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Page 8B — COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL — March 18-March 31, 2015
M orningStar
Memory Care at
Bear Creek, set on
five acres at the foot of the
Rockies in Colorado Springs,
is the second joint venture
between MorningStar Senior
Living and Millennium
Venture Group. While its ele-
gance and proportions sug-
gest a luxurious resort, every
detail of this $10.3 million
memory care community is
deliberate in creating a warm
and inviting residence.
“When you walk through
the front door, it is as if
you’ve entered the living
room of a lovely private
home,” said Ken Jaeger,
founder and chief operating
officer of MorningStar. “The
softness of the lighting, the
rich wood and the aquarium
all give Bear Creek an atmo-
sphere of serenity.”
MorningStar at Bear
Creek’s most stunning fea-
ture is the central gather-
ing room, with a vaulted
ceiling and exposed beams
reminiscent of a cathedral.
Soft, leather lounge seat-
ing in burnt orange and
turquoise surround the
double-sided stone hearth.
The walls contain historic
photographs of Garden of the
Gods, cliff dwellings and The
Broadmoor.
“The welcoming feeling
continues everywhere you
walk and the contiguous
hallways and common areas
invite you to sit back and
relax,” said Jaeger.
Other amenities include
a bistro, fitness room, salon
and two great rooms where
living and dining mingle.
From its hardwood floors and
reflective tile to upholstered
comfort, each space bears
the award-winning mark of
Thoma-Holec Design, special-
ists in senior living interiors.
“When families tour, they
are amazed to discover how
bright and homey the com-
munity is,” said Kimberly
Erickson, senior vice
president of operations of
MorningStar.
MorningStar teamed up
with architects Rosemann
& Associates to design Bear
Creek’s 38,000 square feet
in full consideration of the
dispositions and behaviors
of those with Alzheimer’s
disease and other forms of
dementia. Long hallways
typically define memory care
facilities and for residents
who are prone to wander,
these passages leave seniors
feeling lost and disoriented.
“After considering a
number of options, we
decided upon a figure-eight
floor plan,” said Erickson.
“Whichever path residents
choose to explore, they come
to open areas where people
and activi-
ties invite
involve-
ment.”
The
interior of
Bear Creek
blends
seamlessly
with exte-
rior court-
yards, fire-
side patios
and stroll-
ing paths
placed
around 75
percent of
the building. Residents are
unhindered in their walk-
ing patterns, and can find
sunshine or shade as they
please. Many residents own
dogs, and naturally want the
responsibility of taking their
dogs on walks. At Bear Creek
they can.
“It was incredibly impor-
tant to us to support choice
and independence as much as
possible, and provide a home
where residents don’t feel
restricted,” said Erickson.
“I’m proud to say that all
exterior doors at Bear Creek
(with the exception of the
front door) open freely to
secured outdoor areas.”
“We have a security sys-
tem in place that sends an
alert when anyone passes
a threshold,” said Rebecca
Martin, reflections coordina-
tor. “When staff is alerted to
check on a resident, we often
find that they are just out
soaking up the sun.”
“Bear Creek’s site is ideal
because of its natural sur-
roundings,” said Erickson.
“We want the experience
to be similar to a private
residential home. We want
residents to be able to enjoy
the outdoors and watch cars
and neighbors pass by. The
beautiful courtyards allow
that. The days of solid bar-
riers that block the outside
world are a thing of the past.
Here you can see views of
mountains and the city and
the blue Colorado sky.”
MorningStar prides itself
on handling dementia care
with professionalism and
respect for each resident.
“What we offer, how we com-
municate and how we touch
lives is all marked with dig-
nity, love and a deep compas-
sion for each resident,” said
Martin. “The creative side
of what we do starts with
learning about our residents.
Through interviews with
the family, we get a clear
understanding of a resident’s
full history. We discover core
motivators, abilities and idio-
syncrasies.”
The knowledge that
MorningStar’s staff gains is
used to aid in care and create
trust between staff members
and residents. One example
is when a resident moved to
Bear Creek with a broken
arm. The resident refused to
cooperate with the physical
therapist, or even rise from
her bed. Because staff mem-
bers knew the woman was a
professional pianist (having
played at the White House
and in concert halls around
the world), they persuaded
her that her arm must be
looked at if she wanted to
play the piano again. The
attitude shift was instan-
taneous. Suddenly, she was
happy to slide onto a piano
bench. When the physical
therapist tried to wrap up
the session, the resident
replied, “I don’t want to be
done. I have quite a bit of
practice left to do.”
Bear Creek also has quickly
become a resource center for
Colorado Springs, offering
an eight-hour dementia care
course free to families and
professionals. Eager students
are taught a variety of natu-
ral therapies to calm, soothe
and redirect. The coursework
follows the teachings of the
Alzheimer’s Association.
And through the association,
MorningStar at Bear Creek
has been designated as a
“leader in dementia care.”
Lorna Lee
Vice president,
marketing and
communications,
MorningStar Senior
Living, Denver