Category: News

By Annie Pai, Health & Wellness Director at Jackson Creek Senior Living

Knowing how to communicate with a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia takes practice and, above all, patience.

Being present for an aging family member can take an emotional toll. Before visiting a loved one with memory loss, consider researching some of the common behavior and personality changes associated with memory loss. Memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s affect people’s brains differently, and how individuals cope with changing medical needs can be significant factors in how they connect to their environment and visitors.

Here are six ways to create a more meaningful visit with a senior with memory loss:

1. Create a positive environment

Seniors with memory loss can sense emotions and tone, so it’s important to stay conscious of not just what you’re saying, but how you’re saying it. Body language and nonverbal cues are important for maintaining a relaxed environment and productive conversation. Preparing in advance and knowing how to cope with frustrating situations can take practice. Consider these simple tricks for sending the right message:

• Have a friendly expression and focus on being receptive
• Maintain eye contact to show you’re engaged
• Keep your voice and body relaxed and consistent

2. Plan your visits and coordinate with staff

Memory support neighborhoods use routines to create a stable environment for residents. It benefits everyone when you’re able to schedule your plans ahead of time and give memory support staff, and your loved one, an opportunity to prepare for your visit.

• Coordinate with the community and staff ahead of time to schedule the best time of day to visit your loved one.
• Limit the number of visitors to one to two people at a time. Large groups can be intimidating or overwhelming

3. Limit distractions in the room

It can be difficult to hold a conversation in a loud or unpredictable environment. Distractions like TVs, radios or children running around can be overwhelming for older adults with memory loss. Foster an environment that supports communication by turning off electronics, reducing the number of people in the room and finding quiet activities for children.

• Be okay with sitting in silence for long periods of time, as this can be relaxing for some.
• Consider bringing an activity with you, like a book or photo album to look at

4. Identify yourself and have a friendly approach

It wouldn’t be first instinct to introduce yourself to your dad and shake his hand, but the benefits of reinforcing information and non-assuming are significant for those in memory support. No matter how sure you are that your loved one knows who you are, make it a habit to introduce yourself and any other visitors at every visit.

• When you introduce yourself, don’t forget to give your relationship. Saying, “Hey, Uncle Pete, I’m Annie, your niece,” could help with emotional memories.
• Don’t be upset if a family member doesn’t immediately remember you — but do celebrate moments of clarity when they happen.

5. Be direct, concise and repetitive

Say exactly what you mean and use more simpler words. Adults with memory loss process information differently, so consider every way you can make yourself easier to understand.

• Repeat people’s names and their relationship to yourself and your family member when talking about a person. Avoid just using pronouns, since they can be easily mistaken.
• Give choices when asking questions, such as “would you like orange juice or iced tea?” When there are two clear options, adults with memory loss are less likely to feel overwhelmed by options
• Be careful about providing feedback and avoid criticizing or arguing. One of the most frustrating questions someone with memory loss can get is, “Do you remember?”

6. Depart at a natural break in the day

When it’s time to go home, find a time or activity that would normally fit into your senior’s routine. Ending your visit around a meal break or bath time can ease the transition back into a regular schedule in the residence and ensures your family member is being attended to when you leave.

MONUMENT, Colo. — Jackson Creek Senior Living, located at 16601 Jackson Creek Parkway, hosted a grand opening celebration on Dec. 12 and 300 prospective and current residents, project partners and members of the Monument business community attended to mark this milestone. Jackson Creek offers independent living, assisted living and memory care apartments in a variety of floor plans. Residents began moving into the community in November.

The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks from the senior living community’s owners, Rob Oldach, also owner of CSI Construction of Colorado Springs, and John Raycraft, as well as property managers Jay Moskowitz and John Brammeier of WellAge Senior Living, and Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Terri Hayes, among others.

Jackson Creek Senior Living was designed to meet the growing need for senior housing and health care in northern El Paso County. The community is owned by local companies who shared a vision for senior living in Monument that would be unique to the local community and not a template reproduced in other markets.

“We are excited to have Jackson Creek join this community,” Hayes said. “They will fill an important need for quality senior housing and services and create 78 jobs in the community.”

The community is managed by WellAge Senior Living, a senior care management company located in Lakewood. The project architect is Kephart Architects of Denver, and the interior designer is Lizabeth Jones Interior Design, a Boulder-based firm specializing in senior living environments.

