arizona. Get the answers to your senior lifestyle questions by submitting the brief Contact form found on our website.


Assisted Living Communities Offer Many Benefits

Many times, a move to assisted living is not only good for the senior but for the family as well. Mom or dad living alone, perhaps already experiencing a fall or another type of health emergency, is stressful for everybody involved. 

Senior living experts point out the benefits of receiving attentive senior care along with services like nutritional meals, access to meaningful programs and transportation to and from appointments. At communities like MorningStar of Albuquerque, we sit down with in-coming residents to create a Personalized Service Plan designed to help with the ADLs (activities of daily living), which include bathing, grooming, transferring (such as from bed to a wheelchair), feeding and toileting. 


Dee Pekruhn, director of life plan communities’ services and policy for LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, says, “Whether they stand alone or are part of a larger continuing care campus, assisted living communities offer a wide variety of community and social activities.” These typically include arts and crafts, physical exercise classes such as chair yoga, live concerts and other entertainment, and educational and technology classes. At MorningStar, we tell our residents if we don’t already have a class addressing one of your interests, to start one. 


Special outings and trips are another component of many assisted living communities including MorningStar of Albuquerque. Bus trips to local points of interest, shopping or cultural events are just some of the activities enjoyed by residents.  


Another important service is medication management as statistics show the average older adult takes four or more prescription drugs each day, and as high as 39 percent of seniors take five or more. Medical management ensures seniors take the proper medication they need when they need it. 


MorningStar is proud to offer exceptional assisted living in Albuquerque, NM with our distinct mission statement “to honor, to value, to invest.”  Our community offers 48 private assisted living suites and 21 suites in our Reflections Neighborhood devoted to caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. Contact us for more information and to set up a tour.

MorningStar is guided by a culture rooted in our mission of honoring God, valuing seniors, and investing in our team, which allows us to deliver services with warmth, sincerity and depth of purpose. We have built a reputation for creating homes filled with an atmosphere of love and community. Please contact us to learn more about the finest assisted living Albuquerque, NM offers.

Source: 

health.usnews.com/best-assisted-living/slideshows/how-assisted-living-improves-quality-of-life?


Monday, August 28, 2023

Should I Transition My Parent from Assisted Living to Memory Care

One of the most important decisions faced by most of us concerns moving a parent into an assisted living facility. Guilt can consume you and fear can overwhelm your parents. However, the hand-wringing does not end after your parents move into a senior housing facility in Phoenix, Arizona. For example, MorningStar at Arcadia offers three lifestyle options, one of which is the availability of memory care services. A new dilemma arises and it begs the question, “Should I transition my parents from assisted living to memory care?”

Assisted living involves a team of caregivers providing support in the form of meals, transportation, and medication management. It is a much more hands-off approach to providing care than the services provided by memory care. Memory care residents typically receive much more intensive attention, such as supervised care around the clock and personal care assistance like providing support for bathing. 

Our team of resident care professionals acts as a valuable resource to determine when the time has arrived to move a parent into memory care from an assisted living arrangement. However, you should contribute to the important conversation by understanding the three signs that it is time for a parent to transition from assisted living to memory care.

Safety Becomes a Major Concern

As dementia symptoms become worse, older adults can become vulnerable to a large number of safety issues. For example, a simple stroll around the grounds of an assisted living facility can quickly turn dangerous, as a resident forgets how to get back to the starting point. Basic personal care tasks such as bathing and cooking also have the potential to harm an older adult developing the symptoms of dementia. Signs that safety should be a concern include difficulty eating, taking the wrong prescription pills, and developing unexplained bruises on the body.

A Decline in Cognitive Skills

Because assisted living arrangements give residents more autonomy, a decline in cognitive skills is a red flag that alerts you to the need to transition your parents into memory care. From trouble holding conversations to failing to understand what goes on during certain activities can be signs your parent needs to receive more intensive personal care services. Assisted living residents who suffer from cognitive skills decline often isolate themselves from the rest of the community. Our memory care residents not only receive more intensive personal care, but our caregivers also can help residents recover some diminished cognitive skills.

