In an article in the US News & World Report, experts say forgetfulness is not an inevitable part of growing older and there are things we can do to help maintain and enhance our memory function and overall brain health. Furthermore, they also benefit whole body health.
One of the first things they recommend is to never stop making “physical activity a priority as it optimizes blood flow to the entire body, including the brain. An adequate supply of blood and oxygen to the brain helps to keep our memories sharp.” Researchers explain that the type of exercise is also important and recommend a minimum of 30 minutes a day of cardio exercise such as running, power walking, biking, or swimming. However, before beginning any new exercise regime, be sure to check with your healthcare provider. In addition, continuing to learn new things can improve our memory as studies have found a correlation between challenging our brain and maintaining brain health. This could include activities such as playing an instrument, starting a new hobby, learning a language, or just broadening your reading habits. Other advice that not only enhances cognitive thinking but overall health includes getting enough sleep each night. Research has shown that “powering down on a nightly basis allows the brain to heal and restore itself, clearing toxins that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia types.” What sets MorningStar apart from other seniors living in Rio Rancho, NM? We strive to provide a true “home” for our residents and have a team committed to serving seniors who treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve. Our loving, around-the-clock care encompasses the physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing of our residents. Please visit our website for more information. Our mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other seniors living in Rio Rancho, NM. We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Set in a warm, loving atmosphere with beautiful surroundings and resort-style amenities, MorningStar of Rio Rancho provides outstanding assisted living and memory care. Source: health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/maintaining-and-enhancing-memory
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A Place for Mom’s website, a free service that helps families in their senior care search, reports the various services offered at assisted living communities can make it a healthier, safer living option for many seniors. As services typically involve 24/7 care, nutritional meals and wellness programs, it means residents receive the kind of care required to enhance their quality of life.
Assisted living communities such as MorningStar of Rio Rancho provide the social connections necessary to seniors’ wellbeing as well as intellectual stimulation. The individual and their family get peace of mind knowing help is available when it is needed. Likewise, recent research shows assisted living communities may help seniors avoid falls as most are equipped with safety features such as handicap-accessible bathrooms and wheelchair accessible doorways. MorningStar’s emergency call systems in each suite also means immediate help is at hand. MorningStar of Rio Rancho offers seniors assistance with another all-too common problem of medication mismanagement. The JAMA Internal Medicine journal published a study showing “80% of older adults regularly take at least two prescription medications, and 36% regularly take at least five prescription drugs.” The Department of Health and Human Services reports up to 55 percent of older adults are “non-compliant” in their medications including skipping doses or failing to take medication as prescribed. Either one can result in hospitalizations or deaths. Our medication management service helps to avoid these problems and includes dispensing as well as ordering prescription drugs. MorningStar’s comprehensive care starts with residents having an individualized plan created to address their specialized needs. It is frequently reviewed and updated as required. Our day-to-day care is intended to help residents maintain a healthier lifestyle with nutritional meals, exercise classes, and life enrichment programs designed for their needs. For exceptional senior housing, Rio Rancho, NM seniors are encouraged to consider MorningStar, a true destination for successful aging. Our mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other senior housing Rio Rancho, NM offers. We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Set in a warm, loving atmosphere with beautiful surroundings and resort-style amenities, MorningStar of Rio Rancho provides outstanding assisted living and memory care. Sources: aplaceformom.com/blog/social-life-for-seniors-why-assisted-living-is-better/ aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/medication-management Have you had the experience of walking to your car after a doctor’s visit and a question pops into your mind you wished you had asked the doctor? You are not alone. In fact the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a division of the U.S. Dept. of Human Health & Services, reminds all of us about the benefit of preparing questions and accurate information ahead of time to provide to your physician. They say it not only improves your care, but builds trust between you and your healthcare provider, which can lead to better results.
