MorningStar of Happy Valley's Compassionate Memory Care

Caring for a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia at home can be a difficult job. Moreover for some caregivers whose own health is less than perfect, the stress and worry of providing care for a loved one with dementia can be too much. 

At MorningStar of Happy Valley, our Reflections Neighborhood is a dedicated area that cares for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. Staffed by compassionate, dementia care specialists, the entire area is designed to accommodate the need of our most tender residents. Furthermore, we are equipped to care for seniors from the onset of the disease right through to the most advanced stages. 

Our loving team takes a holistic approach to memory care that is encompassed under the expanse of possibilities we call “Lavender Sky,” and is how we thoughtfully enter, embrace and explore the very different and isolating world of dementia. To fully support residents, we intentionally enter into the “purple world” of dementia and lovingly cross over the physical and emotional boundaries that would otherwise separate us. 

The families of MorningStar’s memory care residents feel comforted knowing that every aspect of our Reflections Neighborhood delivers focused care including mealtimes intended to stimulate the often-flagging appetites of residents. In addition, we leverage the power of music, dance, art, aromatherapy, and animals to heal and comfort as well as take into account the uniqueness of each person. And most importantly, we embrace hope. 

MorningStar of Happy Valley is safely accepting new residents and we are very confident in our enhanced protocols for dealing with COVID-19. To ensure the safety of residents and team members alike, we have temporarily suspended non-essential visitors and vendors from entering our senior living communities, ramped up our cleaning and disinfecting procedures, and more. 

MorningStar of Happy Valley offers the very best in senior care within a beautiful, serene setting. Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents. Please give us a call or visit our website to learn more about our exceptional assisted living and memory care community.

Individualized, Loving Memory Care in Rio Rancho, NM

While there is not a cure for Alzheimer’s and many other dementia-related diseases, it is important to provide the person with the proper level of care. At MorningStar of Rio Rancho our goal is to provide the best senior housing Rio Rancho offers, and we have the amenities and services to ensure the comfort, safety and wellbeing of our memory care residents. 

Our Reflections Neighborhood has 26 suites that are completely devoted to the individualized care of residents with memory impairment from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. We are proud of our staff that is trained in progressive therapeutic approaches to palliate symptoms for our special residents. 

The creative side of our 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 care team. We use gentle, resident-directed methods to calm and awaken memories and to support each resident’s capabilities. Common techniques include using multi-sensory cues such as aromatherapy as well as a range of meaningful and purposeful activities that incorporate art, music, and life skills. 

To ensure our residents safety and well-being, services include daily health monitoring and around-the-clock staffing as well as a secure patio and courtyard reserved just for memory care residents. Also bear in mind that we accept residents in the earliest stage of the disease right through to those in more advanced phases that require the highest level of care. Furthermore, everything we do is in a loving environment that affirms the dignity and value of the individual. 

Along with memory care, MorningStar of Rio Rancho offers 51 private, comfortable assisted living suites with a choice of floor plans. Please visit our website to for more information about our memory care as well as the many resort-style amenities and services we provide to all residents. While you are there, you may read the statement from our CEO which details our defense against the coronavirus to help ensure the health of residents and team members during this difficult time.

MorningStar of Rio Rancho represents the finest in senior living with our distinct mission statement – “to honor, to value, 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 within a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest senior housing Rio Rancho, NM has to offer.

If You Can, Spend Some Time in Nature Today

While many of us have always felt a sense of calmness when working in our backyards or sitting out on our patios, there is now lots of research that proves spending time among nature can improve not only our wellbeing but our health. The National Institute of Health (NIH) published a report that draws on multiple studies, which show contact with nature improves a variety of conditions and diseases including: depression and anxiety disorders, diabetes, mellitus, cancer, respiratory diseases and more. It explains that time spent “in and around tree-lined streets, gardens, parks, and forested and agricultural lands is consistently linked to objective, long-term health outcomes.” Moreover, it found higher risks for morbidity and mortality linked to people in less green surroundings leading researchers to hypothesize that greening neighborhoods with more parks and trees may be an effective, inexpensive intervention for better health. 

