Assisted Living at MorningStar of Albuquerque

If you are looking for outstanding assisted living, we encourage you to consider MorningStar of Albuquerque.  For seniors who wish to maintain their independence but require assistance with ADLs (activities of daily living), our 48 assisted living suites are equipped with all the modern conveniences and safety features.  Available in a variety of well-designed floor plans, suites have high ceilings, kitchenettes and private heating & air conditioning.  For residents’ peace of mind and safety, our suites are also equipped with emergency call systems to ensure help is there if the need arises as well as handicap-accessible bathrooms.

In assisted living, we offer various levels of support with the ADLs (we have 5 levels in all), and your care plan is determined after a thorough assessment with our Wellness Director, and in agreement with you and your family. Various auxiliary services, both medical and non-medical, are priced a la carte.  However, regardless of your level of care, all assisted living residents have access to around-the-clock Care Managers to ensure your safety as they compassionately meet your expressed (and even unexpressed) needs.   

If you are someone who finds that preparing meals has become too difficult due to your health or is just not something you enjoy any more, you will be delighted to know we offer three daily meals created by our Executive Chef.  All our delicious meals are served in our beautiful dining room, restaurant-style, and prepared largely from scratch using the freshest ingredients to tempt the most particular taste buds.  

Why we believe our care to be different from that of other senior communities is by the type of individuals who make up our team.  When we set out to hire a new staff member, we look for virtues such as character, kindness and selflessness as we believe these are just as important as education or experience.  Moreover, many of our team members come to us for a job as they love the idea of working for a company with core values that include Love, Respect, Honesty, Fairness, Goodness, and Kindness. Please contact us or visit our website to learn more about MorningStar’s luxury senior living in Albuquerque. 

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 Albuquerque, NM offers.

MorningStar at Arcadia is Designed with Seniors’ Safety in Mind

Peace of mind. That is what you get when a loved one calls our senior living facility home.

When you search for an assisted living facility in Phoenix, you consider several factors before making a well-informed decision. The quality of healthcare services represents one of the most important factors to consider, especially if your loved one suffers from memory loss. Other factors to consider include activities, amenities, and room comfort. Also at the top of your research list is the level of safety and security features.

Let’s discover why MorningStar at Arcadia is designed with seniors’ safety in mind.

Alert Systems

One of the greatest worries that keep you up at night is that your loved one might slip and fall. Our in-room alert system ensures our residents receive immediate assistance after an accident. The simple-to-activate alert system operates around the clock to protect our residents. As another type of alert system, the wander management system detects the presence of residents that have left the safe areas of our memory care facility in Phoenix. Residents wear a bracelet that sounds an alarm every time they leave a safe area and enter an area of our facility where they should not be located.

Access Control

One of the most effective strategies to protect our residents involves controlling access to our facility at every entry point. From the front entrance to the loading dock, MorningStar at Arcadia controls access at every entry point to our facility. The front entrance includes a registration area for guests, as well as an intercom that allows visitors to interact with one of our resident services specialists. Every door has a contact that immediately connects with a nurse call system to notify a nurse every time a door opens and closes after visiting hours. We also conduct frequent inspections after hours to ensure every visitor has left the building.

Resident Monitoring

One of the breakthroughs for securing an assisted living facility involves incorporating resident monitoring technology into a safety and security system. Since caregivers cannot be in every room around the clock, a resident monitoring system becomes the eyes and ears of the caregiver staff. An in-room resident monitoring system makes it much easier to manage medical care services, especially for residents that require memory care assistance. Tools such as motion sensors, wireless pendants, and watchdog systems represent some of the most recent technological developments for enhancing the safety and security of our residents.

Safety Cameras

Video security cameras are not just for surveillance. They also are used to protect the safety of the residents of our Phoenix assisted living facility. Our safety cameras ensure quality control when dispensing medications and managing other vital resources. Video cameras also act as a deterrent to criminals that want to steal property or try to make an unauthorized entrance into our memory care facility. Advanced surveillance technology allows us to program the system to record and notify staff members of trespassing. Safety cameras allow MorningStar to staff fewer security guards, which lowers the cost of staying at one of our senior living facilities.

Our mission statement “to honor, to value, to invest” in our residents resonates throughout the MorningStar assisted living facility in Phoenix, AZ. Connect with one of our resident services representatives today to learn more about the comprehensive program to protect the safety of our residents.

