Category: News

At Sopris Lodge at Carbondale Senior Living, we were pleased to hear the theme for 2024 National Assisted Living Week was “Inspiring Generations,” a topic that is dear to our hearts. Since the retirement community opened in 2021, the leadership and team members have been inspired by the elder generation we support and the families we connect with along the journey. And we make it part of our mission to connect younger generations with older seniors to foster positive memories, boost our resident’s well-being, and help bridge the gap between older and younger generations. As we all know, our elders have a wealth of experiences and knowledge we could benefit from if we took the time to listen and learn.

Why Intergenerational Connections Are So Important

Intergenerational interaction between seniors and youth is important for several reasons, benefiting both groups and society. These interactions enrich both the seniors and the younger generations in so many ways.

• Cultural and Knowledge Exchange: Seniors have valuable life experiences and wisdom that can be shared with younger generations. In turn, younger people offer fresh perspectives, ideas, and insights into modern culture and technology.
• Mental and Emotional Well-being: For seniors, engaging with younger people can help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, which are common in older age. These interactions often provide a sense of purpose and belonging, boosting emotional health.
• Bridging the Generation Gap: Intergenerational interactions foster mutual understanding and break down stereotypes. This helps younger people develop empathy and appreciation for older generations, while seniors can learn to appreciate the values and attitudes of youth.
• Transfer of Skills: Younger generations can help seniors become more adept with technology, while seniors can pass down practical knowledge, life lessons, and even traditional skills that might otherwise be lost.
• Strengthening Communities: Interaction between different age groups fosters social cohesion. Communities benefit from the diversity of experiences, and intergenerational relationships help create a more inclusive society where each person feels valued.
• Lifelong Learning: Both groups benefit from the opportunity to learn from each other. Seniors often remain mentally sharper when they engage in stimulating conversations and activities with younger people, and young individuals gain insight into different stages of life.

Sopris Lodge at Carbondale Senior Living Activities Support Generational Connections

While we host family friendly activities throughout the year, and we have many community amenities and common areas that support time for intergenerational connections, during National Assisted Living Week this year (celebrated Sept. 8-14), several of our activities and events for the week centered on this mission.

• We kicked things off with a Grandparents’ Day celebration, featuring a visit from WindWalkers Equine Assisted Learning and Therapy Center’s miniature ponies. Many thanks to these magical and caring animals for stopping by and sparking an impromptu dance party.
• Throughout the week, team members received gift baskets filled with goodies from our partners at Pharmcare. Residents and families also enjoyed a fun tie-dye session on the patio, bringing bright colors and big smiles.
• Resident Bob S. wowed us with his accordion skills during a jam session, while new residents Bunny and John serenaded everyone in the hearth room. Moments like these make Sopris Lodge at Carbondale Senior Living such a special place to connect and enjoy life together.
• We wrapped up the week with a community carnival, complete with a bouncy castle, jousting, boxing, a dunk tank, giant lawn games, cotton candy, and more. It was the perfect way to bring everyone together.

If you would like to learn more about Sopris Lodge at Carbondale Senior Living, which offers assisted living, memory care, and independent living on a modern and family friendly campus in Carbondale, please give us a call at 970-678-0057 or visit us online. We’d be happy to show you around so you can see firsthand the intimate, vibrant, caring community we foster.

National Assisted Living Week (NALW) is an annual observance in the United States that celebrates the role of assisted living communities in caring for seniors and individuals with disabilities. It usually takes place in September, starting on Grandparents Day (the first Sunday after Labor Day) and runs through the following Saturday. This year, it will be held Sept. 8-14, and Sopris Lodge at Carbondale Senior Living will host several events and a Seniors’ Resource Fair to celebrate.

Seniors seek assisted living for various reasons, primarily related to their health, safety, and overall quality of life. Here are eight factors to consider when assessing whether assisted living is the right choice for you or a loved one.

1. Health and Medical Needs

Many seniors have chronic health issues requiring regular monitoring and care. Assisted living communities help manage medications, ensuring they are taken correctly and on time. Residents also have immediate access to healthcare professionals and different levels of care, crucial for those with medical needs.

2. Daily Living Assistance

Assisted living provides support for seniors who need help with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and meal prep. Mobility assistance, regular housekeeping, laundry, and maintenance services are also available.

3. Safety and Security

Assisted living is designed to minimize the risk of falls and accidents, with regular supervision ensuring help is readily available if, and when, it’s needed. Residents may have emergency call devices, such as pendants or call buttons in their apartments, and receive daily check-ins from team members.