“We’re excited to open this new community to seniors and their families,” said Executive Director Al Fritts. “Our goal is to be a resource for seniors in northern El Paso county and provide quality living arrangements and comprehensive wellness and health services that will help seniors to live and age well.”

Amenities at Jackson Creek Senior Living include three dining venues ranging from a bistro café to a table service restaurant; housekeeping and laundry services; wellness programs and social activities; nursing staff scheduled 24/7; medication management; fitness center and therapy space; onsite medical and professional clinics; a massage room; a theater/chapel space for community presentations and gatherings; a library, internet café and game room; an onsite general store; a complimentary dog wash; gardens, courtyards, walking paths and barbecue areas.

Jackson Creek Senior Living is also equipped with the latest technologies to keep residents connected, engaged and secure, and the community boasts an in-house radio station that residents will run.

Just east of I-25 and a short drive from historic downtown Monument, Jackson Creek Senior Living is conveniently located near restaurants, major grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, medical services and retail shopping. The community sits across from the Tri-Lakes YMCA and is near some of the area’s top attractions, including Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs, the Air Force Academy, Pikes Peak, Cheyenne Mountain State Park and the Palmer Lake Recreation Area.

While serving as a caregiver for an aging family member or friend can be a rewarding task that provides a sense of purpose, it also means committing to responsibilities that can be mentally, physically and financially draining. Families of seniors often believe that caring for a loved one at home is the best option. They may believe that their loved one will be more comfortable in a familiar setting and that providing care on their own will be cheaper than paying for long-term care services. What they often forget to consider is the true cost of caregiving. A recent report by Fidelity Investments highlights the overall cost of caregiving for the seven in 10 adults who serve as an informal caregiver to an aging loved one. The report found that these adults spend 30 billion hours each year providing informal care, amounting to $522 billion worth of unpaid wages.

When broken down by individual, Fidelity Investments found that each informal caregiver spends an average of $6,954 per year on tasks related to their role, which is almost 20 percent of their annual income. In Colorado specifically, where the cost of informal caregiving is estimated to be even higher, individual caregivers spend approximately $7,400 on care-related tasks each year. What’s more, the time-consuming nature of senior care causes many informal caregivers to work less, take unpaid time off, retire early or even resign in order to free up more time for their loved ones. As a result, experts estimate informal caregivers lose more than $300,000 in income and job-related benefits over their lifetime.

When Informal Care Isn’t the Best Choice

Despite these numbers, informal care remains a popular choice in Colorado. In 2015, the Colorado Institute of Health found that more than 500,000 residents were providing unpaid care to someone age 50 or older. To fund care-related expenses, many informal caregivers reduced contributions to their retirement accounts and withdrew from personal savings, further increasing the cost of caregiving.

Why do so many families continue to provide informal care even though it costs them time and money they may not have? It’s because they tend to believe that paid care is out of their reach. To a casual observer, living in a senior living community may seem expensive. But when families factor in what is being provided – dining services, supportive health services, transportation, rent, technology, and many other amenities and services that can help residents live safely and comfortably – they understand the value and can easily budget forward many years. In addition, many families learn they save a lot on keeping home in the community going, property taxes, and more. Since the majority of informal caregivers incur out-of-pocket costs for their loved ones, senior living communities can actually be a more affordable option over time.

Senior living communities can also help ease the emotional burden often associated with informal caregiving. Families often express relief after moving their loved one into a retirement community because trained staff are able to provide ongoing support and monitoring of their loved one’s specific needs. This allows family members to focus on other aspects of their loved one’s care, such as nurturing their social and emotional well-being. And, in many cases, seniors who move to a retirement community often conclude they should have done it sooner.

At Jackson Creek Senior Living, we’re committed to helping our residents live well and age well, which is why we offer a number of care options, extensive wellness services, and life enrichment opportunities to help seniors thrive. We also have many apartment sizes and price levels. If you have any questions on the cost of caregiving or senior living in general, please contact us. We look forward to being a trusted and objective resource for families in Northern El Paso County.

We all want what is right for our parents: To see them live life their fullest, safely and happily. As our parents age, it can be challenging to broach difficult conversations, including that it may not be safe to live home alone anymore.