Thus spending time sitting on your deck, walking along a tree-lined street or simply looking out your window at a tree in your backyard, communing with nature benefits our health and wellbeing. In fact in the 1980s, renowned biologist E. O. Wilson first introduced the idea that humans have an innate connection to nature. Around that same time, a professor of architecture at Texas A&M University began studying how surgery patients seemed to be discharged faster and needed fewer painkillers if they had a view of a nature scene outside their hospital window. Also more recent studies have shown hospital patients exposed to “natural light, windows, and healing gardens are related to reduced stress, improved healing, and reduced use of pain medicines.”

If you are looking for a senior living community in the Happy Valley, OR area, we encourage you to consider MorningStar of Happy Valley. Our beautiful community is situated on 2-acres and our spacious outdoor amenities for assisted living residents include courtyards featuring artwork and trellis as well as a barbecue, fire pit and strolling paths. Memory care residents are also able to enjoy the outdoors with their own enclosed courtyard. We are still accepting residents during this difficult time, confident in our protective protocols. Please see our website for more information about our community and a message from the CEO detailing our coronavirus response.

MorningStar of Happy Valley offers the very best in senior living with our distinct 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 to create a true “home” for residents. Please give us a call or visit our website to learn more about our exceptional senior living community. 

Sources:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4548093/
jphmpdirect.com/2020/04/30/our-need-for-the-outdoors-the-role-of-nature-during-covid-19/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=our-need-for-the-outdoors-the-role-of-nature-during-covid-19&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=our-need-for-the-outdoors-the-role-of-nature-during-covid-19

A Creative Gift for an Elderly Loved One

Have you been searching for something for your elderly mom or dad that would provide some comfort and help ease their feelings of loneliness and isolation? While you may think now is not the best time for them to assume the responsibilities of a new pet, you may want to take a look at one of the many “robotic pets” in the marketplace. 

We know there has been a lot of research that supports the idea pet ownership is beneficial to seniors and a loving pet is a great companion. Now researchers have also discovered that robotic pets may provide the elderly with many of the same benefits live animals do. A 2017 study found that the interaction between older adults and animals, whether real or robotic, helped lower blood pressure, eased anxiety, reduced feeling of loneliness and improved the overall quality of life. 

The advantage of a low-maintenance robot dog or cat is they are easy for seniors with little to no tech savvy to “care for.” The realistic pets do little tricks such as a robotic dog who wags its tail, raises its eyebrow when you pet it, has a heartbeat, and makes a barking noise. For people with dementia, robotic pets have helped ease agitation and anxiety and seem to have a calming influence. 

In fact New York’s Department for the Aging (DFTA) was so impressed with the pets that they implemented a program to distribute mechanical dogs and cats to a number of seniors with the aim of easing loneliness. The DFTA’s Commissioner, Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez explains, “For the older person, social isolation really has a devastating effect on their health.” 

If you are looking for exceptional senior housing, Rio Rancho, New Mexico’s MorningStar of Rio Rancho encourages you to contact us or visit our website for more information about our loving community. Along with 51 assisted living suites, MorningStar of Rio Rancho offers 26 secure suites dedicated to the specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. We are now accepting new residents and are confident in our COVID-19 protocols for keeping all those beneath our roof safe. 

MorningStar of Rio Rancho represents the finest in senior living with our distinct mission statement – “to honor, to value, 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 within a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest senior housing Rio Rancho, NM has to offer.

Trusted Assisted Living & Memory Care in Happy Valley, Oregon

The MorningStar story began with a vision from our Founder/CEO, Ken Jaeger, who wanted to re-create senior housing that was defined by the human touch and felt much like his grandmother’s house – “a place where one can go and feel a sense of family.” Out of this loving concept that focuses on the power of relationships, came three mission statements upon which MorningStar was founded: Honor God in our business practices and relationships; Value all seniors as gifted and contributing individuals; and Invest generously in our team’s ability to serve well. 

Following these precepts, MorningStar of Happy Valley is committed to providing residents with a lifestyle of comfort and wellness with a care team that feels honored to serve seniors. Our beautiful community offers a choice of 61 well-appointed, private assisted living suites in a variety of floorplans. In addition, our Reflections Neighborhood has 27 secure suites devoted to the specialized care of residents with memory impairment. 

