Ridgecrest Senior Living

The relationships you develop with your parents are often some of the deepest and most meaningful in your life. Which makes having a conversation about moving into senior living residences tough for all involved. It might be difficult for you to broach the subject with your parents, but keep in mind that its just as hard for them to hear it.No matter how prepared you or they might be, this is never an easy conversation to have. From your parents perspective, moving into a senior living residence might seem like a significant reduction in independence and freedom. After all, having lived alone for forty or fifty years gets a person used to a certain type of lifestyle. Its for that reason that you have to give them the best advice possible. Dont simply make the decision for them, bring them into the discussion and talk frankly about the situation and the options available. Weve learned a thing or two during our time at Legend Senior Living, and know a few tips for making this conversation a bit easier:Speak honestly and compassionatelyHelp your parents by being sensitive to their needs, wants, and fears, and include them in the conversation about their lives. Give your honest assessment, even if you know it may be difficult for them to hear.Make collaborative choicesPeople are more willing to make choices when they take part in the decision. Structure your conversation in a way that shows you arent trying to run their lives; rather that youre focused on their health, safety, and happiness, and welcome and respect their input in this decision.Set up senior living residence toursEncourage them to schedule tours of residences so they can meet people and see the environments firsthand. As they talk to residents, they can weigh their decisions based on whats important to them. Know the signs to help assess the situationIt can be hard to admit when your parents cant handle living on their own. Its important that you know the signs that determine its time to consider senior living. Here is a list of what to look for:Weight loss due to malnutrition or inability to feed oneselfFrailty of strength or statureWeight gain, potentially due to illness or inactivityChanges in behavior, appearance, or bathing habitsLoss of friendships, activities, or interestsUnopened bills, personal mail, or past-due noticesWhen daily living activities and independent living activities waneChronic, persistent health conditions or conditions that require daily monitoringSlower recovery for minor injuries or illnessesRecent accidents or incidentsSenior living means not worrying about when theyll get a nutritious meal, not having to worry about them forgetting to turn off the stove, a slip or a fall, or forgetting to take their medications. Be open and honest regarding your concerns about them living on their own. Theyll appreciate how much you value their safety, happiness, health, and independence. Senior living also ensures that your parents will have the assistance in the case of an emergency or accident. Its not only a residential situation, its peace of mind for both you and your parents that they will always be looked after.Even though the conversation might be difficult to have, its important that you have it. But make sure you approach it with kindness, compassion and understanding.

As our population ages, providing care for aging parents is becoming more common by the day.Over the past several years, we have seen a dramatic increase in adults providing care for their spouses or aging parents. While providing this service to your family can be rewarding, it can also take a toll on your personal life in the form of financial stress, having drastically less personal time, feeling drained and generally overwhelmed.The holiday season is a particularly stressful time for caregivers. Providing care to your loved one, taking care of your own family and making time for yourself is a delicate balancing act that can all too quickly fall apart. Its easy to dedicate too much time to the others while not enough for yourself, increasing the risk of burnout and fatigue. This type of caregiver stress can lead to a variety of personal complications such as:DepressionSocial isolationFinancial difficultiesStruggling to copeDifficulty providing care due to advancing Alzheimers, reduced physical abilities and other senior related health issues.When Caregiver Stress Becomes an IssueCaregivers are often so focused on their loved ones that they forget to think about themselves and their own lives. This is detrimental in many ways, and can lead to declining health, anger or frustration, fatigue and even drug and alcohol abuse.Over time, the effects of stress or caregiver fatigue have a huge effect on your overall wellbeing and health. On top of stress, fatigue, depression, or exhaustion, many caregivers do not get enough sleep, physical activity or proper nutrition because they are so busy dedicating their time to the care of someone else. This can even lead to a variety of future health problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.8 Strategies to Reduce Caregiver StressWhile the emotional strain and physical stress associated with caregiving can be very taxing, simply taking advantage of the resources and tools available to you can help you provide better care for both your loved ones and yourself. Its important to remember that if you arent taking care of yourself, your ability to take care of others suffers too.Stay Connected with OthersSharing and vocalizing experiences can help caregivers manage fatigue and stress. Its important to realize that