Mountain Vista Senior Living Community in Wheat Ridge will be hosting a Caregiver Burnout Support Group the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6pm starting April 9, 2024.

Caring for a family is a labor of love, but it can also be emotionally and physically taxing. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or simply in need of support, our Caregiver Burnout Group is here for you. At Mountain Vista, we recognize the incredible dedication of family caregivers and the unique challenges they face. Led by our chaplain Rev. Cindy Pincus, this group provides a nurturing environment where you can share your experiences, learn self-care strategies, and connect with others who understand the challenges of caregiving. Whether you’re seeking practical advice or simply a listening ear, our doors are open to you.

For more information, please contact Mountain Vista Marketing Director Lisa Weber at 303-421-4161 or by email at lweber@abhomes.org.

Mountain Vista was recently profiled in an article in the local Gazette newspaper.  The article focused on Mountain Vista’s people, history, culture and commitment to care. To read the full story, click here.

The month of March is known for St. Patrick’s Day, the return of daylight savings time, unpredictable weather, and of course… Social Work month! Here at Mountain Vista, we have our Social Services department which consists of two wonderful team players; Sabrina Langstraat and Sarah Preston. Our Social Services team members work incredibly hard, with their main goal being to advocate for our residents’ needs and overall well-being. With such a strong passion for helping others, it’s evident that the Social Services department has a long-lasting impact on our community here at Mountain Vista. Each day in the department is unique, involving interactions with different residents, family members, and individual care plans.

Sabrina, a Social Services Assistant at Mountain Vista, shared that her favorite part about working in the department is getting to know each resident personally and helping them adjust to living here by introducing them to all that we have to offer. She finds her role incredibly rewarding and feels like she’s truly making a positive impact on the lives of our residents and their families. “I know I am making a difference in the lives of these residents when they are happy to see me every day, and that they are comfortable to come and talk to me about anything.”

We are so grateful for the dedication and hard work of our Social Services department. Sabrina and Sarah play a crucial role in fostering a supportive and caring environment for our residents. Their commitment to advocating for the well-being of others is commendable. Thank you, Sabrina and Sarah, for all that you do for our residents here at Mountain Vista!

We all have those songs that we listen to that bring us back to a specific time or memory. Whether you prefer country, classical, jazz, or rock music, some of our favorite songs will evoke memories and even emotions. Music is a powerful tool for individuals of all ages, but when playing music for older adults with cognitive loss, it can be enormously influential for their well-being. Research has shown that listening to music can work to improve one’s episodic memory, which is correlated with remembering specific events associated with our emotions. Here at Mountain Vista, we have seen the influence that music can have on our residents firsthand, so we try to incorporate musical activities into their daily lives as much as we can.

Annie Lozano, who is the Director of Resource Development at Mountain Vista and is shown here, will occasionally sing and play her guitar for residents who reside in the Memory Care Unit. Typically, the residents gather around the table while Annie plays familiar songs for them. Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, the Rolling Stones… You name it! When asking Annie about the connection between music and memory, she expressed how she feels that music can trigger positive memories and can comfort older adults with dementia. She added, “As confusing as the day might be for them, music can take them back to the present. Sometimes all it takes is a familiar song from their past to give them a sense of comfort.” Not only can music physically relax older individuals, but it can also be a useful tool for allowing them to feel more connected with one another and have some fun!

Our music activities and events here at Mountain Vista provide entertainment for everyone. Whether we are doing karaoke, sing-alongs, watching a musical performance, or playing music individually for a resident, music is almost guaranteed to put a smile on our resident’s faces. The magic of music is powerful, and it is so important for us to take advantage of it!

Who doesn’t love to go on a trip to the bowling alley and spend some time with your pals? On January 30, we recently took a few of our residents to the local Bowlero for a fun outing, where they were able to spend some quality time with one another in a community setting and challenge each other to some friendly competition while having a blast! Taking our residents out into the community and participating in social activities is influential for their overall wellbeing, which is why we emphasize our activities programs here at Mountain Vista.