For help on questions to ask to facilitate a more fruitful visit to your doctor and efficiently use your precious time (studies show doctors spend between 13 to 24 minutes with each patient), the AHRQ offers a series of questionnaires related to your visit. Remember typically you have a reason for the visit such as: a well visit, looking for answers for a specific medical problem, returning to discuss treatment, or getting test results. Prepare for your appointment by bringing your prescription medications as well as over-the-counter drugs you use including vitamins and dietary or herbal supplements. When discussing a possible medical procedure, AHRQ says questions should include: why do I need this procedure; how do I prepare; when will I get the results; and how will I feel afterward? If surgery is recommended, ask if there are alternative treatments available that are just as effective; possible complications; and recovery period. AHRQ says if you are given a new medication, ask how the new drug will interact with other drugs you are taking, how long you will be on it, and common side effects. Before you leave your appointment, make sure you understand your instructions. MorningStar of Happy Valley represents the finest in senior living with a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Our community is honored to create a true “home” for residents with 61 graciously appointed suites for assisted living with configurations that include spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans. Our Reflections Neighborhood has 27 secure suites devoted to the individualized, specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Contact us to learn more about exceptional senior living in Happy Valley and ask about our Move-in Specials. Source: ahrq.gov/questions/be-engaged/index.html Growing up most of our mothers told us it wasn’t healthy to skip breakfast. While we listened, many of us still went off to school without eating anything. Based on current research, it turns out our mother’s advice was right again, and eating breakfast is good for us for several reasons.
Registered Dietician Erin Palinski-Wade explains when we eat a healthy breakfast upon rising in the morning; it helps regulate our appetite for the rest of the day. If we break our nightly fast with a good meal, we are less likely to indulge in sugary or fat-laden food later on in the morning. A healthy breakfast also helps to prevent blood sugar highs and lows and Palinski-Wade says this is important for diabetics as well as the rest of us. While many breakfast foods such as cereal, baked goods, and granola bars are high in sugar and refined grains, experts say we should refuel our body each morning with protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. Protein makes us feel fuller and keeps us from snacking later on unhealthy foods. Eggs, yogurt, sausage, and peanut butter spread on whole wheat toast are good sources of protein. Fiber helps our digestive system work well and is found in oatmeal and whole grain cereals. Many meals can be partly prepared the night before to make your morning routine easier. At the MorningStar of Happy Valley senior living community, we provide a lifestyle that focuses on wellness, comfort and community. Assisted living residents receive a whole range of services and amenities including beautifully prepared, nutritional daily meals served restaurant-style in our attractive dining room. Other services include 24/7 care managers, certified medication care managers, scheduled health & wellness evaluations, CPR-trained team members on every shift, access to a licensed nurse and more. We also provide memory care to those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Please visit our website to learn more about the most trusted assisted living and memory care in Happy Valley, OR. Source: health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/does-eating-breakfast-help-you-lose-weight?src=usn_nl_yourhealth&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Your%20Health-Sun%20Nov%2007%2007:49:00%20EST%202021&utm_term=Your%20Health After the past year, a lot of seniors are ready to make a lifestyle change. Experiencing firsthand how short life really is and realizing each day is precious, many now wish to make the most of their retirement years and live life to the fullest.
