Being a caregiver for your senior loved one isn’t an easy job, and in most cases it isn’t your only job. If you balance work, kids and being a caregiver for your loved one, it’s really a matter of when you’ll become burnt out, not if. If you’re feeling completely exhausted physically or mentally more often than not, it’s time to make a change for the better. That being said, our senior caregivers in Morris County have a few useful tips to help you manage it all, including a respite care option that could really benefit both your senior loved one and you.
You will not be the only one to enjoy the benefits of respite care. There might be a strong chance that your loved one really likes our community in Morris County and even made a few friends here while you were gone. Respite care is an ideal way for seniors to “try-out” assisted living without making the permanent commitment. Many of our full-time assisted living residents chose our community as a result of a respite stay. Who can blame them as seniors often find new friends in their age range, many activities to satisfy their interests, and around-the-clock compassionate care here at Lester Senior Living. For more information on our respite care in Morris County, please give us a call or visit our website at: https://jchcorp.org/assisted-living-morris-county-nj/ The original blog is posted on - https://jchcorp.org/caregiver-burnout-what-to-do-when-it-becomes-too-much/
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Memory loss is in the news again lately, with the announcement by Hollywood actor Chris Hemingsworth, otherwise known as “Thor” in the Marvel Universe, that he will take a break from acting to spend more time with his family. The announcement comes after Chris received results of genetic testing that revealed he has a particular hereditary gene combination that makes him 8 to 10 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Chris wasn’t entirely surprised as his father already suffers from the disease. Despite the news, Chris is determined to stay in shape and avail himself of all the knowledge medical science has to offer, with regard to preventing or postponing the disease. It’s a stark reminder that many things contribute to cognitive impairment and that aging is not always the cause of an impaired memory. It may be time to gain a better understanding of memory loss disorders, especially, if you have a senior loved one who is contemplating the move into a professional memory care facility. Our advanced memory care team in Morris County has put together some important things to understand about the causes, signs and ways to avoid memory loss. Memory disorder causes A general decline in cognitive and neural function as we get older is normal. This is because as the brain ages, it produces fewer neurotransmitters. Also, the hippocampus which aids in the memory process, also begins to deteriorate over time. These changes in the aging brain are very gradual, so we may not notice we’re having problems with memory or our ability to think until much later in life. However, aging is not always the cause of impaired memory. Memory disorders and memory loss can also be triggered by high blood pressure, sleep deprivation, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid problems, substance abuse, medication, head injury, stroke, depression and stress. The good news is that a memory disorder caused by these factors can be remediated and the symptoms managed until memory function is almost fully restored. Signs of Memory Loss It’s important to be aware of the most common signs of memory loss in your loved one, especially as they often cause complications to their daily routines. If your loved one is frequently experiencing a number of the signs listed below, please don’t hesitate to have them professionally evaluated and diagnosed.
Avoiding memory disorders Being mindful of these particular triggers can help you avoid or restore memory loss that stems from these factors. For example:
Professional Memory Care in Morris County At Lester Senior Living, we put safety and individualized care at the forefront of everything we do. Our dedicated memory caregivers understand that memory disorders—like the seniors who suffer from them—are all unique. This is why our Memory Care Suite provides an individualized approach to each residents’ memory care, based on the Comfort Matters® philosophy of holistic dementia care. Our memory care providers focus on each resident’s particular needs at all times, to help them foster more meaningful connections with family and friends. With this care method in place, along with dementia-safe living spaces, each memory care resident can experience a better quality of life here at Lester Senior Living. To learn more about our professional memory care in Morris County, please visit our website at: https://jchcorp.org The original blog is posted on- https://jchcorp.org/understanding-causes-signs-and-ways-to-avoid-memory-loss/ Food tells the story of our people, and doughnuts are no exception. These delicious, fried dough treats date back all the way to Jews in the New World. Sufganiyot – doughnuts filled with fruit jam filling and sprinkled with sugar – are the signature food of Hanukkah since 1920. Why? Because the Israeli Labor Federation declared them so, and we’re so glad they did because it’s what we look forward to most this holiday.