Physical Impairments

Detecting a decline in a parent’s cognitive skills can be difficult to do because you do not spend as much time with your loved one. However, you can determine if it is time to transition a parent from assisted living to memory care by noticing physical impairments. Perhaps your loved one has lost significant motor control, which negatively impacts balance and coordination. Other types of physical impairment signs that might indicate the development of dementia symptoms include acute pain and chronic fatigue. 

Moving a Parent from Assisted Living to Memory Care

If you decide to move a parent from assisted living to a memory care community, make sure your parent has every cognitive need met to ensure safety. Keep the transition simple, which means choosing an assisted living facility in Phoenix that also offers memory care services. Allow your parents to maintain the same routine, as familiarity represents a powerful feeling that eases stress and anxiety. Seniors who develop dementia symptoms still want to retain control, dignity, and independence.

At MorningStar at Arcadia, we help older adults transition from assisted living to memory care because we devote an entire wing of our facility to providing memory care services. This means you do not have to leave our facility to enroll a parent in a different memory care program located on the other side of the Phoenix metro area. Learn more about the assisted living and memory care services provided by MorningStar at Arcadia by submitting the Contact form.

Reduce the Risk of Cognitive Decline With a Healthy Diet

Researchers have found evidence suggesting genetics, environment, and lifestyle can affect our risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. A poor diet is one of those lifestyle choices that causes high blood pressure and heart disease, and increases a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease. 

WebMD.com reports the MIND diet; a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets has shown promise in reducing the risk or slowing cognitive decline. They cite early studies showing MIND lowered the “risk of Alzheimer's by 53% in those who follow it closely and by 35% in those who follow more loosely.” In 2018, the MIND diet recommendation was expanded to include older adults who have suffered a stroke. 

To adhere to the diet, weekly meals should include food from the following groups: green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil, and wine. They say a good way to start is with a daily salad, one other vegetable, and three servings of whole grains every day. In terms of vegetables, collard greens, kale, and spinach have been found to be especially healthy. 

Poultry should be eaten once a week, fish twice a week and beans every other day. Nuts and berries make good snacks, blueberries and strawberries being some of the best. Olive oil not only adds a great taste to foods but has been shown to improve brain function over the long term and protect against dementia. 

At MorningStar of Santa Fe, we offer assisted living residents a healthy engaged lifestyle with luxury amenities, care services, wellness programs and activities. In addition, our five-star dining experience features seasonal menus with the freshest ingredients from high quality producers, locally sourced whenever possible. 

Meals at MorningStar include a variety of nutritional choices to allow residents to self-manage dietary habits and restrictions and include low sodium, gluten free, sugar free, no sugar added and low-fat options.  Our chef also uses ingredients with high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds known to support brain health and aptly named “Super Foods.”  These include items like acai berries, Omega 3 fats, dark chocolate and dark greens.  Please contact us or visit our website for more information about outstanding senior living in Santa Fe, NM.

MorningStar takes tremendous pride in the reputation we have earned for excellence and authenticity since our inception in 2003.  We believe the human capacity to grow, to learn and to contribute is ageless; and we act upon that truth daily, as we care for, inspire, and love the residents under our roof. Contact us for more information about the finest senior living Santa Fe, NM offers.


Do You Need Hearing Aids?


Did you know the FDA has made changes to regulations regarding hearing aids, which now makes it possible to buy an FDA approved device over the counter (OTC)? While many of us have heard about the high cost of prescription hearing aids and that Medicare typically does not cover them, you may want to know whether the experts think an OTC purchase is a good idea. 

The Harvard Medical School went to Dr. James Naples, assistant professor of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, to see if it is a viable option and to explain potential pros and cons. He explains that despite there being several types of hearing aids, they all amplify sound and use a combination of signaling processing and directional microphones to filter out background noise. However, he warns against confusing personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) with hearing aids as they only amplify sound. 

To determine your level of hearing loss, experts recommend you start by getting a hearing test from an audiologist like you would get an exam from an optometrist when buying eyeglasses. This is especially necessary for severe hearing loss, as OTC devices are not appropriate for all types of hearing loss. For mild to moderate hearing loss, it may be possible to get good results by purchasing an OTC device without a hearing exam and fitting by an audiologist. 

