Good Nutrition is More Important than Ever for Seniors

Unfortunately, many seniors do not eat well and are at risk for poor nutrition and even malnutrition, which is often misdiagnosed as a disease or illness. In fact the A Place for Mom website states “Malnutrition is seen in varying degrees in the elderly, along with varying vitamin deficiencies.”

There are a number of reasons seniors do not eat well including physiological changes such as a decrease in basal metabolic rate and physical activity that reduces caloric needs.  In addition older adults experience changes in kidney function and a redistribution of body composition, gastrointestinal issues, dental problems and a change in taste and smell.

All this can depress appetite which means the foods elderly adults do eat is more important than ever.  The National Institute of Health (NIH) states that “a good diet in your later years reduces your risk of osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart diseases and certain cancers. As you age, you might need less energy. But you still need just as many of the nutrients in food.”  They recommend elderly adults avoid foods high in empty calories such as cookies, soda, potato chips and alcohol and instead concentrate on a diet of nutrient-rich foods low in saturated and trans fats as well as cholesterol.      

Not only does a nutritional diet help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, bone loss, type II diabetes, and some cancers, it can help people to better manage those diseases.  A healthy diet can also give seniors more energy and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care at Jordan not only agrees that a good diet is important for seniors but we practice it every day.  Our residents dine on three healthy, delicious daily meals served restaurant-style in our beautiful dining room and prepared by our Executive Chef.  We encourage you to contact us to learn more about our resort-style amenities and loving, caring staff.    

This post is intended for informational purposes only.  Please contact your health care provider with any questions or concerns you have regarding your health.

MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care at Jordan represents the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We are dedicated to providing a true home for residents amidst a beautiful, serene setting by creating a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. We invite you to schedule a visit to learn more about why our community provides a true home to our residents. 

   

Discover the Love Beneath Our Roof

If would love to be part of something special and work for a place where life is enriched, stories are shared, and lives are cherished, we invite you to take a look at the various openings in our Denver area MorningStar Senior Living communities.  We are a company that has always recognized that our team, especially the front-line staff, is the very heartbeat of our brand.  This is why we seek exceptional individuals with a felt calling to serve to join our intentionally created culture that allows employees to thrive professionally as well as professionally. 

While it is rewarding in itself to be a caregiver at an assisted living or memory care community, it is also gratifying to have your hard work appreciated as reflected by a family’s comment regarding the MorningStar at RidgeGate community.  They write, “I would say there a culture of love and caring here unlike other senior living communities that I have visited.”  Another example comes from a daughter of a resident who let us know how grateful she was to the staff for the excellent care given to her mother.  She says, “I thank all of you for the care and kindness you gave to my mom. I was always greeted with a smile and a kind word.”

A resident from the MorningStar at Jordan community may say it the best.  “A ‘hero’ isn’t just someone who rescues you from a burning building. It’s someone who hands you an object three inches beyond your reach (for with my Parkinson’s, three inches might as well be a mile). For that reason alone, MorningStar staff is my heroes.”

If working for a company with core values of love, kindness, honesty, goodness, fairness and respect sounds like a welcome relief from workplace environments that do not come close to embracing these views, MorningStar Senior Living is the place for you.  Please visit our website for more on assisted living jobs in Denver.  

At MorningStar Senior Living, our unique mission statement: “to honor, to serve, to invest,” sets us apart from other senior living communities.  We are committed to a foundation built upon honoring God and valuing all seniors, and are currently recruiting staff with a felt calling to serve seniors.  For a rewarding career, visit MorningStar’s Join Our Team page for information on caregiver jobs in Denver.

You Can Make a Difference in a Senior’s Life

You may not think a housekeeper, dining room server or bus driver at a senior living community makes much difference in the lives of the residents but we want you to know it does.  At our six Denver area MorningStar Senior Living communities, we consider each and every employee, regardless of their position with us, to be an integral part of the success we have had in creating loving homes for seniors.   

Take it from us, working for MorningStar at Dayton Place in Denver; MorningStar at Jordan in Centennial; MorningStar of Littleton in Littleton; MorningStar at RidgeGate in Lone Tree; MorningStar of Wheat Ridge in Wheat Ridge; and Parker Senior Living by MorningStar in Parker, is a unique experience.  For example, to help us advance MorningStar’s mission, we ask employees to join us in valuing all senior as contributing individuals and to treat each resident with the respect and dignity they deserve. 

Also we have proudly created an enviroment that motivates team members to use their special talents to serve residents and provide the tools they need to contribute to our mission.  Each team member is encouraged to build loving friendships with our residents and to treat them as grandparents.     

So while our dedicated housekeeping team takes pride in maintaining a spotless home for our residents, they are also encouraged to listen to the many stories and memories residents’ want to share while their suites are being cleaned.  Housekeepers feel good knowing they have done a good job - and feel even better when the residents tell them how much they appreciate their hard work.  The same goes for our dining room servers and other team members who are encouraged to take the time to build caring relationships with our residents and to help create a family environment. 

In addition to our dining room servers and housekeeping jobs, our Denver communities have openings for Care Managers and other assisted living jobs.  Please visit our website for details on how to apply.  

At MorningStar Senior Living, our unique mission statement: “to honor, to serve, to invest,” sets us apart from other senior living communities.  We are committed to a foundation built upon honoring God and valuing all seniors, and are currently recruiting staff with a felt calling to serve seniors.  For a rewarding career, visit the Join Our Team page for information on various assisted living jobs including housekeeping jobs in Denver.