If you are looking to make classic Sufganiyot with a little less oil and clean-up, the chefs at JCHC have got you covered with this air-fryer recipe! Sufganiyot Ingredients:
Come celebrate Hanukkah with mom at our warm and inviting senior living campus in Whippany. Our beloved chefs at Lester look forward to serving traditional recipes to commemorate this holiday with residents and their families. For more information about our food and dining options for seniors in Whippany NJ, please come visit us for lunch or visit our website at: https://jchcorp.org The original blog is posted on - https://jchcorp.org/the-best-dessert-for-hanukkah-doughnuts/ If your loved one has recently moved into an assisted living community, you can still celebrate Hanukkah together – especially if they moved into one of the facilities under the Jewish Community Housing Corporation. One of the greatest benefits of moving into senior living in the Jewish tradition, is keeping all the traditions you know and love going. Here are some ways we are going to celebrate Hanukkah this year with our residents at Lester Senior Living.
Annual Hanukkah Party. Hosted in the Weston Lobby, our annual Hanukkah party is always a big hit amongst the residents – and staff as well! We’re still finalizing the details, but every Hanukkah party always has live entertainment by the TKlez Band, dancing, and delicious, traditional staple foods like Sufganiyot doughnuts – yum. Hanukkah Crafts. Our wonderful Community Life Coordinator, Keisha, hosts an annual Hanukkah crafts class where residents can create a signature piece of decor or symbol that is traditional to this holiday, like Menorahs or dreidels. Speaking of dreidels… Dreidel Tournament. “Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with dreidel WE shall play!” A good, old fashioned competition is always welcome here at Lester Senior Living, especially a festive one like this. The winner may just have a special prize in store! Cooking Club: Making Latkes. Hanukkah just isn’t complete without some warm, crispy latkes! For those who may not know, Lester Senior Living has many activity clubs, some even started by the residents themselves. Cooking club is one of our more popular clubs at our assisted living facility, so of course it’s a no-brainer to have a seasonal class to make latkes for Hanukkah. Give our signature latke recipe a test run, you won’t regret it! Shabbat, Maariv, Torah and More. Did you know that we have a chapel on site? Residents are welcome to join us for Shabbat every Friday in the chapel. We also host weekly Torah and Maariv services with our rabbi over Zoom. As we mentioned earlier, Hanukkah plans are still in the works, but there will always be a special service held in the chapel for this joyous holiday. If residents have family coming to visit, they are more than welcome to join us for Shabbat. Celebrating Hanukkah at our Assisted Living Facility in Morris County Hanukkah Sameach from all of us at the JCHC communities! If you’d like to know more about senior care in the Jewish tradition, or about how we are celebrating Hanukkah in assisted living, please call the team at Lester today. At our senior community in Morris County, we read the Torah, hold traditional services in the chapel and have Shabbat together every week. Although our traditions are deeply rooted in Judaism, all of our communities’ welcome seniors of all faiths and backgrounds. To learn more about Jewish holidays at our assisted living community in Morris County, NJ, please visit our website at: https://jchcorp.org/ The original blog is posted on - https://jchcorp.org/ways-to-celebrate-hanukkah-in-assisted-living/ It’s great to live independently as a senior, but it’s even greater when you choose a community where you can enjoy the finer things in life. Where you live should reflect who you are as a person. If you’re accustomed to a certain lifestyle, you shouldn’t have to give it up just because you’re downsizing to an independent living apartment. In this article, we’re going to debug any preconceived notions about apartment living for seniors and tell you why living at the Village in South Orange is nothing short of luxury.
Updated, Open Plan Living Spaces The newly renovated, luxury apartments at the Village have everything you could ever want in a smaller living space. Each apartment, whether you choose a 1 bedroom or studio, has an open floor plan which makes it more ideal to have family and friends over. Think about where everyone usually congregates in a house – the kitchen – and luckily each open concept kitchen is equipped with new stainless steel appliances and large peninsula countertop, perfect for cooking and entertaining. Other key luxury apartment features include energy-efficient LED lighting, custom-elevated bathroom vanity, walk-in shower and new laminate flooring throughout. “Location, Location, Location.” You have definitely heard this token phrase when it comes to looking at new property to buy or rent. There’s a reason this quote holds so much weight in real estate, and it’s because location is the only thing you cannot change about your investment. If you’re buying, you can always renovate your home or if you’re renting an apartment, you could redecorate each year – but one thing you could never do is pick up your living space and move it to a new location. Luckily, the Village apartments are nestled in the heart of the beautiful and thriving South Orange. We are only a few blocks away from the best local shopping, fine dining, the premier South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) and even hiking trails at the South Mountain Reservation. The Village Apartments are also conveniently located near the Garden State Parkway and public transportation to NYC. All You Could Need Under One Roof Being located near outdoor entertainment and other necessities is great, but it’s even greater to have everything you need under your own roof. This is exactly what you get when you choose independent living at the Village. It is not a standard apartment building by any means. Our building houses a state-of-the-art fitness center, lecture hall for educational classes, outdoor garden and patio seating to meet friends