4. Social Interaction and Activities

This is often overlooked, but assisted living communities offer social activities and events that help prevent isolation and loneliness. Recreational activities like painting, gardening, daily exercise, and educational forums keep residents engaged and active.

5. Nutrition and Meals

Residents often gain weight when they move into assisted living, thanks to balanced nutrition and regular, chef-prepared meals. Culinary teams can accommodate dietary restrictions as needed, and mealtimes are key socialization opportunities in assisted living.

6. Family Peace of Mind

Assisted living provides families with a sense of relief knowing that their loved one is being well-cared for with ongoing support from professionals who understand their preferences and needs.

7. Quality of Life

Assisted living allows residents to maintain a level of independence while receiving the help they need. Individualized care plans are developed for each resident, emphasizing autonomy.

8. Cost-Effective Option

While assisted living may initially seem more expensive than living at home, it often proves cost-effective when considering home maintenance, taxes, home care, food, and other expenses. A predictable monthly rent that includes amenities and services offers significant value.

Assisted living provides a supportive environment that enhances seniors’ well-being, allowing them to enjoy a higher quality of life while receiving the care they need. If you would like to learn more about our Assisted Living options at Sopris Lodge, please give us a call at 970-678-0057. Our leasing professionals can provide a free consultation, schedule a tour and answer any questions you may have.

A day in the life of a memory care community is designed to provide a structured and supportive environment for individuals living with memory impairments, such as Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. According to many memory care experts, routines matter. While specific routines can vary, here is a general overview of what a typical day might look like:

Morning

• Wake-Up and Personal Care: Residents are gently awakened by team members they are familiar with and assisted with personal care routines and activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and grooming.
• Breakfast: A nutritious breakfast is served in a communal dining area. Team members are on hand to assist residents who need help with eating.
• Morning Activities: Activities are designed to stimulate cognitive function and physical health. These may include light exercise classes, memory games, arts and crafts, or music therapy.

Midday

• Lunch: Residents enjoy a well-balanced lunch together. Meals are often planned with input from nutritionists to ensure dietary needs are met.
• Rest Period: After lunch, residents may have a rest period or quiet time to relax, nap, or engage in light activities like reading or watching TV.

Afternoon

• Afternoon Activities: These can include social events, group outings, gardening, pet therapy, or more personalized activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.
• Snack Time: A mid-afternoon snack is provided, allowing residents to socialize and recharge.

Evening

• Dinner: Dinner is served, and residents are encouraged to participate in setting the table and other mealtime preparations if they are able.
• Evening Activities: Activities may be more relaxed in the evening and could include movie nights, puzzle solving, or reminiscing sessions where residents share memories and stories.
• Wind Down: Team members assist residents with their bedtime routines, including medication administration, and help them get ready for bed.

Night

Overnight Care: Team members are on duty 24/7 throughout the night to monitor residents and provide care as needed. This ensures that residents are safe and have assistance available if they wake up or need help during the night.

General Environment

• Safety and Security: Memory care communities are designed with safety features such as secured entrances and exits, wander management systems, and easy-to-navigate layouts to prevent disorientation.
• Personalized Care: Team members are trained to provide personalized care, recognizing each resident’s unique needs and preferences.
• Family Involvement: Families are encouraged to visit and participate in community events, fostering a sense of connection and continuity for residents.

The Importance of Routine and Structure to Daily Life in Memory Care

This routine ensures that residents have a balanced day with activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being while providing a safe and supportive environment. Structure is crucial in the daily routine of someone living with Alzheimer’s and related dementia for several reasons:

Reduces Anxiety and Stress

• Predictability: Knowing what to expect can help reduce feelings of confusion and anxiety. A predictable routine can provide a sense of security and stability.
• Minimizes Uncertainty: Sudden changes or unexpected events can be particularly distressing for someone living with Alzheimer’s. A structured routine minimizes these occurrences.

Enhances Cognitive Function

• Consistent Activities: Regular engagement in structured activities can help maintain cognitive function. Activities like memory games, puzzles, and social interactions can stimulate the brain.
• Routine Tasks: Repetition of routine tasks can help reinforce memory and cognitive skills. Performing daily activities in the same order helps maintain a level of independence.

Supports Physical Health

• Regular Meals: Structured mealtimes ensure that residents receive proper nutrition. This consistency helps manage blood sugar levels and prevents malnutrition.
• Exercise: Scheduled physical activities help maintain mobility, strength, and overall physical health. Regular exercise can also improve mood and reduce behavioral symptoms.