6 Summer Meals for Seniors

As we grow older, diet and nutrition play increasingly important roles in helping us maintain healthy lifestyles. Unfortunately, seniors start to lose interest in what they eat due to a decrease in appetite, as well as the diminishing senses of taste and smell. When summer rolls around in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, maintaining a diet that consists of the right amount of vitamins and minerals can be difficult to do because of the incredible heat.

At our senior living community in Phoenix, diet and nutrition play an integral role in creating 6 summer meals for seniors that generate universal appeal.

Sandwiches

Light, yet filling sandwiches represent the perfect alternative to a hot meal served on a scorching hot desert day. High in antioxidants, nutrient-packed salmon represents the ideal feature for a sandwich. Egg salad is another nutritious option for a sandwich, as eggs contain beneficial minerals such as zinc and iron, as well as vitamins, A, B12, and D. Tuna has a similar nutrition profile as salmon, as both types of seafood contain plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. Ham, which is packed with protein and calcium, is the centerpiece of the popular ham and cheese sandwich.

Salads

To retain energy while cooling off from a mid-summer day, enjoying a fresh salad for lunch is the way to go. Salads can be basic such as a Greek salad or as exotic as a spiced chicken and pineapple salad. The key is to incorporate ingredients that contain high levels of helpful vitamins and minerals such as lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Soups

Serving soup on a blazing hot desert summer day seems counterintuitive. However, soup is much more than a body-warming winter dish. Soups like summer vegetable minestrone deliver a high level of nutritional value, without packing on pounds. One of the many appeals of soup is you can portion and freeze batches for future consumption.

Cold Chicken Pasta Salad

Using whole wheat pasta, which is a complex carbohydrate, you can enjoy a full-of-fiber dish that takes just a short time to make. The release of fiber slowly generates energy over an extended period to keep older adults on their feet throughout the day. Chicken represents the ideal protein counterpart for this chilled recipe.

Spanish Omelet

This summer meal for seniors can be served any time of day, such as the main course at breakfast or a late-in-the-day snack that provides plenty of calories. A Spanish omelet requires only five ingredients that include vitamin and mineral-packed eggs. You can eat this meal hot or cold, as well as incorporate a wide variety of vegetables to combine with your favorite protein source. The omelet also pairs well with a fresh fruit salad.

Broccoli, Boiled Potatoes, and Sausage Rolls

The last meal on our summer list for seniors covers many of the nutrition bases. Broccoli is a great source of iron, vitamin K, and fiber, while potatoes deliver ample amounts of potassium and vitamin C. To make this meal feel more like a summer dish, you can serve the sausage rolls cold and serve a healthy side salad. If you want to serve each element of the meal cold, you have to prepare each element in advance for storage in a refrigerator.Learn more about the healthy summer meals served at our assisted living facility in Phoenix, AZ by scheduling a free guided tour.

Looking for a Senior Living Community in the Phoenix, AZ Area?

Has a loved one hit one of the most significant forks in life’s many roads? This fork in the road appears late in life and it concerns transitioning from a fully independent lifestyle to one that involves at least some form of receiving assisted living services. A senior living facility in Phoenix, Arizona is the ideal option for older adults who struggle with a few facets of daily living responsibilities, but generally do well living an independent lifestyle.

If you are looking for a senior living community in the Phoenix, AZ area, we operate the right venue that provides highly-rated caregiver services.

Let’s review a list of the factors you should consider when looking for an assisted living facility.

Location

Location represents one of the most important factors involved in choosing the right assisted living facility for a loved one. Not only does proximity matter, but the local laws governing the operation of a facility matter as well. MorningStar at Arcadia is conveniently located close to downtown Phoenix, as well as a short drive from suburbs such as Mesa, Tempe, and Scottsdale. Our facility also is located near the most popular social, cultural, and recreational destinations in the Phoenix metro region.

Size

Size refers to the number of beds in a senior living community. Varying greatly among facilities in the greater Phoenix area, size directly impacts the environment of an assisted living facility such as the types of services and amenities. For example, larger facilities typically offer more amenities like swimming pools and entertainment options. Larger facilities also can provide care for residents that live with some degree of memory loss. Size impacts the staff-to-resident ratio, which is a key indicator that measures the quality of care delivered at a senior living community.

Caters to All Senior Lifestyles

Transitioning to living at a senior living community in Phoenix does not have to wait until a loved one begins to show signs of requiring some form of care. At MorningStar at Arcadia, many of our residents join our fully independent living community not because they require focused healthcare or another type of service, but because they want to find new friends and/or participate in an active social calendar. We offer three broad lifestyle options, with each option allowing residents to customize the services that include memory care in Phoenix.