While the country slowly gets back to normal and continues to reopen, we want you to know that MorningStar of Happy Valley will still be closely following—in many cases, exceeding—guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), American Senior Housing Association and Federal government. This includes prohibiting non-essential visitors and vendors from entering our community. Also all team members who interact with residents must follow strict protocols regarding hygiene and protection, and we will continue the daily screening of staff for symptoms and prevent those who are ill from coming to work. 

Currently we are safely accepting new residents; however it is being done in conjunction with a thorough screening process. New residents move directly into their private suite, where they will remain for a 14-day quarantine period; and staff entering the room will wear full personal protective equipment. 

Remember our first commitment is to the safety of all those in our care. Listen to what one resident’s daughter writes about her experience, “Although it is difficult not being able to visit our loved ones, I am so grateful for the proactive stand you are taking. Our parents could not be in a better place.” 

MorningStar of Happy Valley offers the very best in senior care within a beautiful, serene setting. Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents. Please give us a call or visit our website to learn more about our exceptional assisted living and memory care community.

Learn More About Osteoarthritis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic (long-lasting) joint condition and affects more than 32 million adults in the US. The disease can cause people to experience pain, stiffness, and swelling and is also referred to as “degenerative joint disease.” 

Women are more likely to develop OA than men according to the CDC and risk factors for getting the disease include genetics, obesity, race, injury and overuse of a joint. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wear down causing the joints to painfully rub together. 

Since there is no cure, the disease is treated in a variety of ways including using over-the-counter pain medications and prescription drugs, physical therapy, engaging in physical activity, weight loss and surgery. In addition, researchers believe that those with OA can benefit from eating foods known to reduce inflammation because OA is yet another form of inflammation. Amy Kimberlain, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, explains, eating these foods “gives you a better chance of combating your osteoarthritis symptoms.” 

Foods containing flavanols have powerful anti-inflammatory properties and are found in broccoli, kale and berries. Other anti-inflammatory foods are those high in beta carotene and include carrots, red and orange peppers, sweet potatoes and dark leafy greens such as spinach. Vitamin C is also important and is found in citrus fruits and winter squash. 

MorningStar of Rio Rancho provides exceptional senior housing in Rio Rancho, NM that is centered on wellness, comfort, and community. While we are currently following protective protocols for fighting COVID-19, we are safely accepting new residents into our beautiful suites for assisted living or our secure suites devoted to the care of those with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. 

MorningStar of Rio Rancho represents the finest in senior living with our distinct mission statement – “to honor, to value, 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 within a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest senior housing Rio Rancho, NM has to offer.

Tea May Help Stave Off Cognitive Decline

Researchers say that something as simple as a cup of tea each day may help put you at a lower risk for cognitive decline. We have known for a while that green tea, black tea and oolong tea, which all have high amounts of antioxidants, are associated with a lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Now a recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, reports that tea, and especially green tea, may benefit our brain with a better working memory. 

When compared to adults who rarely drank tea, individuals who drank tea on a regular basis had a 50 percent lower risk of cognitive decline. Moreover researchers say drinking tea even provided some level of protection for those who have the APOE e4 gene, which is associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, by having an 86 percent lower risk of cognitive decline. 

The study, led by Feng Lei from the Department of Psychological Medicine at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, explained that, “Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. The data from our study suggests that a simple and inexpensive lifestyle measure such as daily tea drinking can reduce a person’s risk of developing neurocognitive disorders in late life.”

Alzheimer’s care homes such as MorningStar at Englefield Green are devoted to caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Our all-inclusive, holistic approach allows us to provide the amenities and services residents require for their utmost comfort and safety starting from meals to activities and programs. MorningStar’s compassionate community has 50 secure suites in a range of floorplans including spacious studios, and one- and two-bedroom apartments. Please visit our website to learn more about the area’s most trusted memory care as well as availability and pricing. 

MorningStar at Englefield Green embodies the very best in senior living with a distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest” that sets us apart from other senior living communities. 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. Get your loved one the care they need at one of the area’s most compassionate Alzheimer’s care homes. 

Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316619#Up-to-86-percent-lower-risk-of-cognitive-decline-for-tea-drinkers