Improves Sleep Patterns

• Consistent Sleep Schedule: A regular daily routine helps regulate the body’s internal clock, leading to better sleep patterns. This can reduce nighttime wandering and improve overall sleep quality.
• Bedtime Rituals: Having a consistent bedtime routine can signal to the body that it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep.

Facilitates Better Care

• Caregiver Efficiency: A structured routine helps caregivers plan and deliver care more effectively. They can anticipate needs and be better prepared to manage any issues that arise.
• Personalized Attention: Knowing the routine allows caregivers to provide more personalized care, adapting activities and interventions to the resident’s preferences and abilities.

Encourages Social Interaction

• Scheduled Social Activities: Regularly scheduled group activities promote social interaction, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness.
• Community Engagement: A structured day often includes communal meals and group activities, fostering a sense of community and belonging.

Maintains Independence

• Routine Tasks: Repetition of familiar tasks helps residents maintain a level of independence. Structured routines allow them to participate in daily activities with less assistance.
• Empowerment: Having a routine empowers residents by giving them a sense of control over their day-to-day lives.

Behavior Management

• Predictable Environment: A structured environment can help manage and reduce challenging behaviors associated with Alzheimer’s, such as agitation, aggression, and wandering.
• Activity Engagement: Engaging residents in regular activities can help avoid negative behaviors and promote positive engagement.

In summary, a structured routine helps create a supportive environment that enhances the quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other memory loss, providing stability, promoting health, and fostering a sense of well-being.

Would you like to learn more about the memory care best practices of Sopris Lodge at Carbondale? Our wellness team is here to help. Please give our team at Sopris Lodge at Carbondale a call at 970-678-0057 to learn more about our daily routine for residents living with Alzheimer’s and related memory care conditions.

As a loved one ages, it’s natural to consider alternative living arrangements to enhance their quality of life. Many seniors and families start this process by researching assisted living communities. But what exactly is assisted living, when is it time to consider this living option, and what are the benefits?

Assisted living is a type of residential care that provides support for seniors who need help with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, grooming, medication management, or preparing meals. Seniors who receive this level of care can communicate their needs but don’t require the intensive and round-the-clock medical care often provided in skilled nursing facilities.

This living option emphasizes autonomy and fosters independence while providing extra peace of mind for residents and families who know that additional assistance and personalized care are available if, and when, it’s needed.

Seniors and families should consider assisted living when several factors become apparent: an individual needs help with ADLs; the risk of falls increases; health challenges; cognitive decline; and importantly, social isolation.

If your friend or family member encounters difficulties with activities such as personal hygiene or meal preparation, it could indicate that an assisted living community might provide the assistance they require. Many assisted living communities offer restaurant-style dining and chef-prepared meals to ensure residents receive proper nutrition without the hassles of shopping and cooking.

Safety is always a concern for seniors who are prone to falls and other injuries. In assisted living communities, residents may have an emergency call device like a pendant as well as call buttons in their apartments and daily check-ins from team members to ensure they are generally in good health.

If your loved one’s health or cognitive function has declined, they may require more assistance than you can provide at home. Many assisted living communities offer different levels of care and memory care services or day retreats for those living with Alzheimer’s and related dementia.

Depression and social isolation are common for seniors who live alone. Study after study highlights that being around others and socializing at some level is imperative to a senior’s health and well-being. Assisted living communities offer an array of activities and opportunities for residents to socialize and engage like painting, playing board games, going to live musical performances, daily exercise, and educational forums.

If your loved one is beginning to exhibit signs that they require additional care, assisted living could provide the necessary support within a stimulating and autonomous setting. By researching assisted living communities now, you’ll ensure your loved one has options to age well, even if their needs change. It’s much less disruptive to get additional support in the environment you live in than to move later in life.

Your Senior Care Partner

At Sopris Lodge at Carbondale, we help families find the best living situation to meet their loved one’s needs. Call 970-678-0057 or contact us online if you have questions about assisted living or would like to schedule a personalized tour.

Knowing when it is time for memory support for a loved one can be difficult. Oftentimes, the signs and symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s unfold slowly over a long period of time and can be missed by family members until their loved one’s dementia becomes too advanced for them to safely care for themselves or live on their own anymore.

Once the signs and symptoms of dementia become noticeable it is time to consider memory support. If a spouse or family member does not act, their loved one could become a danger to themselves and others. Knowing the signs and symptoms of dementia will help you decide if your loved one needs memory support to keep them safe, healthy, engaged, and improve their quality of life.