The next question routinely asked is if you will save money by purchasing an OTC hearing aid and the answer is most-likely yes as a single hearing aid’s average cost is $2000, and age-related hearing loss may be in both ears. OTC also helps reduce the price by eliminating the added expense of the hearing test along with the actual device being substantially lower. Doctors say the new regulations should increase competition and some estimates indicate prices could drop by as much as $1,600. 

Dr. Naples cautions that just as drugstore readers are a great option for many, some individuals have more complicated issues that require more precise solutions. Hearing aids are the same. The doctor states the safest bet is to get a hearing test to confirm an OTC device is right for you. 

MorningStar of Albuquerque assisted living and memory care community provides a full range of care and hospitality services as well as luxury amenities. We also offer a complement of wellness programs and activities to help residents stay engaged physically, intellectually, spiritually and socially. Contact us to learn more about exceptional senior living in Albuquerque.

MorningStar has considered it a privilege and responsibility to “cast a new light” on senior living, inspired and empowered by our unique mission: to honor, to value, to invest. Our passionate commitment to serving seniors has proudly earned us a reputation for family satisfaction second to none. Contact us for more information about the finest senior living Albuquerque, NM has to offer.


Source: health.harvard.edu/blog/should-you-get-an-over-the-counter-hearing-aid-202211162852

Friday, August 25, 2023

How Can I Teach My Senior How to Use a Smartphone

Our senior living community in Phoenix, AZ offers a wide variety of activities that residents can participate in to broaden their horizons, as well as continue to learn new living techniques as they enter their golden years. However, one activity you can expect not to see held at an assisted living facility is a class that teaches residents how to use a Smartphone. Many seniors fear Smartphones because they believe the devices are too complicated to learn. They also tend to turn the learning part of the brain off because they do not understand how helpful a Smartphone can be in addressing daily living responsibilities.

If you have a loved one residing at a senior housing community in Phoenix, you might be asking yourself, “How can I teach my senior how to use a Smartphone?” Older adults learn differently than younger adults and adolescents. The key is to adjust your teaching style by starting with building patience during the learning process. You have to demonstrate each task, not just verbally describe it. Encourage your senior loved one to repeat each task until the task is mastered, which can be easy to do if you break down tasks into smaller steps. 

Here are the most important Smartphone tasks to help your senior loved one become more self-sufficient:

Operating a Smartphone

Smartphones come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but one thing remains the same regardless of the type of Smartphone: Your senior loved one needs to know how to operate it. You should explain how to turn the device on and off, as well as how to adjust the volume for delivering and receiving audio messages. Another important operating task to learn involves knowing how to charge a Smartphone and how often your loved one needs to charge it for the phone to maximize its performance. Learning how to navigate a Smartphone requires your senior loved one to understand the icons and how to set up different features to get the most out of the new device.

Managing Contacts

One of the most helpful Smartphone features that seniors benefit from is using contacts. Instead of trying to remember several phone numbers and other types of information, organizing and managing the contact features helps your loved one gain access to the phone numbers of friends and family members by simply clicking one name listed on the contacts page. You should teach your senior loved one how to add contacts, as well as manage the information by creating default phone numbers and email addresses. In addition, teach your loved one how to set up emergency contact information, such as the phone numbers of important healthcare-related businesses.

Sending Emails and Text Messages

One of the most popular features of Smartphones is the ability for users to communicate without having to hold a verbal conversation. Your loved one needs to know how to send emails and text messages to get the most out of their new devices. Make sure you do not assume your senior loved one knows the difference between emails and text messages. Explain the differences in the purpose of each type of written communication, and then show your loved one how to send and retrieve emails and text messages. For emails, help your senior loved one sign up for an account with a popular service such as Google or Yahoo. When it comes to text messages, education becomes much more thorough, as you want to demonstrate how to use a texting app and how to start a text conversation.

Learn about the highly-rated resident services offered by our assisted living facility in Phoenix, Arizona by submitting the short form found on our website.

