Dementia Increases the Risk of Falling

A report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, noted that while falls are extremely common in seniors 65 years of age and older, individuals with Alzheimer’s disease are at an even greater risk.  Statistics show that approximately one in three seniors fall each year.  In those with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia, the “rate is more than doubled in those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia: 70 percent of those with dementia experience at least one fall each year.”

Researchers say there are several reasons for this including gait and balance issues as well as problems concentrating and with staying focused on the task at hand.  Another reason for a fall is certain medications that can cause drowsiness. Whatever the reason, falling can be a big problem for seniors who live alone and have cognition issues as they may not have access to help when they need it.

At MorningStar of Fountain Hills, our loving Reflections Neighborhood is designed to address the unique needs of our most tender residents to ensure their safety and comfort.  Furthermore, our memory care community provides a secure setting, which allows residents to explore their spacious surroundings freely and easily.  Our specialized care includes finding ways to connect with and nurture the essence of the individual, and to celebrate and elevate life.

Our Reflections Neighborhood offers 28 secure suites, and includes shared, studio and one-bedroom floor plans.  We are also equipped to provide compassionate care from the onset of the disease right through to the most advanced stages.  Please visit our website to learn more about MorningStar of Fountain Hills’ exceptional assisted living and memory care.   

At MorningStar of Fountain Hills, we exemplify the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “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…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. Please call to schedule a visit to see firsthand the finest assisted living and memory care in the area.

Does Your Parent or Loved One Need More Help?

Have you started to think your parent or a loved one may need more care in the near future to assure their safety and wellbeing?  If the time is coming when they will need help with daily personal care activities, you may want to consider assisted living.   A community such as MorningStar of Fountain Hills offers a residential home where your loved one will be provided the care they need to allow them to live as independently as possible.
 
If this sounds like your situation, you will want to include your parent in the decision making process as the more they are involved, the better they will accept the decision.  In the case of a loved one being in denial about the need for changes in their lifestyle, it may help to read suggestions from experts on how to navigate through the process such as MorningStar’s Decision Guide, which is available through our website.  

Stella Henry, R.N., author of The Eldercare Handbook, explains, “Many seniors unrealistically believe they can take care of themselves for the rest of their lives.”  She suggests you start laying the groundwork for eventual lifestyle changes now regardless of whether a change is eminent or sometime in the distant future. Another specialist, Barry Jacobs, PsyD, a psychologist who has counseled many people through the emotional journey of moving elderly parents, advises adult children to ask their parent to “indulge” them by visiting an assisted living community.  He adds that people are more likely to reconsider their position if a decision is of their own making. 

If you are looking for assisted living or memory care in the Fountain Hills, AZ area, we invite you to consider MorningStar of Fountain Hills.  We are one of MorningStar’s four communities in the Valley of the Sun, convenient to Scottsdale and Phoenix, and offer a choice of 63 private assisted living suites on two levels.  Our Reflections Neighborhood has 28 suites devoted to the individualized, specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Please call us for more details. 

At MorningStar of Fountain Hills, we exemplify the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “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…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. Please call to schedule a visit to see firsthand the finest assisted living and memory care in the area.

Assisted Living is More Affordable with “Companion Living”

While seniors have discovered the many benefits of senior living, MorningStar of Fountain Hills understands that for some older adults the cost may be too high to comfortably afford.  This is why we consider it part of our job to help area seniors find creative ways to make the move to assisted living possible.

One of the things we offer to make it more affordable is “Companion Living.”  Whether you wish to move into assisted living or memory care, Companion Living allows two unrelated people of the same sex to share the expense of a suite.  Furthermore, if you do not have a friend or relative to share a suite with, we will carefully pair you up with another senior who shares your interests and background. 

The advantage of companion living also goes far beyond economics as companionship is important for a person’s health and wellbeing. We believe we are designed by our Creator for relationships, and that isolation can drain us of energy and purpose.  When a senior loses their life partner after being married 40, 50, or 60 years, it can be a very lonely existence and a companion can help to diminish those feelings of loneliness, and help the person to reconnect. 