Signs and Symptoms of Dementia

1. Changes in Health

Has your loved one lost a lot of weight rapidly? This may be an indication they are forgetting to eat. If your loved one has unexplained bruises or other injuries this is often an indication of progressing dementia. Falls, bumping into furniture, or slipping on the stairs can be signs of Alzheimer’s while visual problems and loss of balance are common for those living with dementia.

2. Changes in Personality and Mood Swings

If your generally calm and cheerful mother becomes quick to anger or seems overly agitated, she could be experiencing dementia or Alzheimer’s symptoms. People living with dementia are prone to angry outbursts, unreasonable fears, and frequent agitation, which may be caused by underlying issues related to the disease.

3. Concerning Behavior

If you find an elderly parent’s stove left on, water running unchecked, or your loved one wandering outside without a coat in the cold, these are potential symptoms of advancing dementia that can lead to harm. People living with dementia may forget to take their medication or take it multiple times per day. A pill bottle that should be half empty or a prescription that’s gone long before a refill is suggested can be dangerous signs of memory decline.

4. Poor Hygiene and a Change to Home Cleanliness

If your loved one’s personal hygiene seems neglected, such as unkempt or unwashed hair or clothing that’s been worn multiple days in a row, they may be struggling with dementia. If the cleanliness of their home has changed with unwashed dishes piled in the sink, unopened mail stacking up, or expired food in the refrigerator/pantry, they may be experiencing cognitive decline that requires immediate intervention and possibly a move to a memory support community to protect their health and wellbeing.

5. Frequent Confusion

If your loved one does not recognize you, can’t remember how to get from one room to the next, or often gets lost driving, they are most likely experiencing the symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s and need additional help.

When you see a friend or loved one struggling with signs of dementia, we recommend it’s time to step in and get them the memory support they need and deserve. At Sopris Lodge at Carbondale Senior Living, our specially trained team takes a whole-person approach to aging, and they understand the unique needs of each resident who is treated with patience and compassion. If you are uncertain about your loved one’s mental and/or physical health due to dementia or Alzheimer’s, please reach out to us. We are happy to answer your questions and help you decide if memory support is right for your loved one.

At Sopris Lodge at Carbondale, we’re committed to supporting seniors in our community to live well and age well. Call us at 970-678-0057 to learn more about our independent and assisted living and memory support services for those 55+.

Communicating with a loved one living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia presents challenges that can lead to frustration and misunderstandings on both sides of the conversation. To help avoid confusion, caregivers must exercise patience and practice active listening and speaking strategies.

The following tips from the Mayo Clinic will help improve how you communicate with your loved one while benefitting their mental and emotional outlook, building a stronger bond, and making the most of each interaction.

• Always be patient. Listen closely and allow enough time for your loved one to talk uninterrupted.
• Know what to expect. Your loved one may have trouble remembering words or communicating clearly. They may repeat phrases or ideas or mix unrelated thoughts.
• Try to understand what your loved one is saying based on the context and use surrounding information to interpret the meaning. If they struggle to formulate an idea, have them point to an object or have them walk you to show you what they are trying to communicate.
• Maintain eye contact while speaking and always call your loved one by their name.
• Use nonverbal actions to show support, such as gestures, visual cues, and other body language.
• If your loved one is having trouble expressing themselves, be patient and calm as they navigate the conversation, and always be kind and encouraging.
• Avoid using baby talk, and don’t talk down to your loved one or as if they were not there.
• Limit visual distractions and background noise, which can make it difficult to hear or concentrate.
• Use short sentences, ask yes or no questions, and break down requests into single steps.
• Speak clearly and calmly. Take a break if you get frustrated, and avoid criticizing, correcting, or arguing. Never ask them, “do you remember” or “don’t you remember.”

Our memory support community at Sopris Lodge at Carbondale helps individuals living with Alzheimer’s or dementia according to each resident’s individual care plan, which is determined before move-in. Our knowledgeable team members use proven strategies to communicate with residents and help them develop and refine their cognitive skills, form meaningful new relationships, and take advantage of dynamic programming offering socialization, stimulation and engagement.

In addition to receiving top-quality care, residents with memory loss have access to a safe, home-like neighborhood, comfortable dining, living, and activity rooms, three chef-prepared meals a day, medication assistance, and daily living support, with experienced team members on staff for true peace of mind.

At Sopris Lodge at Carbondale, we’re committed to supporting seniors in our community to live well and age well. Call us at 970-340-4460 to learn more about our independent and assisted living and memory support services for those 55+.