Enjoy this Low Impact Exercise for Seniors this Summer

With temperatures rising, seniors are looking for effective ways to cool down, relax, and remain active while staying safe. As we age, joint pain and weaker muscles may make it difficult to participate in exercises from when we were younger. Water aerobics is a popular senior activity for this reason. Water aerobics in senior living facilities is a great, low-impact exercise that keeps seniors active, even if they have chronic health issues, such as arthritis, joint problems, and circulation issues. 

For seniors wanting to remain active, falling is a serious risk associated with exercise. The properties of water help seniors stay balanced and take the pressure off their bones and joints. This is why seniors enjoy this low-impact exercise in the summer. Senior living facilities, like MorningStar Senior Living, encourage seniors to live an active and safe lifestyle. Our Wellness Programs & Activities at MorningStar are always looking for fun and exciting ways to keep seniors active and engaged. 


Water Aerobics is also great for seniors recovering from injury. If you or someone you know has recently undergone a hip or knee replacement, water aerobics will help take the pressure off those areas. Many seniors find that water aerobics and walking in the pool, doing arm stretches, and leg kicks underwater are therapeutic and overall, painless. 


If you attend a water aerobics class, there is also the added benefit of socialization and friendship building. Afterward, you may find yourself grabbing a bite to eat in one of MorningStar’s bistros, cafes, or dining rooms. Perhaps you will even put together a book club or movie watching group. Whether physical, intellectual, spiritual, or social, our Life Enrichment Teams at MorningStar Senior Living and Assisted Living present creative ways to stay active and productive that encourage friendship and compassion.

Contact us today if you want to know about the best senior living community with built-in companionship, predictable budgeting, and modern memory care Nevada has to offer. MorningStar Senior Living Retirement Homes in Sparks, Nevada takes care of the worry and stress of aging, allowing seniors more time to do the things they love. Whether it’s fulfilling a calling, finding a new opportunity through volunteerism, or spending time with friends and loved ones and relaxing, contact us to schedule a tour of our memory care community near you. 

To learn more about MorningStar’s Senior Living in Reno, contact our staff who are happy to answer any questions. Our website also provides information on our company’s history and vision and what sets us apart from other retirement facilities in Nevada. We encourage you to see the most exceptional and dependable senior living Sparks, Nevada offers.


Companion Living Available at MorningStar of Santa Fe

MorningStar of Santa Fe recognizes that for some, assisted living can seem out of reach for them financially, which is why we strive to help families find ways to make it affordable.  One of the solutions we offer is “Companion Living.”  This is where two unrelated people of the same sex share a suite, whether in assisted living or memory care.

Obviously, it is ideal if you have a relative, friend or acquaintance that is looking for the same type of situation and you can pair up to share a suite with them.  However, we know that option is not always available, so we step in and help find a suitable companion for you.  We carefully pair residents together based on common backgrounds and interests as that provides a good basis for building a friendship.  With this living arrangement, the rent of the shared suite is split.  


Beyond the financial advantage, companion living can help ease the transition to a senior living community.  The presence of a roommate can encourage more confident socialization with the broader community, and having someone around who knows the ropes is always helpful.  Also, you can look out for one another’s interests and most likely be the first one to notice a change in the other’s health or abilities.  As we all know, when a friend is present, everything else suddenly feels that much better.


MorningStar of Santa Fe offers residents an engaged lifestyle that includes a wide range of programs and activities as well as nutritional daily meals. Our many onsite amenities include a bistro bar, chapel/theatre, library, salon, fitness room, resident garden beds, courtyards and strolling paths.  If you are looking for a community with an exceptional care team along with amenities and services unmatched by other senior living in Santa Fe, NM, please visit our website to learn more about MorningStar.  

MorningStar takes tremendous pride in the reputation we have earned for excellence and authenticity since our inception in 2003.  We believe the human capacity to grow, to learn and to contribute is ageless; and we act upon that truth daily, as we care for, inspire, and love the residents under our roof. Contact us for more information about the finest senior living Santa Fe, NM has to offer.