you can talk about your stressors with fellow caregivers, clergy, friends, and family.Seek and Accept Help from OthersOften, when individuals truly need support or assistance in tough situations they withdraw rather than joining support networks to get the help they need. Dont be afraid to reach out to these groups - they exist for a reason. Support networks come from the community, online support, local groups and other professionals.Understand What the Future Looks Like for You and Your Loved OneTalking to medical staff about the available options during aging, declining health, and disease can make a lot of difference. You can also obtain support from Aging and Disability Resources Centers. Additionally, there are other programs in the residence to talk to about aging adults and their caregivers. This will equip you with the information you need in order to fully understand your situation and caring requirements, and ultimately to provide more effective care.Find Respite and RelaxationGetting a break for a few hours or days is always beneficial - whether it be in a faith-based organization, a social group or health club. Dont feel guilty about spending this time on yourself either. While it might seem that you need to spend all of your time with your loved one, taking time for yourself is absolutely crucial in order to rest and recover. The more time you spend on yourself, the better shape you will be in to care for others.Practice Self-Care RegularlyParticipate in enjoyable and relaxing activities. This could include social outings, hobbies, art or other creative endeavors. Sometimes reading, listening to music, watching a movie, or simply relaxing can drastically improve your state of mind. The activity itself doesnt matter so much as the act of practicing self-care. Make it a habit; even 15 minutes per day will make a huge difference.ExerciseExercise is a miracle drug that can improve your mental and physical health in a big way. Being active improves your mood, reduces stress and minimizes your risk of contracting debilitating diseases. Its a crucial tool for staying in shape and remaining level-headed. Exercise everyday if you can. And remember that anything is better than nothing - even a long walk once a day will do wonders for both your body and your mind.Stay Healthy with a Regular ScheduleStress is the mind-killer. It can cause people to lose sleep, overeat or under eat, drink excessively, smoke and consume drugs. Maintaining a regular schedule is one way to combat this. Ensure that you get enough sleep, get to bed around the same time every night, and eat healthily. Maintaining a regular schedule will give your days a sense of structure and help you to remain grounded and healthy.Keep a Positive Perspective with Meditation and Other TacticsSometimes it can be tough to keep a positive outlook. That being said, there are tools such as meditation, conscious breathing and journaling that can be used to help reduce stress and encourage positivity. These techniques also help to reduce negative and fatalistic thoughts while also fostering feelings of gratefulness.

To improve the quality of life available at home, today's best senior living gives equal weight to an independent lifestyle and compassionate professional care and offers a holistic approach to wellness, longevity, and happiness. Those looking for a Personal Care or Memory Care residence in the McCandless area have a unique advantage in that the same provider, Legend Senior Living, manages two nearby residences of equally high caliber. Ridgecrest and The Remington benefit from Legend's three decades of innovation in senior living. Both offer upscale, carefree, highly social environments. Each has its distinctive appeal.  The Ridgecrest lifestyle takes on the flavor of an adventure in a resort-style atmosphere. Friendship and fun are the objectives, aided by full-service amenities: a cocktail lounge, indoor pool, art studio, billiards room, putting green, bocce ball court, covered patio with fireplace, to name a few. The Remington recalls the elegance of classic Pittsburgh with its magnificent tray ceilings and sunlit manor house common areas. Splendid balconies, sunny courtyards, and covered patios encourage frequent gatherings with friends.  At Ridgecrest and The Remington, we believe in the power of community and engagement. That's why we've brought our signature Gold Leaf Dining to Both residences. Our chef-prepared cuisine, designed for health and taste, is served in a welcoming restaurant-style atmosphere. You'll savor the flavor of local favorites, international delicacies, and seasonal selections, all designed by a licensed nutritionist. Bistro-style dining makes for a fun meal between activities. And speaking of activities, our full-time Life Enrichment Coordinator creates a dynamic calendar of events and opportunities. From fitness classes to art workshops, there's always something to pique your interest and encourage new friendships.  Both communities feature Legend's proactive approach to Memory Care. Compassionate, expert associates employ innovative therapies that bring actual results, improved cognition and behavior, and the ability to create new memories. It's an empathetic approach, striving to be the resident's best friend, learning their Life Story.  In the Legend philosophy of wellness and quality of life, individuality is paramount. Complete independence comes with just the right amount of personal assistance. So, top-notch care is a given at Ridgecrest and The Remington. It comes down to "What's your style?"  Find our more at legendseniorliving.com.