Offering built-in companionship, it can additionally help to ease the transition of moving into a senior living community.  Also, as roommates naturally look after each other’s interests, they may be the first one to notice changes in their roomies’ health or abilities.

Please visit our website to get an idea of the various amenities and services we offer as well as to set up a tour of our gorgeous community.  We are certain MorningStar of Fountain Hills’ exceptional architecture and design will impress you from the first but the thing we are most proud of is our dedicated, loving team.    

At MorningStar of Fountain Hills, we exemplify the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “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…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. Please call to schedule a visit to see firsthand the finest assisted living and memory care in the area.

What is Dementia?

Dementia may still be one of the most misunderstood medical conditions of today.  From believing dementia is an inevitable part of aging to thinking any sign of forgetfulness is evidence of dementia, many people hold inaccurate views regarding the term.  The Alzheimer’s Association defines dementia as not being a specific disease.  Rather they say, “It's an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities.” 

Also, it can complicate the matter as the term dementia covers a range of conditions with the most common one being Alzheimer’s disease.  Other forms of dementia include vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and other disorders.  

To determine if your or a loved one’s memory loss is a symptom of dementia, you need to be evaluated by a health care professional.  Simply being forgetful is not enough for a doctor to make the diagnosis of dementia but rather he or she will run a series of tests to determine if there is other evidence of cognition problems.   Other signs of dementia involve a person having difficulty completing sentences or finding the right word to say, difficulty completing tasks, and difficulty recognizing items or people.   

In some cases the person may exhibit signs of poor judgement and have trouble performing common household chores, paying bills, or preparing food.  They may have problems with organizing thoughts, and repeatedly ask the same questions or relate the same stories. A person with dementia can lose their way even in a familiar environment as well as become more agitated and irritable. 

At MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Fountain Hills, we have 28 secure suites devoted to the individualized care of those with memory impairment from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related conditions along with 63 assisted living suites. Please visit our website to learn more about our holistic approach to memory care.  

At MorningStar of Fountain Hills, we exemplify the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “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…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. Please call to schedule a visit to see firsthand the finest assisted living and memory care in the area.

MorningStar at Englefield Green’s Holistic Approach to Dementia Care

At MorningStar at Englefield Green, our community is dedicated to the specialized care of individuals with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.  We take a holistic approach to our care, which starts with the utmost respect and compassion for each resident, borne out of a deep understanding of the many pathologies known collectively as dementia, including the most prevalent, Alzheimer’s disease.

  

Our secure and loving community can provide the care your family member needs at the onset of the disease through to the most advanced stages where the highest level of care is required.  The creative side of our dementia care begins with learning about each resident.  We interview the family to get a thorough understanding of a person’s history and use that knowledge to aid in their care and to develop a trust between the resident and our staff.  To help control adverse behaviors associated with the disease, we use a variety of multi-sensory cues, including aromatherapy, to calm and to awaken memories, to support capabilities and to affirm the individual’s dignity and value.

Our team at MorningStar at Englefield Green works every day to make a difference in the lives of our residents.  That’s why we are very gratified when we hear from family members who appreciate our efforts. One example is a review posted by the daughter of two of our residents.  She said, “The staff are wonderful and very caring of the residents. They truly love working with them and are so good. If there is an issue - any kind - they work to take care of it immediately or make sure those that can fix it, do so. Very receptive to ideas and enjoy "help" or participation in classes. My parents (both have Alzheimer's) are there and they get excellent care.”

Please contact us to learn more about our exceptional community. 

  

The unique mission statement of MorningStar at Englefield Green, “to honor, to serve, to invest,” sets us apart from other assisted living communities.  Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing seniors and investing in a staff with a felt calling to serve, and offers loving, compassionate care in a beautiful residential setting.  We encourage you to schedule a tour to see for yourself the finest dementia care in Boise.   