One of our residents that attended the bowling outing spoke up on why she feels socialization is beneficial to her own physical and mental well-being. She expressed, “When I get the chance to go on an outing here at Mountain Vista, I feel like an active community member. On the bowling trip, I was able to socialize with individuals in our community and see people from all walks of life. It gives me a deep sense of meaning and purpose.” This resident also mentioned how her socialization levels are interconnected with her physical, mental, and cognitive well-being. “When I socialize with others it gives me the chance to be more physically active, learn about others life experiences, and even keep my mind busy. I feel like socializing has allowed me to be more cognitively active, which is crucial for my health.” 

Through our scheduled activities and outings that take place here at Mountain Vista, we aim to improve all aspects of well-being, including social health. Our scheduled activities and outings, such as the recent excursion to the bowling alley, are beneficial for our residents in so many ways. Not only are they fun, but they also foster meaningful connections and promote the overall health of our residents. It sounds like going bowling is right up our alley! 

Mountain Vista Senior Living Community Health Center in Wheat Ridge was recently ranked third in Colorado as part of “America’s Best Nursing Homes 2024” by Newsweek Magazine. The following is an excerpt from that article:

Families across the nation entrust nursing homes with the health and dignity of their loved ones. Finding the right facility is not just about numbers; it’s about ensuring your family member receives the care and attention they deserve.

To support families as they consider their options, Newsweek has partnered with respected global data research firm Statista to create our third annual ranking of America’s Best Nursing Homes.

The rankings are based on five data sources, including performance data, peer recommendations, management of the COVID-19 situation and accreditations from The Joint Commission and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. For the first time, resident satisfaction data for nursing homes, based on National Safety Goals from The Joint Commission and Google Scores, has been added to the scoring model.

This is a tremendous honor for the community, especially since one of the data sources used to earn this ranking was from peer recommendations. For those who have been part of the Mountain Vista community, either as a resident or as a staff member, this recognition is well deserved. 

We recently asked some of our staff what they enjoy most about working at Mountain Vista. The unanimous consensus was the wonderful bonds they’ve formed not only with one another, but with the residents.  Here are some of the examples of what the Mountain Vista staff had to say:  “Priceless moments;” “more friends that I can count;” “so many wonderfu
l people under one roof;” “the wonderful residents I have grown to love;” “awesome coworkers who care.” 

Mountain Vista has a history of offering seniors and families choices for housing and health care services. The foundation of our mission ensures our number one priority remains the safety and well-being of residents. 

Again, we congratulate our staff members, past and present, who have worked to make our community a success. We look forward to another year of excitement, fun activities and new friendships. You can read the entire Newsweek article here:

https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/americas-best-nursing-homes-2024-150-beds

Join Mountain Vista Senior Living Community in Wheat Ridge on Thursday, June 16th from 2-3pm for a special presentation about the historic Tuskegee Airmen.

Say “Goodbye” to the paper forms and say, “Hello” to AccuShield, a leading innovative digital screening tablet that seamlessly checks-in and checks-out all visitors, staff and residents that come and go. The AccuShield will prompt for necessary regulatory questions, log arrival and exit times, scan for temperature and prints a one-time visitor badge. Here’s more information about this new process from Mountain Vista’s campus administrator, Carrie.

Our mission at Mountain Vista is to provide a safe environment for our residents and staff. We are excited to announce our partnership with Accushield, a digital visitor management system designed to enhance safety through an upgraded sign-in and sign-out process for all visitors, including family, friends, healthcare providers, and vendors. Accushield enables us to know who is in the community at all times, enhancing security for our residents and allowing us to be better prepared for evacuations and other emergencies.

An easy to use sign-in kiosk will replace the guest book at the front of our community starting July 9, 2021. All visitors must sign-in, receive a badge and sign-out when leaving. The badge worn by all visitors while in the community will help staff and residents to identify visitors who have signed in and to redirect any un-badged visitors to the front desk for sign-in.

Residents will also use the system to sign-out when they leave the building and sign-in upon their return.

There is no more important responsibility than maintaining the safest possible environment for our residents and staff. We ask for your support as we implement this safety enhancement.

Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you for your cooperation!

Sincerely,
Carrie Escalante, NHA