As you prepare to celebrate the holidays this season, you may notice some changes in your parents or senior loved ones if you havent seen them in a while. They may seem more forgetful, depressed or confused.  Do they have Alzheimers disease or Dementia? Alzheimers disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which is both debilitating and life-changing. Is it time to start researching assisted living or memory care communities? Fortunately, there are warning signs your loved one may have Alzheimers disease or Dementia that can help you determine if its time to look at visiting a community, or at least visiting a doctor. 10 Early Indicators of Alzheimers Disease and Dementia in Seniors: -Forgetfulness and Short-Term Memory LossThe early effects of memory loss cause people to forget entire conversations from just moments before. Dementia and Alzheimers disease typically affect short term-memory first (memories that took place just a few moments ago). One of the most telling signs of memory issues are when those suffering forget important dates, the ability to remember their family members or ask for the same information repeatedly. -Increased Confusion or Increased Lack of ConcentrationConfusion about times and places can be one of the first indicators of memory loss. Tasks can take much longer than usual, people may forget where theyre going or how they got there or even be unable to navigate to familiar places. This leads to forgetting to track time, seasons and even the passage of time (which leads to forgotten appointments). -Items Show Up In Strange Places or Loved Ones Are Losing ThingsWe all lose things - but those suffering with the early stages of Dementia or Alzheimers disease lose keys or other things in strange places (like the refrigerator). To compound the issue, those affected may lose items and forget how to retrace their steps. Situations can further escalate to paranoia or theft accusations against caregivers. -Difficulty Doing Common TasksAnyone with memory loss or early signs of Dementia might not remember the coordination associated with cooking a favorite recipe, playing a familiar game, driving a vehicle or performing a hobby. Often, early signs of Alzheimers disease or Dementia are noticeable in depth perception, misjudged distances, and seeing colors- attributing for clumsiness, having accidents, falling or other serious health concerns. -Speaking Problems and Other Language IssuesIssues with memory loss can also cause problems with processing and forming language. This can be apparent in conversations and writing. Your loved ones often compensate for this by using stand-in words or their own terms to avoid describing objects and difficult actions. Sometimes, those suffering will stop abruptly during sentences or when engaged in conversation. -Loved Ones Having Problems with Abstract ThinkingThose suffering from memory loss sometimes have difficulty remembering numbers or doing math problems that are traditionally easy for them like simple change calculations, balancing checkbooks, or performing addition and subtraction. -Lapses of Judgement / Issues Making DecisionsWhile making a bad judgement call or having a difficult time making decisions isnt necessarily a sign of Alzheimers or a sign of Dementia, it could be one of the signs your senior parent or loved one might have Dementia. This could include your loved one falling for offers that are clearly scams, spending a reckless amount of money, or dressing inappropriately for weather conditions or following up on simple plans. -Personality Changes, Mood Swings, Frustration, Fear and Anxiety  Sometimes, those suffering with memory care needs have mood swings and show changes in personality. This can cause those suffering to get scared, act fearful, be depressed, become angry, overly anxious or even worried. This can even cause a calm, confident adult to become immediately tentative, shy, and confused especially when theyre outside of their comfort zone - like in a public area. -Loss of Grooming Ability or Changes in Personal HygieneDeclining attention to personal care (infrequent bathing, wearing the same clothes day in and out, not brushing teeth or hair) are often precursors to dementia. The same is true about cleaning the home - if a homes cleanliness declines suddenly, it could be a sign of a memory issue. -Loved Ones Withdrawal from Friends and FamilyOne of the biggest red flags is when seniors start withdrawing from social opportunities and activities that they enjoyed in the past. Legend Senior Living has found that seniors with dementia and Alzheimers disorder avoid being around people to avoid drawing attention to their memory loss, lapses in memory, or difficulty communicating because of memory loss. These symptoms can seem pretty normal as we engage and interact with our loved ones however, they can also be very telling in understanding how memory loss such as Dementia and Alzheimers disease affect our loved ones.  If you notice these symptoms in your loved one, we encourage you to seek out additional care options and services that ensure your loved one is getting the care they need to live their best life.