If you are a senior or the family of one who could benefit from getting help with daily personal care, you may want to consider assisted living. Today, most communities are designed to enhance a senior’s quality of life and to help maintain their independence, not take it away. At MorningStar of Happy Valley, we explain it as “getting a little help from your friends.” A Place for Mom’s website cautions many families suffer from “stick shock” when they first see the cost of an assisted living community. However the reality is it may be less expensive or right on par with what a family is already paying for mom or dad to live in their own home. Studies show once you add up all of the expenses of running your own household such as property taxes, utilities, car payments, insurance, HOA dues, Internet service, cable, repairs and home maintenance, most of these expenses are included in the monthly costs for assisted living. Now consider what you pay for in-home care, meals, transportation, housekeeping, and 24/7 on-call emergency alerts. Again these costs are included in the monthly fee at MorningStar of Happy Valley. We cannot forget to add in the invaluable peace of mind seniors and their families have knowing help is at hand whenever they need it. As a resident of Happy Valley, entertainment is provided with wellness programs and activities and special events as well as scheduled outings and transportation services. Built-in companionship and predictable budgeting make it easy to enjoy stress-free retirement years. The MorningStar of Happy Valley senior living community is located in the southeastern suburb of Portland, OR. Warm and welcoming, our three-story, 83,000-square-foot community offers 61 luxury, private assisted living suites and 27 secure memory care suites for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Visit our website for more. MorningStar’s goal is to provide the best senior living in Rio Rancho, NM. Our Rio Rancho community has 51 bright suites for assisted living with configurations that include spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans. In our Reflections Neighborhood, we have 26 secure suites devoted to the individualized, specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
MorningStar Senior Living has over 30 communities currently open or under construction all across the country, including three in New Mexico. MorningStar of Rio Rancho, with a loving care team and outstanding architecture and design, provides seniors with a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community. MorningStar began in 2003 when founder, Ken Jaeger had a dream to start a senior housing company that was defined by the human touch. He says, “I wanted to re-create my grandmother’s house, a place where one can go and feel a sense of family.” From this came our guiding principles and three mission statements our company is based on:
To eloquently illustrate our mission, all of our communities have a specially commissioned piece of art hanging in them. The “Tree of Life embodies and celebrates our Mission and our Name. Please visit our website for more information about MorningStar Senior Living and our beautiful community. MorningStar of Rio Rancho represents the finest in assisted living and memory care with our unique mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve in order to provide a true home for residents. Contact us for more information about exceptional senior living in Rio Rancho, NM. If you are a senior who wants to start exercising again, you may not know how to begin. For one thing, you probably realize you are not as fit as you used to be, and are not up to the same degree of physical activity that you once did. And of course, before you begin any new form of exercise, you will need to check with your doctor to make sure you are fit enough especially if you have osteoporosis, an injury, or balance issues.
Once you get the go ahead from your healthcare provider, stretching is a good place to begin. In fact studies show that as we grow older our flexibility decreases by up to 50 percent in some joints. Another good thing about stretching is there are exercises that are appropriate for any level of fitness including ones that can be done sitting in a chair. Stretching can help you maintain your flexibility and mobility as well as loosen up some of your stiffness in your back, neck and shoulder muscles. Another plus about stretching exercises is that most of them do not require special equipment and can be done anywhere. The Silver Sneakers website recommends that as you stretch, “to breathe deeply, and go slowly. Listen to your body, and never force a movement that causes pain.” They remind seniors it is okay if they cannot bend very far as over time they will loosen up some. Safety is always important and you do not want to hurt yourself. Some common forms of exercises especially good for seniors include chair yoga, resistance band workouts, walking and dumbbell strength training. At the MorningStar of Happy Valley, our beautiful assisted living and memory care community offers a whole host of resort-style amenities and care services as well as wellness programs and activities daily that include exercises geared toward our residents. Located in the southeast suburb of Portland, OR, we proudly offer our residents a true “home.” Please see our website to learn more. *This blog is for information purposes only. Before beginning any exercise, be sure to check with your healthcare provider* MorningStar of Happy Valley represents the finest in senior living with our distinct mission statement: “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we are honored to create a true “home” for residents. Contact us to learn more about exceptional assisted living and memory care in Happy Valley. Source: silversneakers.com/blog/stretching-for-seniors-7-simple-moves-for-the-not-so-flexible/ If you have an elderly relative living alone or in a senior community and they are still isolating themselves from the coronavirus, you probably would love to do something to brighten their day but just not sure how. One idea is to send them a gift basket filled with goodies to eat and drink, gifts to entertain, and items to make their lives a little easier or more pleasant.