The difficulty isn’t always knowing when you should be worried about your parents’ health, but instead knowing how and when to talk with your parents about a move towards senior living. While you can try to brush off your intuition and pretend there is no problem, which 75 percent of families do, this will only make the path ahead harder for your family. Here we lay out four tips to help you start a healthy conversation with your aging parent about senior living to set your family on track for success with minimal stress.

1. Do your homework.

Before you even broach the subject of senior living with your parents, prepare yourself through researching multiple options for senior care. This way, you’ll be able to come up with ideas for ideal care that your parents would be receptive to. This homework can include creating a list of concerns you have for your aging parents’ home environment, such as fall hazards, missed medications, and nutrient deficiency or an empty fridge. Then, explore senior care facilities that would alleviate your list of current concerns and manage these problem areas you’ve already identified.

2. Have a family meeting.

You’ve done your research and identified your concerns and ways to help your parents have a happy, healthy and fulfilling life. Now it’s time to start the conversation. Your parents will always see their children as their children, but now its your turn as an adult child to take care of your parents. The best way to have a beneficial dialogue is in person. If you live far apart, try to make the conversation as in person as possible by using Skype or other video-messaging tools. Make sure not to rush through the discussion; you have plenty of research and ideas but presenting them all at once can make your parents feel overwhelmed and unsure, causing them further undue stress. Most importantly, show you care through empathy and not sympathy. For your parents to consider the idea of moving to a senior living community, the best thing you can do is listen to their concerns and understand their apprehensions. After all, most parents don’t want their child to feel sorry for them – so don’t give them sympathy, show them empathy.

3. Involve a third party.

A third-party point of view is more valuable than many in this situation think. While the discussion of moving your parents to senior care is an extremely personal family matter, involving a trusted confidant of your parents in the process can provide further assurance that you as an adult child or your siblings and extended family truly care about your parents’ opinions and aren’t forcing anything upon them. Whether that trusted confidant is a doctor, a member of your parents’ faith community, or a good friend, including them in the conversation can take some of the pressure off your family and provides parents with a third-party opinion from someone they respect.

4. Don’t give up!

Plan to talk again. It can be a long process to convince and move your parents to a senior living community. Be patient and continue the conversation. Keep coming back to the ways your parent could thrive and have a better life by making the transition. When there may be a problem with the house, yard work, or even a snow storm, these are times to remind your parent of the stress-free life they could have at a senior living community.

In all, take your time and give your parents the time they need. The end goal is to successfully move your parents to a senior living community that fulfills their needs, interests, and sense of security. But to get there, you must have not just one, but many conversations with your parents. By following these tips, you’ll be able to continue the conversation and be with your parents while embarking on this journey of growth together.

At Jackson Creek Senior Living, a qualified representative can help you determine how to best talk to your parents about senior living. They can also give you concrete information about our community’s features, amenities and dining that may help entice your parents to visit and learn more. When your parents are ready, the representative will be on hand to meet with them in person and give them a full tour of our community. Give us a call at 719-725-6060 to get started.

This summer and fall, events will be held across the nation to draw awareness to the challenge of Alzheimer’s disease. In Colorado Springs, the Jackson Creek team will support the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sept. 15 in America the Beautiful Park with many others.

As of 2018, more than 5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, a number expected to climb steadily every year. Most people understand that dementia affects memory as well as thinking and reasoning skills. Less commonly understood is the difference between memory changes that come with age and early-stage dementia.

While no one wants to believe that a loved one may have memory loss, it’s important not to ignore telling signs that could indicate something serious. Below are nine common warning signs of early-stage dementia:

Changes in speaking habits

Repetitive “loop” conversations, very limited conversations or unusually short responses

Dietary changes

Spoiled or expired food in the refrigerator, buying the same of multiple items and letting them pile up, missed meals, unexplained weight loss, eating only sweets

Unpaid bills and unopened mail

Stacks of newspapers, magazines and mail piling up

Missed medications

Can’t recall if medications were taken or says they were taken but pills are still in the daily organizer

Poor hygiene

Forgetting to change clothes or wearing soiled clothing

Difficulty with driving and directions

New dents or scrapes on the car, episodes of getting lost, inability to remember directions to well-known locations

Missed or cancelled appointments

Including avoidance of regular social outings and activities

Reclusive behavior

Closing the blinds all day and night, unexplained paranoia, fear of the familiar

Irritability

Confusion and anger that cannot be redirected

If your loved one displays several of these behaviors, schedule an appointment with their physician as soon as possible. While there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s, early intervention can help delay symptoms and slow the disease’s progression.