Activities

One of the proven strategies that prevent or delay the development of memory care issues is to participate in an active lifestyle that maintains both mental and physical skills. The best senior living communities in Phoenix offer an activities calendar that meets the needs of residents. Examples of a robust activities calendar include onsite art classes and musical performances, as well as trips to the most popular social and cultural venues located in the Valley of the Sun.

Cost

The timeless saying, “You get what you paid for,” is especially appropriate for an assisted living facility. You do not want to cut financial corners when choosing a home for a loved one. However, you do want to find an assisted living facility that does not put a substantial dent in your budget. One of the most effective ways to finance the move to an assisted living facility is to use the proceeds from selling a loved one’s home to put into an escrow account for meeting future senior housing payments.

Discover what makes MorningStar at Arcadia one of the most popular senior living communities in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area by scheduling a comprehensive tour.

Taking Care of Your Senior at Home Might Be More Expensive Than You Think

Moving a loved one into an assisted living facility is one of, if not the most difficult decision to make. After deciding that some level of assisted care is needed for a loved one, you then have to conduct research to find the best senior living community in the Phoenix area. Several factors come into play to help you decide which facility is the best option for the next phase in your loved one’s life. Factors such as types of care and the ratio of caregivers to residents point you in the right direction.

For many people, cost represents the pivotal factor for deciding which assisted living facility to choose for a senior. The average cost of a one-bedroom assisted living facility in the United States runs more than $3,700 a month, with the cost running much higher in metropolitan areas such as Phoenix. However, did you know taking care of your senior at home might be more expensive than you think?

Let’s look at the reasons why.

Healthcare

There is no getting around it: Healthcare costs soar for seniors. If you decide to take care of a senior at home, you can expect healthcare costs to consume a substantial percentage of your budget. According to a study released by AARP’s Family Caregiving and Out-of-Pocket Costs Report, nearly 80 percent of respondents said they incur some form of out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. When the time comes to consider healthcare options at a senior living community in Phoenix, determine whether your loved one qualifies for Medicare assistance to help reduce healthcare costs.

Accessibility

Providing home care for a senior frequently requires an investment in accessibility infrastructure such as an entrance ramp and/or a wheelchair lift. These types of accessibility infrastructure cost a considerable amount of money, along with accessibility equipment like a motorized shopping cart. You can make home care more accessible by moving a senior’s bedroom to the first floor or hiring a state-licensed home care professional, but you still have to pay out-of-pocket for accessibility costs.

Daily Expenses

Unlike healthcare and accessibility costs that take large chunks out of your bank account, daily expenses nibble away at your cash flow until one day you realize that you can save money on daily expenses by moving a senior loved one into an assisted living facility. Daily costs such as food, fuel, and utilities can quickly consume an entire monthly budget before you reach the middle of the month. You might be able to save money on a program such as Meals on Wheels, but in the long run, a senior living community such as MorningStar at Arcadia saves you money on daily expenses.

Time

You cannot place a dollar and cents value on it, but time might be the costliest item on your senior’s caregiving bill. The amount of time it takes to run errands for your loved one, as well as cook meals and wash clothes can make it difficult, if not impossible to meet all your personal and professional obligations. Moving your senior into a highly-rated senior living facility such as MorningStar at Arcadia frees up a significant amount of time.

Find out more about how you can save money on senior care services by moving a loved one into our assisted living facility in Phoenix, AZ.

Is It Time to Start Thinking About a Memory Care Community for Your Senior?

It is not a sudden shift that you notice from one day to the next. Instead, memory loss represents one of the slowest-developing medical conditions. A senior loved one might show occasional signs such as forgetting where he put the car keys or temporarily failing to remember the name of one of her grandchildren. Because of its slow-developing nature, memory loss often goes unnoticed until it reaches the critical stage of development. This begs the question: How do you notice the signs of memory loss suffered by a loved one? 

If you notice the signs of memory loss, you are faced with just as important of a question. Is it time to start thinking about a memory care community in Phoenix, Arizona?

What Are the Signs of Dementia?

Memory loss is just one of several signs that indicate a loved one might be suffering from some form of dementia. Forgetting the placement of car and house keys once in a while does not indicate your loved one has dementia. However, combined with other signs in addition to memory loss, the time might have arrived to think about a memory care community for your senior.