For your coffee drinking parent or grandparent, a bag of gourmet coffee and a nice new mug is one way to start your basket, or add a collection of teas that include decaffeinated and herbal options. Are they a chocolate lover or prefer salty snacks? Adjust your selection to include high-end chocolates and other delightful treats or a nice selection of crackers and cheeses. For a book lover, add a novel you think they would enjoy or a coffee table book on famous gardens, architecture, maps, photography or wherever matches their interest. A collection of classic movies is also something many seniors would enjoy. Now pack the basket with items such as jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, word-search books, a new coloring book and fresh colored pencils or markers. If they have low vision, include large-print playing cards and books. If your loved one is feeling anxious or having a hard time sleeping, give them a weighted blanket. While they come in many sizes, it is suggested you choose one that is 10% percent of their weight. For example, if they weigh 150lbs, buy a 15lb blanket, and if they do not have a blanket that exactly matches 10% of their weight, you can go up a couple of pounds. If you are looking for outstanding senior housing, Rio Rancho, NM’s MorningStar community may be the place for you. Our beautiful community has 51 stylish assisted living suites for those who need help with the activities of daily living. In our Reflections Neighborhood, 26 secure suites are devoted to the individualized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Please visit our website for more information. MorningStar of Rio Rancho represents the finest in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “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. One of the big problems that COVID-19 has caused for seniors is social isolation. By trying to protect themselves against the dangers of the virus, many have stayed away from loved ones and friends, resulting in loneliness, and even in some cases, depression. According to a recent report from the AARP Foundation and the United Health Foundation, the impact of COVID is more pronounced on older adults as more than half of those 50 years and older say they have felt socially isolated during the pandemic.
At assisted living communities like MorningStar of Happy Valley, our remarkable residents and staff have shown great strength and resiliency in dealing with COVID over the last year. Much of this is due to the fact that we know we are all in this together! Through many layers of defenses and tireless efforts, we have been very fortunate in keeping COVID from our door, and like to say the only thing “positive” is our attitude. In fact family members have written to let us know they are so grateful for the care we have provided their loved ones. One family says that, “MorningStar has been a Godsend. The people who work here are ‘earth angels.’ They have nothing but patience and compassion. I didn’t think they could be so incredible 100% of the time, but that truly is the case.” Now our MorningStar communities have started a new campaign we call “#Back2hugs” as both our staff and residents are getting vaccinated against the coronavirus. In addition we want new residents to know that they will have priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine. The MorningStar of Happy Valley assisted living and memory care community is proud to be a true home to residents. With 61 private suites for assisted living, we offer spacious studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floor plans with some as large as 865 sq. ft. For those suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, we have 27 secure suites devoted to individualized, specialized care. MorningStar of Happy Valley has now been open for over a year, and while it has been much different than we had expected, we feel blessed beyond words to be a Family for Life. MorningStar of Happy Valley represents the finest in senior living with our distinct mission statement: “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we are honored to create a true “home” for residents. Contact us for more information about one of the area’s best assisted living and memory care communities. Source: aarp.org/home-family/friends-family/info-2020/isolation-survey-coronavirus/ If you are looking for the best senior housing Rio Rancho offers, we invite you to consider MorningStar of Rio Rancho. Newly opened early last year, we have quickly earned a reputation for providing trusted, compassionate assisted living and memory care.
We know that if you are a family member searching for the right home for a parent, you most likely have quite a few questions. This is why we put together a very informative website that focuses on many of the different aspects of our community as well as provide some background on our company. For instance our home page offers a great description of our home, brief backgrounds on our Management Team, and links to a map showing our location as well as a Gallery of pictures to illustrate the detailed attention to welcoming comfort and beautiful design. Our home page also has a link to Community Amenities that describes many of the resort-style amenities we offer along with some of our care services. In addition use the link to our Suite Features & Floor Plans that highlights the many comforts within our 51 private assisted living suites and 26 suites devoted to the individualized care of residents with memory impairment. Our suites are available in studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom configurations, and no we do not expect you to leave your furry, four-footed family member behind as we are pet friendly. More questions are answered on our FAQ page including a brief description of how each resident’s level of care is determined. We are sure you will be impressed with MorningStar of Rio Rancho’s modern interiors, which are the creation of the award-winning senior living design specialist, Thoma-Holec Design. In addition expansive outdoor areas include courtyards decorated with artwork and trellises, strolling paths, raised gardening beds, and an outdoor kitchen, barbecue and fire pit. Please visit our website for links to availability and pricing and our contact information. At MorningStar of Rio Rancho, we are proud to offer the best 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 in a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about exceptional senior housing in Rio Rancho, NM. |
Our goal is to allow seniors to enjoy their retirement years by offering a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community, filled with resort-style amenities and activities. Archives
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