When to be Concerned About Memory Loss

As we grow older, many of us find ourselves becoming forgetful and worry it could be a sign of Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Researchers say it is true that the older we get we are more forgetful as at least half of those over age 65 say that they are more forgetful than they were when they were younger, experiencing ‘senior moments’ about things like where they put things or recalling somebody’s name.

The question then becomes what the difference between “normal” age-related memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease is. Studies find the brain shows warning signs of Alzheimer’s approximately fifteen years before someone experiences symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and quite a while before the first real signs of dementia start.


Concerning signs of memory loss include not just forgetting an appointment or someone’s name, but repeatedly forgetting it. Another sign that something more serious is going on is if family members start to notice a loved one’s forgetfulness or confusion. Constantly repeating questions, forgetting the word for something or getting lost in a familiar neighborhood are other signs of a bigger problem. Judgement and planning may also be impaired, and tasks the person used to be good at like balancing a checkbook or following a recipe can become frustrating and difficult. 


To know for sure what is happening, you need to make an appointment with your doctor. They can do a complete medical work-up including looking at the medications you’re taking, and checking for signs of depression and other environmental issues, which could account for symptoms. If you are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or a dementia-related disease, there are treatments that may lessen disease progression, and drug and non-drug options that may help symptoms.


Along with assisted living, MorningStar of Albuquerque provides compassionate, individualized care for those with mild to advanced stages of Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.  As dementia care specialists, we provide support to our residents and their families with an array of services, wellness programs and activities essential to quality of life. Our approach to memory care is encompassed under the expanse of possibilities we call Lavender Sky and uses a broad range of Montessori-based therapy techniques. Contact us or visit our website for more information about trusted senior living in Albuquerque.

MorningStar is guided by a culture rooted in our mission of honoring God, valuing seniors, and investing in our team, which allows us to deliver services with warmth, sincerity and depth of purpose. We have built a reputation for creating homes filled with an atmosphere of love and community. Please contact us to learn more about the finest senior living Albuquerque, NM offers.



Thursday, August 24, 2023

Looking for Senior Living in the Denver Area?

MorningStar of Wheat Ridge is a vibrant senior living community located in a northern suburb of Denver. Our community offers 45 graciously appointed assisted living suites consisting of spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans. In our Reflections Neighborhood, we have 19 memory care suites devoted to the individualized care of those with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.   

We want you to know there are several things that set our community apart from others and that we strive to provide residents with the best of the best.  Whether it is our gorgeous interiors and exteriors, a host of wellness programs and activities, or most importantly a responsive staff that is honored to serve seniors, we feel MorningStar offers unparalleled senior living.  Our goal is to provide residents with the care they need to lead more comfortable, healthier lives and give them a place they are proud to call “home.”    


Our location makes it easy to get to hospitals, banks, shopping and restaurants, and among our many services and amenities, we provide scheduled transportation.  MorningStar of Wheat Ridge also gives families peace of mind knowing their loved one is receiving the care they need with an individualized care plan, 24/7 Care Managers, a full-time licensed nurse, and other services.  

 

Amenities include three daily meals prepared largely from scratch under the direction of our Executive Chef and served restaurant-style in our lovely dining room.  At MorningStar we feel breaking bread together offers far more than physical nutrients – it helps to bond us together as family and friends.  Our community also has plenty of common areas that are perfect for entertaining family and friends, chatting with another resident, or just quietly reading a book.  In addition, our community has a fireside patio, fitness room, bistro, theatre/chapel, salon, private dining room and more. Please contact us or visit our website for more information.


MorningStar takes tremendous pride in the reputation we have earned for excellence and authenticity since our inception in 2003.  We believe the human capacity to grow, to learn and to contribute is ageless; and we act upon that truth daily, as we care for, inspire, and love the residents under our roof. Contact us to learn more about the finest senior living in Wheat Ridge, CO.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

4 Art Activities for Seniors in Memory Care


Staying mentally alert during the golden years requires participating in activities that give the brain a robust workout. From solving crossword puzzles alone to completing Tai Chi exercises in a group setting, seniors have many opportunities at our memory care facility in Phoenix, Arizona to give the brains a welcome workout. One of the most popular activities for seniors at assisted living facilities is to finish creative art projects. Residents with dementia especially benefit from art therapy because art helps patients improve impaired language skills, as well as bolster cognitive skills.