Beautifully-designed Floorplans at MorningStar of Rio Rancho

MorningStar of Rio Rancho is a newly opened, luxury assisted living and memory care community that has been meticulously designed to meet our residents’ every need.  Starting with a full array of amenities and services and fine dining along with entertaining and enriching activities and outings, we are committed to providing residents with a carefree lifestyle.  Whether you are relaxing in our spacious common areas (inside or out) or in your own private suite, you will be proud to call MorningStar of Rio Rancho home. 

You will find our gorgeous selection of assisted living suites is designed to please the most discerning seniors.  Available in a range of configurations including large studios and one- and two-bedroom floorplans, each one is ready to move into and just requires your furnishings and personal items to make it feel like home.  Beautifully designed with high ceilings, wall-to-wall carpeting, large windows, mini-blinds, and lots of lighting, our suites also offer safety features such as an emergency call system and handicap-accessible bathrooms.  To ensure your apartment’s temperature is set for your personal comfort, your suite will have its own heating and a/c system. 

Furthermore, even though we provide delicious, nutritional meals each day, your assisted living suite is equipped with a kitchenette with fridge for the times you want to prepare your own snacks or meals.  Housekeeping and laundry and linen services are provided weekly and we do daily spot cleaning and trash removal. Most importantly we have a team of loving caregivers that are the type of individuals who feel privileged to serve and consider seniors to be heroes. 

As you can see, MorningStar offers residents a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community.  In addition to assisted living, our Reflections Neighborhood provides compassionate, loving memory care to those with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.  Please visit our website to learn more about the newest senior living in Rio Rancho NM.

The unique mission statement of MorningStar of Rio Rancho, “to honor, to serve, to invest,” sets us apart from other senior living communities. 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 within a beautiful setting.  Please contact us to learn more about the finest senior living in Rio Rancho NM.

MorningStar of Rio Rancho is Now Open and Welcoming New Residents

Looking for senior living in Rio Rancho NM?  MorningStar Senior Living’s newest community, MorningStar of Rio Rancho, is now open and welcoming area seniors to our beautiful home.  Our team has been busy helping residents settle in and making sure all of their needs are meet to ensure their utmost comfort and wellbeing.

We are especially proud of our gorgeous interior designed by the award-winning senior living interior design specialist, Thoma-Holec Design.  Offering warm and inviting common areas that extend into each suite, residents are sure to feel right at home. In addition, Rio Rancho is situated on 5.5 acres so residents and their families can enjoy time in our expansive outdoor areas that include courtyards decorated with artwork and trellises, an outdoor kitchen, barbecue and fire pits.  Residents will also find pleasure in peacefully strolling through landscaped paths as well as puttering in our raised garden beds.  

Along with a gorgeous physical environment, MorningStar of Rio Rancho offers residents a wide range of services and resort-style amenities such as three daily meals prepared by our Executive Chef and served restaurant-style.  We also have an onsite 24-hour bistro, full bar and liquor license, workshop and art studio, fitness center, theatre/chapel, salon and more.

Residents are also discovering that our monthly calendar is filled with daily activities that are not only fun but help to stimulate and engage their brain, keep them moving, and help them make social connections.  For example, one day we offered a morning walk, a shopping outing, an exercise session with weights, Page Turners book club, an ice cream social, word games, balloon volleyball and an evening movie. Of course, residents are free to choose the activities they wish to participate in but we always look forward to someone new joining in on the fun. 

This has been an exciting time for MorningStar of Rio Rancho and we look forward to what the future holds.  If you or a loved one needs help with personal daily care activities, we invite you to take a look at our assisted living community.   We offer 51 bright suites for assisted living with a variety of floor plans and another 26 secure suites devoted to the individualized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. 

The unique mission statement of MorningStar of Rio Rancho, “to honor, to serve, to invest,” sets us apart from other senior living communities. 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 within a beautiful setting.  Please contact us to learn more about the finest senior living in Rio Rancho NM.