When you're young, you may desire with multiple floors and big kitchens for entertaining friends and raising your family. We want beautiful yards with gardens and lush landscapes; dogs, cats, fish, and all kinds of things. As we age, those things might become difficult to maintain and upkeep; like cooking meals, bathing, laundry, running errands, taking medicine, operating electronics and even once-easy tasks like using household appliances all become tougher and tougher.The first questions is not how to get into assisted living with no money. Rather, it is; Am I ready - or is my parent ready for assisted living?  Its Tough Making the Move to Assisted Living for you or your loved one, We Can Help!Legend Senior Living Associates have fielded many questions from loved ones about how to move a parent with dementia to assisted living.  Its necessary when things that your parents used to do are now impossible to do independently or when their quality of care decreases to the point where its dangerous and potentially life threatening for them to not have some sort of aid.More than 15 million Americans are currently devoting love, time and care to aging loved ones with Alzheimers and Dementia care needs and sometimes it can be difficult, expensive, and time consuming; thats why assisted living residences are there to give you a helping hand! Heres list of 12 symptoms and signs its time for assisted living:Aggression with dementia or Alzheimers is one of the first signs that its time to start considering placement in assisted living , simply to ensure the safety of everyone. A condition called Sundowning often causes aggression or agitation in the evening.When caregiving is causing Caregiver Stress or burnout these signs can be just as telling as other symptoms. This stress is often damaging to the emotional relationship between you and your loved ones.When you notice an increase in care needs, or escalating care (like helping get someone to the bathroom or helping support most/all a persons weight) that can put a caregiver at risk.Wandering (especially in later stages of dementia) is one of the leading risks of slip and fall hazards.Ensuring seniors are eating healthy, balanced meals, getting vitamins, and have a supply of fresh nutritious food in the refrigerator and pantry that isnt expired. Many aging adults and those with memory needs forget to remove old, expired, or spoiled food.Aging adults with memory care needs or other seniors taking medication dosage correctly and at the right time. Assisted living residences provide seniors medication management and medication problem avoidance. Medical staff at assisted living residences also know things like the safest NSAID (like ibuprofen) for seniors (over 65 years) as well as other medications.When you need medical care or supervision for your loved one in the case of an emergency. Assisted living residences are perfect when theres a risk of a potential health issue, slip and fall, or wandering as theres always staff available and medical help a few minutes away.To keep important financial tasks like paying bills on time, as well as opening and disposing of mail to prevent mail fraud or identity theft.To help seniors get around without hurting themselves. Senior drivers often exhibit physical and mental changes as they age; like slower response time, losses in clarity and vision, drowsiness due to medications, reduction of the ability to focus, or may even judge distances incorrectly and these mistakes can be deadly. Assisted living residences provide free transportation services and safety for everyone on the road.When your loved one struggles with dressing, changing clothing, or is unable to shower or groom themselves. Often, seniors that arent in assisted living homes can go days without showering or changing clothes.When your aging loved one isnt engaging in their favorite hobbies, talking and socializing, or going out and about.If your loved one is exhibiting depression, loneliness, isolation, or the inability to cook or clean without assistance. This goes along with being unable to do the things they once loved to do. Making a Transition to Assisted Living for Seniors Also Makes the Transition Smoother on YouWhile making the decision to move a senior into assisted living is a tough choice, making a transition now rather than later helps adjust and keeps your ageing loved ones safer. You can start the touring process with assisted living communities; finding friendly staff, comfortable features, activities and friendships for your loved ones, as well as a clean environment with a pleasant dining experience and peace of mind.Youll soon find that assisted living residences only require a small initial adjustment before theyre the best opportunity for socialization, dining, activities, personalized care and effective care action plans in place (leaving you in charge without physically doing it all yourself) which is a large burden off of your shoulders.