Learn More About MorningStar Senior Living

MorningStar at Jordan offers 55 bright suites for assisted living and another 29 secure suites devoted to the specialized care of those with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.  We understand that you may not be familiar with MorningStar Senior Living so we are ready to answer any and all questions you have through a phone call or by setting up a tour to see our exceptional community.   In the meantime we encourage you to browse through our website and read about the exceptional care and resources we offer. 

One good place for general information is at our Family Resources section that offers a whole range of answers to FAQs.  It is here you will find that MorningStar was founded in 2003 in Denver and that we are not just a family of senior living communities, but of senior loving homes.  We consider our residents the heroes and recognize it is our “privilege to serve and our pleasure to love all beneath our roof.”  And while we are rooted in Judeo-Christian beliefs, we welcome all faiths in our residents and team members. 

Other questions that get answered include information about our age requirements.  It is 62 years or older for our independent suites, assisted living and memory care.  And in case you wondered, of course couples are welcome and a suite can also be shared by friends who enjoy one another’s company.

While pricing is discussed, we encourage you to contact us for more precise information.  As a general overview, our apartment suites’ monthly rental fee is based on square footage, location within the building and views.  If you or a loved one will be in an assisted living suite, we offer five levels of care that are established after a thorough assessment with our Wellness Director.  Medical and non-medical auxiliary services are priced a la carte.   Memory care is all-inclusive and residents are charged one package price.  Please see our website to learn more about MorningStar at Jordan and for contact information.  

MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care at Jordan represents the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” We are dedicated to providing a true home for residents amidst a beautiful, serene setting by creating a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Please contact us to set up a tour to see firsthand the finest assisted living and memory care in Centennial CO.

Free Services Offered by Medicare

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

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

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

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

MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Boulder represents the best in senior retirement living with a distinct mission statement - “to honor, to value, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. As one of the premium assisted living companies in the nation, we are committed to providing a true home for residents amidst a beautiful, serene setting.

Source:
aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-2017/medicare-free-medical-tests-fd.html?intcmp=Outbrain&obref=obnetwork

Facts and Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

It is estimated that more than 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson’s disease.  In the U.S. alone, nearly one million people will be living with the disease by 2020 and as many as 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.  While there is not a cure for the disease, there is treatment; however anyone with symptoms needs to have a medical diagnosis in order to rule out other causes.

The Mayo Clinic’s website provides a list of some of the most common symptoms of Parkinson’s.  The first sign can be a tremor that affects one hand and a person may frequently exhibit a back-and-forth rubbing motion of the thumb and forefinger known as a pill-rolling tremor.  Tremors usually occur while the individual is at rest, and can affect the hands, limbs, and posture.

Another common sign of the disease is slowed movement known as bradykinesia. This can worsen over time and eventually affect a person’s ability to walk well or have trouble getting up out of a chair.  In some cases one foot may drag, making walking even more challenging.

Other symptoms of the disease include rigid muscles and stiffness within any part of the body, and impaired posture and balance that may cause a person to become stooped or lead to falls.  The disease can also cause a loss of automatic movements such as blinking, smiling or swinging your arms as you walk.  In addition many people experience changes in their speech such as speaking in a monotone or more softly, more quickly or with a slur.

Finally many people suffering from Parkinson’s have problems writing.  Often their writing becomes smaller and it is more difficult to do because of the tremors.   

This post is intended for informational purposes only.  Please contact your health care provider with any questions or concerns you have regarding your health.

The unique mission statement of MorningStar at RidgeGate, “to honor, to serve, to invest,” sets us apart from other senior living communities.  Our foundation is built upon honoring God, valuing all seniors, and investing in staff with a felt calling to serve.  Dedicated to creating a real home for residents within a beautiful setting, we encourage you to learn more about our exceptional community.

Sources:parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Causes-and-Statistics/Statistics#simple-table-of-contents-3, mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/basics/symptoms/con-20028488

A Culture of Love & Respect

As every aspect of our communities are designed to promote an atmosphere where both residents and staff thrive; MorningStar Senior Living’s mission statement right from the start was to “Invest generously in our team’s ability to serve well.”  Each MorningStar employee is provided training that helps them understand, articulate and contribute to our extraordinary culture.  

Since all of our communities provide memory care, one of the things we do is to teach team members more about Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.  Our proprietary program is designed to empower and equip you to help us usher in a more insightful and intentional way to support the memory–impaired and their family.    

Also our Radiance Service Excellence initiative training provides the framework for how we dispense service to residents.  As a team member, you are given the tools to advance the principles of Radiance with affirmations iterated each day during our Daily Huddle such as “I build strong, respectful relationships with seniors, their families and my fellow team members.”

By striving to build warm, genuine connections with each other and those we serve, MorningStar’s goal is to cast a new light and to be a beacon of decency, good manners and polite conversations.  Employees are encouraged to work as a team and to regularly ask fellow team members if they need help as well as to share the best ways to work well with certain residents.  Another way we inspire professional and personal grow is to have team members mentor others and learn to collaborate and listen well; and we promote from within whenever possible. 

Please visit MorningStar Senior Living’s website for more information regarding Denver Assisted Living Jobs.  From Care Managers, Reflections Coordinators, Medication Care Managers/QMAP to dining room servers, dishwashers, housekeepers, and more, MorningStar’s Denver area communities offer the opportunity to make a difference in seniors’ lives and give you the chance to grow professionally and personally. 

  

At MorningStar Senior Living, our unique mission statement: “to honor, to serve, to invest,” sets us apart from other senior living communities.  We are committed to a foundation built upon honoring God and valuing all seniors, and are currently recruiting staff with a felt calling to serve seniors.  Please visit MorningStar’s Join Our Team page for details on assisted living and housekeeping jobs in Denver.