The Alzheimer’s Association is an excellent resource to help you better understand the complexities of memory loss. Seniors and their loved ones in the Monument, Colorado, area can also turn to the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging.

At Jackson Creek, we host monthly events to help seniors and their loved ones better understand the aging process, as well as memory loss. Our community includes two memory care neighborhoods with studio apartments and comfortable common areas for individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of memory impairment. Our dedicated staff values each resident and receives specialized training to recognize residents’ history, interests, preferences and needs.

If your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia and you’re unsure of next steps, our Wellness and Memory Care team can provide you with the support, guidance and care you and your loved one need. If you would like to learn more about our memory care programs or living arrangements, please call 719-259-1331.

With the senior population in El Paso County and the Monument area expected to increase 62 percent by 2020, many local seniors and their loved ones are beginning to explore housing options to meet future lifestyle and care needs. The term “senior living” covers a broad range of residential and care options, which makes choosing the right community for yourself or a loved a confusing and often daunting process. Before you begin researching communities and setting up visits, it’s important to fully understand the differences between each senior living option. This will allow you to make an informed decision and help you know what to look for, and what questions to ask, as you begin your search.

While local resources like the Colorado Springs Senior Information and Assistance Center, operated by the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, and the Tri-Lakes Silver Alliance Senior Center can offer you advice and guidance, the senior living option you choose should ultimately be based on your — or your family member’s — wants, needs and personality. You should also consider prioritizing future care needs, as they can change with age. To help you make the right choice, Jackson Creek Senior Living, Monument’s new retirement community, has broken down the differences between three of the most common senior living options.

Independent Living

Independent living is designed for active adults who want to continue living on their own while enjoying a supportive and stimulating way of life. Residents typically reside in private apartments with full kitchens but have access to community dining usually through a meal plan and dining venues; housekeeping is usually offered as well. Independent living communities also offer opportunities for social connection and personal enrichment, making it a good option for seniors who feel lonely, isolated or want to leave home ownership obligations behind. Services and amenities, such as fitness centers, wellness programs, clubs, happy hours and a regular calendar of activities, are designed to encourage socialization and a healthy lifestyle.

Assisted Living

Assisted living communities are designed for seniors who are able to live independently but may need help with activities of daily living. These communities offer personal and support services, such as medication management or assistance with dressing and bathing. And like independent living communities, they offer a calendar of social activities, dining services and housekeeping. However, they also have medical professionals on hand to assist with care as needed, giving residents and their loved ones peace of mind.

Memory Care

Memory care is specifically designed for seniors living with Alzheimer’s, dementia or other forms of cognitive impairment. While some communities cater exclusively to memory care residents, oftentimes memory care is provided in a secure area of an assisted living community, such as a separate floor or a private wing. Residents enjoy sensory-based social programming to help them engage with each other, their loved ones and the world around them. Trained dementia care staff cater to residents’ individual needs, and round-the-clock security prevents residents from wandering, which is a common and potentially dangerous symptom of memory loss.

Continuum of Care

Full service or continuum of care communities house several senior living options in one building or campus. Typically, independent living and assisted living are offered, along with rehabilitation, skilled nursing or memory care services. These communities are a convenient option that saves residents from the stress and hassle of moving should their needs or circumstances change.

Jackson Creek Senior Living will open this fall. The community will offer independent living, assisted living and memory care residences, with access to additional health services through its 24-hour nursing staff and community health partnerships, including rehabilitation and home health organizations. With a philosophy of “Live Well, Age Well,” Jackson Creek provides residents with a supportive environment and the peace of mind that their healthcare and social needs are being met. Managed by WellAge, a professional management firm based in Colorado, Jackson Creek will support its residents by providing high-quality amenities that create a comfortable living environment brimming with enriching activities suited to individual interests.

For more information about Jackson Creek Senior Living and the varying levels of senior living options, visit www.JacksonCreekSeniorLiving.com or call the Welcome Center at 719-725-6060.