for a quick bite. We also have delicious meal plans available curated by culinary-trained chefs that adhere to any dietary restrictions or preferences like low-carb, low-sugar or even kosher. As a resident at Village, you are more than free to come and go as you please without worry, as there are security personnel on site 24 hours a day. No matter the time of day, there will always be a staff member on site to assist with any questions you may have about the many amenities offered here at Village. Independent Living for Seniors in South Orange NJ At the Village Apartments, our aim is to ensure that each of our independent living residents maintain their dignity, quality of life and independence. Our range of amenities, open plan living spaces and security measures help residents keep active, pursue new interests and most of all – have peace of mind in their new home. For more information about independent living in South Orange, visit our website at: https://jchcorp.org/ The original blog is posted on https://jchcorp.org/why-luxury-senior-living-at-the-village-apartments/ When first looking into senior living options, you may come across the term “supported independent living,” or “Independent Living with Assistance.” But what does that mean exactly and how does it differ from assisted living? Independent living with support is the best of both worlds for seniors who would like to continue to direct their lives, have increased socialization options, live in a secure community, with options for light assistance if needed. It is the middle ground between assisted living and just moving into an over 55 community. This type of senior living option also varies depending on the community that offers it. We think the independent living setup at Lester Senior Living in Morris County is truly unique and appealing to a wide variety of independent-minded seniors.
Benefits of Independent Living with Support at Lester Senior Living Perhaps one of the first and most important aspects of Lester Independent Senior Living is that it is truly separate living from those receiving assisted living in the community. The Margaret and Martin Heller Independent Living building is across the lobby from the Josh and Judy Weston Assisted Living Building. While these communities can come together for meals, classes, Bingo, Movies, and other recreation, the independent lifestyle of folks is respected and they are living with others who also require less assistance. But if their needs change, it is easy to scale the services you receive, we already have the staff right there. Activities and exercise programs. When you choose to live independently at Lester, you are not choosing total isolation by any means. We are a very active community through and through. If there isn’t a special event going on, you’ll still see residents and staff all over the campus – sitting on park benches in front of the building, reading in the library, having lunch in the dining room and catching up in the main lobby. We also have a monthly activities calendar that we are constantly adding to in order to satisfy the many interests of our residents. Some examples are the Lester book club, chair dancing, tabletop word games, bingo and even sing-alongs. The best part? Nobody gets left behind! These activities are available to both assisted living and independent living residents in the building. Help is available when needed. In the Lester Senior Living community, we have two wings that are on either side of the main lobby. One is the Weston assisted living apartments and the other is the Heller independent living apartments. Because assisted living and independent living residents are housed in the same building, help can be more readily available for those who live independently since assistance is essentially right next door. We have one of the best staff-to-resident ratios in the industry, plus almost every staff member on site has been with the community for over 10 years! Meaning, you won’t find a team who cares and is more than willing to help than the one here. Safety and security. As we’ve already touched on, independent living is more than just moving into a new apartment building. Everyone takes the time to get to know one another. Our staff members are very passionate about senior care, and develop relationships with each resident. Which means you won’t be left to your own devices for too long – there is always someone checking in! On top of this, there are security personnel on site 24/7, as well as safety measures in place to ensure each resident can live more comfortably. From easy-to-navigate apartments, with smoke detectors and medical alert systems to on-site home health services, seniors can relax knowing that support and security is right there when they need it. Scalable Senior Living Options in Morris County At Lester Senior Living, our aim is to ensure each of our residents maintain their quality of life and independence. Our activity and exercise programs encourage residents to get involved with the community at a level they are comfortable with. The services we offer can also be scaled to the resident. We understand that someone in independent living may not prefer the same care level as someone in assisted living with mobility issues. As we mentioned before, we really take the time to get to know each resident to ensure they get the proper support required to live a full and happy life here. For more information about supported independent living in Morris County, please contact our community today or visit our website to discover our other senior communities in NJ: https://jchcorp.org/ The original blog is posted on: https://jchcorp.org/what-does-supported-independent-living-mean-for-seniors/ There are many reasons why someone chooses to live at a senior community. To make acceptance of the move as easy as possible, the senior living community in question should tick off all your boxes. Not all senior communities are created equal, and you will find that your loved one will not feel at home in every facility you visit. With that being said, our team at Lester Senior Living in Whippany, NJ has put together a list of what to look for when picking a senior living community.