Mistakes to Avoid When Looking for an Assisted Living CommunitySearching for the best assisted living residence is tough, especially when your parents and loved ones are making the change. Fortunately, there are ways to help them learn how to find and choose an assisted living facility. Most of these come down to the following three steps:Determining what they needFinding locations that match their needs and signing up for toursUtilizing multiple resources to find the right locationWell help you focus on finding the right residence to keep your loved one safe, happy, and secure as soon as possible with as little worry as possible. There are a few common mistakes people make when considering an assisted living community.1. Making the decision based on superficial reasonsAssisted living is about more than a pretty building. Often, adult children choose living establishments they think their parents would enjoy without adequately thinking about their health and wellness needs.If your mom or dad is unable make the decision, very carefully weigh all the options available before making it. Most of the time, transportation, safety, and comradery with similarly aged adults are exactly what your parent wants. 2. Being unrealistic about health and memory needsIf your mom or dad has dementia, think about what they need now, rather than what they used to enjoy. Memory issues cause adults to become reclusive, scared, and confused. Aging causes stressors and other worries. Choose a residence that can best protect them, rather than one that is overly fancy.Many residents come to us because they chose places that didnt offer the quality of care or level of services that they need. We always recommend adult children seriously consider their parents health needs and ask doctors about the support seniors need as they age.3. Going it alone in the searchIts usually prudent to get several opinions regarding the best assisted living options. Theres a good chance other family or friends have gone through the same process. You might also consult qualified senior living advisors. Legend Senior Living provides advisors to help navigate the process every time we show people our community. Our senior living advisors are generally very helpful when it comes to the process of choosing the right home, even if Legend may not be the right fit for your particular needs.4. Not knowing what to look forStart your search online, but make sure to talk to people. When doing your research online, make sure the residence offers the following resources:Nutritious prepared mealsCompanion services that provide company, personal assistance, and supportLife enrichment activities to indulge, learn, and growWellness and other activities to keep seniors engaged and activeBut go to the source, too. Make sure to make time to visit the residences youre considering. On your visits, we suggest you talk to the people to see exactly how it operates. Speak privately with staff and residents to get their opinions about the level of care and their overall satisfaction. Cheerful residents are always a good sign to look for in an assisted living home.5.  Choosing the first residence you findYoull find that every residence is unique. We recommend visiting at least three homes before you make a decision. This allows you to compare, do your due diligence, and get a clearer picture of standards and options available. Take note of residence standards, their cultures, and how they treat people. Most of all, consider your peace of mind and the safety of your loved ones.Legend Senior Living Is here to answer your questions and give you a tourGenerally speaking, most questions about assisted living focus on how many members are on staff, how the staff handles maintenance, and activity schedules. Security for aging adults with memory needs is something to consider as well.At Legend Senior Living, we understand whats important to you family, friends, good care, and compassion. We understand the need to live your life and your standards for independence, dignity, and the right to personal choice.