Our memory care specialists plan art projects for residents with several planning tips in mind. First, we encourage a loved one to be around to provide encouragement, Second, we choose adult-oriented art projects to grab the interest of residents. Third, we interact with our memory care residents throughout the duration of an art project. Fourth, we help our residents remain patient even when an art project does not go in the direction it should.

Let’s review four art activities for seniors in memory care.

Coloring Books

Achieving small steps is an effective strategy to help someone with dementia gain the confidence to try taking larger steps. This philosophy applies to art activities as well. Have your senior loved one start by filling in the pages of simple coloring books before moving on to more complex pages. One of the most frustrating experiences for memory care patients is not being able to complete what were once easy tasks, which means slow and steady is the way to go for participating in art activities.

Sculpting

Working with our hands generates the type of mental stimulation that keeps us motivated to continue with a task. The same principle applies to memory care residents at our assisted living facility. Sculpting with clay or wood represents an engaging way to complete a creative art project. We encourage our memory care residents that participate in sculpting projects to at first look at another object before they attempt to create sculpted art by imagining another object.

Painting

After mastering coloring books, the next logical step on the path to creating art involves painting on a canvas. Painting is often the first art activity that comes to mind for memory care patients, but at the MorningStar at Arcadia memory care facility in Phoenix, our caregivers make sure a resident is ready to tackle a more intricate art activity such as painting. One of the most effective ways to engage memory care patients with a painting project is to follow the wet-on-wet painting technique, which makes it much easier to blend colors that create attractive landscapes and seascapes.

Create Collages

If a memory care resident is unable to use a crayon or paintbrush, we encourage the resident to create collages out of different materials. All the memory care resident has to do is choose from different sources such as newspaper articles and family photographs to create a visually appealing collage. Our memory caregivers prepare the material sources before starting to work on a collage project, as well as help residents paste images onto each collage page.

At MorningStar at Arcadia, we closely follow our mission statement of “to honor, to value, to invest” when it comes to providing memory care at our Phoenix, AZ facility. We have developed an operating foundation based on the biblical principle of honoring God, as well as valuing the contributions made by our senior residents. Discover more about the loving atmosphere surrounded by spectacular scenery at MorningStar at Arcadia by scheduling a tour today.

Memory Care at MorningStar of Wheat Ridge

At MorningStar of Wheat Ridge, we understand a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or another dementia-related disease is devastating and we want families to know we are here to help. Our community offers loving, compassionate care to those with memory impairment in our Reflections Neighborhood. The MorningStar Senior Living company brings 20 years of experience to memory care in senior communities across eleven states.  

MorningStar’s holistic approach to memory care incorporates some of the most respected research-based care programs available.  We are different from other communities in that every aspect of our memory care is designed from the ground up to accommodate residents. Secure and inviting, the Reflections Neighborhood gives residents as much freedom as possible. 

Through the rigors of MorningStar’s Lavender Sky training, our staff truly understands Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-loss conditions; and after a family decides to place a loved one in our care, we get to work. This starts by learning as much as we can about the person’s background, talents and personal preferences through a tool called “To Know Me is To Love Me.” Using this information, we create a specialized, individualized care plan that helps to calm or stimulate as a particular situation needs. 

Meals are attractively served, and tasty as well as nutritional. Many foods are easily eaten with fingers to accommodate those who may have trouble using a fork and knife. In addition, our wellness programs keep residents purposefully engaged and leverage the power of music, dance, art, aromatherapy and animals to heal and comfort, as we focus on residents’ unique needs.         

Along with memory care, we offer assisted living as well as respite care and short-term stays (from one week up to a full month). Please contact us or visit our website for more information about trusted senior living at MorningStar.

MorningStar is guided by a culture rooted in our mission of honoring God, valuing seniors, and investing in our team, which allows us to deliver services with warmth, sincerity, and depth of purpose. We have built a reputation for creating homes filled with an atmosphere of love and community. Contact us to learn more about outstanding assisted living and memory care in Wheat Ridge, CO.