MorningStar Senior Living Community Blog

Independent living is a great option for seniors who are healthy and active. There are many benefits to independent living , including the ability to live in your own home or apartment, socialize with other residents, and enjoy a maintenance-free lifestyle. If you are considering independent living, here are more tips to help you enjoy it to the fullest! Connect with Friends and Family Living independently can be a great way to maintain your independence, but it’s important to stay connected with your friends and family. Technology makes it easier than ever to stay in touch, no matter where you are. Make sure to use video calls, emails, and texts to keep in touch with those that matter to you. Learn a New Language Contrary to popular belief, you can pick up a language at any age. Whether you’re planning to visit a new country, understand foreign soap operas and dramas without subtitles, or just want to keep your mind active, having a new language under your belt can be achieved as long

Independent living is a popular living arrangement for seniors who want to maintain their independence and live in their own homes or apartments. It also offers a way for seniors to socialize and interact with other residents. If you are considering independent living, here are a few tips to help you enjoy it to the fullest! Get Involved in Your Community Independent living can be a great way to stay connected to your community. Many senior living communities offer a variety of activities such as classes, clubs, and social gatherings. Participating in these activities is a great way to stay active, meet new people, and make lasting friendships. It’s also a good way to stay informed about local news and events. Many senior living communities also partner with local businesses and organizations to provide discounts and benefits. Getting involved in your community is a great way to make the most of your independent living experience. Make Your Home Your Own Although independent living al

The American Heart Association offers a checklist of eight key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health. The Life’s Essential 8 is designed to highlight things we can do to lower our risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems. In 2022, the Association added sleep duration to the list as a component of heart health. They say the amount and quality of sleep can influence a person’s eating habits, mood, memory, internal organs and more. One advantage to getting enough sleep is being more productive. After spending years working long hours to the detriment of a good night's sleep, Ariana Huffington now says, “The irony is that a lot of people forgo sleep in the name of productivity. But in fact our productivity is reduced substantially when we’re sleep deprived.” Professor of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Charles Czeisler, explains being sleep deprived can impair your abilities and is similar to being drunk. Poor sleep habits can caus

We have all heard horror stories of someone getting the wrong treatment or a botched surgical procedure, or other examples of outright poor medical care. Doctors say one way to help reduce medical errors is to be an active partner in your care, be it at the doctor’s office, the hospital or pharmacy. If you think your chances of a misdiagnosis, unnecessary surgery, or being given the wrong medication are slim, read the following. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “an estimated 10% of patients in high-income countries are harmed while receiving hospital care.” A 2021 StatPearls reports, “medical errors result in about 100,000 deaths in hospitals and clinics annually.” The danger of a misdiagnosis is it results in delayed treatment for the real problem and perhaps a round of the wrong medications. However, before you lay all the blame on the medical profession, experts say many misdiagnoses can be the fault of the patient. Too often a person fails to disclose important fac

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest statistics show that one in four Americans aged 65 years and older falls each year.  Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults, and the number of falls will continue to increase as America’s baby boomers grow older. While these are worrisome facts, experts say there are some simple exercises seniors can do to help prevent falls and maintain their independence. Remember a common injury caused by an elderly person falling is a hip fracture that can seriously impact their life.   Most balance exercises are easy to learn and do, do not require special equipment or a trip to the gym, and can be done anywhere.  The Mayo Clinic explains that while many exercises including walking can help maintain good balance, there are specific exercises targeted at improving a senior’s balance and stability.  They do caution however that if you have severe balance problems or an orthopedic condition, to get your doc

MorningStar of Mission Viejo is slated to become one of the premier senior living communities in the area when we open in the spring of 2023. We are one of seven MorningStar communities either operating or under construction in California. As a MorningStar resident, you will be treated to a whole host of resort-style amenities services including a five-star dining experience. All residents are treated to meals prepared under the supervision of our Executive Chef and served restaurant-style in our beautiful dining room. We understand that food is a healing medicine unlike any other and is one of the great joys of living. We also know food always tastes better and is enjoyed more when shared in community and breaking bread together helps to bond us as a family and as friends. Our meals are prepared largely from scratch using the freshest ingredients from the highest quality local producers. MorningStar’s Chef looks forward to feedback from residents and is open to suggestions. At

The former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Thomas Frieden, is quoted as saying that walking is "the closest thing we have to a wonder drug.” Many in the medical profession agree. While it is universally acknowledged that any exercise is beneficial to our overall health, walking offers some unexpected advantages.  A study from a group of Harvard scientists concluded that walking seems to counteract the effects of weight-promoting genes. The project involved looking at “32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much the genes actually contribute to body weight.” Within the group of participants who walked briskly for an hour a day, researchers found the effects of the weight-promoting genes were cut in half.     Another surprising result of walking is it was shown to actually diminish a person’s sweet tooth. In a study out of the University of Exeter, researchers found walking appears to curb cravings for chocolate and other su