How does the senior community help residents maintain their independence? Great senior living communities prioritize the independence of their residents. At Lester for instance, seniors in the independent living apartments are in a physically separate building with others of similar mental and physical acuity. Furthermore communities like Lester provide support with ADL’s (activities of daily living), i.e. daily chores like cooking, cleaning, managing medications and getting dressed for the day so its a step up from over 55 apartment living while still having an independent lifestyle.. With this support in place, your mom or dad has more time to pursue activities they truly want to do. Have they ever wanted to learn how to do crafts, paint, learn to dance, take extended learning courses, watch classic movies? All of these and much more are possible at Lester Independent Living. Does the senior community offer different levels of care? Nobody wants to move twice. What we’re getting at is, the transition to senior living should only be made once if you choose the right community that offers different levels of comprehensive care inside the same campus. This is why leading facilities, like Lester Senior Living, offer scalable services like independent living, assisted living and advanced memory care. This allows older adults to stay in the comfort of their own community, even if their care needs change. If a higher level of support like memory care is required, they can easily transition to a specialized wing at the same facility. Does the senior community offer different ways to be active? Staying active is key to maximizing your independence, and quality of life as a senior. Modern senior living communities understand this notion completely, and have stepped up to the plate in regards to the different activities they offer senior residents on a weekly – or even daily – basis. At Lester Senior Living, our activity directors create a calendar each month that highlights different activities, clubs and events taking place on site. Some of our crowd favorites include chair dancing, zumba and “stretch & flex.” We also have a dedicated fitness center on site that residents can frequent at any time if class isn’t in session. Active and Fulfilling Senior Living in Morris County, NJ Here at Lester Senior Living, our mission is to help each of our seniors maintain their independence, while receiving the necessary support they need. Assisted living supports can be scaled as necessary to accommodate your loved one’s personal and medical care needs. With more time to devote to their interests, your senior parents can take advantage of the many activities, clubs and special events we hold on a monthly basis. To learn more about active senior living in Morris County, please contact us today or visit our website at: https://jchcorp.org/ The original blog is posted on: https://jchcorp.org/what-to-look-for-when-picking-a-senior-living-community/ Growing older doesn’t have to be hard, in fact growing older can come with the best years of your life! There are small changes you can make now that could really benefit your health in the future. These healthy lifestyle habits will also ensure you stay independent for much longer, whether you’re living at home or in a senior community. Adopting just a few of the tips our independent living team has compiled below will make you feel great as you grow older.
Get enough sleep! Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Getting a solid 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep is proven to have positive effects on your memory, focus and concentration. If you’re having trouble sleeping soundly at night, try to establish a consistent bedtime routine and make your environment optimal for sleeping by keeping it cool and dark. Limit alcohol consumption. Drinking too much alcohol on a weekly (or worse, daily) basis, can negatively impact your sleeping habits and your health. More specifically, consuming too much alcohol can lead to the following issues: high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, cancer, learning disabilities and memory problems. Go for regular checkups. Scheduling regular checkups with your doctor and other medical professionals can help you catch health issues early and treat them before it’s too late. Another important factor to consider is to start seeing a geriatric doctor who specializes in treating older people with more complex, chronic conditions. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Coupled with daily exercise, the single most important lifestyle habit to adopt is eating healthier as you age. Eating whole foods that are high in fiber and low in saturated fats will ensure your body receives the proper nutrition it needs, while also lowering your risk of developing chronic conditions. Manage your medications. This may seem like common sense, but we’re here to remind you of how important it is to take medications exactly as prescribed by your geriatric doctor. Overdosing or skipping medications will only put your health in more jeopardy. It’s also worth it to schedule monthly medication reviews with your doctor, to keep track of what medications are still necessary for you to take. To help you better keep track of correct doses, you should also think about downloading a medication reminder app. Healthy, independent living at JCHC At JCHC’s senior living communities in New Jersey, our aim is to ensure that each of our residents maintains their health, quality of life and independence. Our social programs encourage residents to get involved with the communities at a level they are comfortable with, while our personal care services ensure each resident gets the support they need every single day. For more information about independent living in Morris County, visit our website at: https://jchcorp.org/ Original blog is available on: https://jchcorp.org/growing-older-and-feeling-great/ |
AuthorWe offer seniors a range of options in terms of housing, services, amenities, location and cost, all within the Jewish tradition: independent living, assisted living, memory care, respite, affordable housing, enriching programs, and on-site services for our residents, many of whom have special needs. Archives
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