Difficulty concentrating represents one of the most common signs of dementia. What was once a leisurely and mind-stimulating activity such as completing a crossword puzzle has turned into an exercise in immense frustration. The inability to concentrate can reach the point when a loved one becomes frustrated enough to lash out at you and other family members. A loved one with memory loss might struggle to hold a conversation, as well as become confused about time and place.

Another telltale sign that a loved one has at least reached the early stage of developing dementia concerns finding it difficult to complete standard daily tasks like bathing and cooking meals. When a loved one has trouble completing basic daily living responsibilities, the time has come to consider moving your senior loved one into a memory care facility in Phoenix.

What Should I Look for in a Memory Care Community?

Every one of the residents at our senior living facility has unique needs that need to be met in an assisted living environment. To begin your quest to find the best memory care facility, make sure the environment exudes a home-like environment. You should avoid facilities that present austere design features such as white linoleum floors and super-bright fluorescent lighting. Safety should be an important criterion as well, as the best assisted living facilities like MorningStar at Arcadia feature safety elements like an in-room alert system.

Providing memory care requires an incredible amount of patience and empathy. During a visit to a memory care facility, observe how the staff interacts with memory care residents. They should display genuine compassion for the residents, as well as receive ongoing training to remain current with dementia care topics. Because memory care patients typically require mental stimulation, the memory care facility that you choose should offer a busy and engaging activities calendar. In addition, one-on-one interactions between staff and residents are important for typically solo activities like solving a jigsaw puzzle.

Set in a scenic area of greater Phoenix, AZ, our senior living facility provides highly-rated memory care for older adults that struggle with all stages of dementia. Learn more about our memory care facility by scheduling a comprehensive tour.

Make Sure Your Senior is Getting the Right Nutrients by Including These 4 Ingredients in His Meals

One of the most important services provided by our senior living facility in Phoenix, Arizona concerns ensuring our residents consume healthy meals. The key to achieving this goal is to serve menu items that are chock-full of the nutrients seniors need to live robust lives. This is an especially relevant goal for seniors that require memory care support in Phoenix.

As we age, it becomes more important to eat healthy foods and drink healthy beverages. Changes in the physiology of our bodies result in lower energy requirements, which translates into eating meals that contain fewer calories. Reducing portion sizes is a vital factor in decreasing caloric intake, but seniors also should pay attention to what they eat. The days of grabbing a second slice of cake or a second helping of macaroni and cheese are not gone, but the number of them has dramatically declined.

At the MorningStar at Arcadia assisted living facility, we have a team of nutritionists that help our chefs devise the healthiest meals consisting of foods that deliver the right nutrients. Not one single food group provides all the nutrients our residents need. Instead, our menus include a wide variety of nutrient sources, which include the 4 most important ingredients of fruits, vegetables, pasta, fish, and healthy oils.

What Are the Right Nutrients That Should Be a Part of a Senior’s Diet?

Seniors need to eat foods that contain certain vitamins and minerals that foster the development of a healthy lifestyle.

Calcium

Osteoarthritis is a frequent ailment for older adults, especially older adults over the age of 65 years old. The medical condition receives plenty of attention, such as commercials running throughout the day highlighting the seriousness of the medical condition, as well as strategies to delay or even prevent weakening bones. Calcium represents the most effective vitamin and mineral to reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis. The most abundant sources of calcium come from dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt. Seniors also receive ample calcium by consuming green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli.

Iron

Iron represents a mineral that the body requires for growth and development. The body absorbs iron to produce hemoglobin, which is a protein that supplies oxygen to muscles. Iron also helps the body generate hormones. The most prolific source of iron comes from red meat, but some seniors might have to leave red meat out of their diets because of heart health concerns. Other plentiful food sources of iron include peas, beans, and lentils, which seniors can consume as part of heart-healthy soups and salads. Oily fish like sardines also deliver ample amounts of iron to the bloodstream

Vitamin C and Vitamin D

Foods and beverages that are rich in vitamin C help the body absorb iron in the bloodstream. Consuming citrus fruits, as well as vegetables such as peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes, deliver the right amounts of vitamin C for the body. Vitamin D helps develop and maintain strong bones, teeth, and muscles. Exposure to sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D, but you must be careful not to be overexposed to the sun. For seniors residing at an assisted living facility in Phoenix, AZ, the team of nutritionists might recommend taking vitamin D supplements.

The MorningStar mission statement of “to honor, to value, to invest” is especially relevant for the diets our residents follow. Discover how our senior living facility ensures residents consume the right nutrients by connecting with one of our resident services specialists.