MorningStar at Mountain Shadows

MorningStar at Mountain Shadows has been a wonderful residence for my parents over the past two years. I toured several Assisted Living places in Colorado Springs & the surrounding area before easily choosing this one as the best -- much due to the outstanding, warm, happy, caring, & compassionate staff, as well as the fact that this community is small enough for everyone to feel safe, get to know each other, form phenomenal friendships, and feel like they really belong. It is HOME! Having a beautiful and well-kept facility is very important, but the real measure of success comes with the happiness of my parents day in and day out. The entire staff is friendly, respectful & accommodating ~ they consistently provide top notch care in an upbeat, loving, cheery environment. There is a wide range of entertaining activities, great dining 3x per day with an impressive menu selection, wonderful field trips on the Morningstar bus ~and literally so much to do that my parents often mention they are too busy to take part in everything offered. Having my parents relax & enjoy their golden years in MorningStar brings me peace of mind and I feel very blessed that we found this awesome home for my parents. I love that the staff grocery shops, cooks, cleans, drives, etc for them so they can enjoy all the events offered ~ it has been a fantastic experience overall. They love & respect their many Veteran residents for their service to this great country, which is appreciated as well. The celebrations of birthdays and holidays, cook outs and special events that includes extended family assures no one ever feels left out or unappreciated. This is an impressive organization and their adherence to Judeo-Christian values is easily apparent.

I researched quite a few facilities before selecting this one and moving a parent into memory care on 8 Oct. When visiting the facility, talking with current residents, residents' families, and staff, it's clear that there is LIFE here. It's not a place where people move to sit and wait, rather the activities each day were fun, engaging, and plentiful. The whole staff, from the Executive Director (Allison Eckert) on down, were highly engaged and sincerely welcoming. All of them freely provided their cell phone numbers and encouraged communication. Making an adjustment into any facility is a lifestyle transition for the resident. It also affects the supporting family too. I found the Care Coordination team, led by Allison Kerr and including Toni, Caley, Melody, Haley, Katelyn, Sandra, Silke, and more to be a delight every day and every step of the way. They radiated patience, kindness, support, and a contagious joy that made the adjustment easier for everyone. I was also really surprised by the food. After eating there for consistently for a week, each meal was far from the bland, uninspiring fare that a stereotype might imply. Instead, they were flavorful, well presented, and consistently as good (if not better) than what you might find at a restaurant. Every single resident I spoke with echoed this sentiment too. Surprisingly, several said they could not remember seeing a repeated dish for many, many months. As important as food quality is to a fulfilling day, this is a key area that I was delighted by. Overall, my initial experience has really be positive. While they are one of the more expensive facilities in town, and I don't think they accept Medicaid, it's clear that the costs are being used to support and excellent resident experience.

Visiting friends, and was very impressed with the facility and staff. Place is clean and very nice decor. Rooms are great. Had a wonderful visit and will be returning. Not like a lot of places where you can't get out fast enough. Thanks for making every one that is in the building feel welcome and relaxed.

I wish I could give MorningStar @ Mountain Shadows 10 stars and I have never felt that way about any Google review I have left. We are in the midst of transitioning my mom from home to MorningStar and I cannot say enough about the community and every staff member we have encountered. They have all been so warm, kind, friendly, welcoming, professional, efficient, organized, and truly believe in their mission to make the community my mom’s next HOME, not a facility. I have always been under the outdated perception that it was better for my mom to stay at home as long as possible. This perception was blown away from the moment I entered MorningStar, to the point that I know realize she would’ve been living a much more fulfilling, interesting, exciting, happy and active life had she been there years ago. My family is just so happy and excited for her to make this transition because we now realize that this is what is best for her to fully enjoy and be an active, engaged part of her own life. One of the most wonderful and reassuring things happened upon our first visit to MorningStar. A lovely community member named Carol approached us to tell us how much she loves MorningStar. She said she has been in 4 facilities and MS is hands down the best one. Carol said the staff is amazing throughout, the food is excellent and she feels very well cared for. I am thrilled Carol will be my mom’s Welcome Ambassador and will invite her to lunch and get her involved in some activities. Morningstar has truly thought of almost everything to enhance and brighten their community members lives. Here are some of the things which have impressed me, but I am sure there are so many others that I haven’t encountered yet. 1. The home is beautiful inside and out, well cared for, clean, and very homey. There is a circular driveway with a heated indoor porch for when it is cold and rocking chairs on the outside porch for when it is warm. There is lovely living room with a fireplace and an amazing movie theatre! The dining room is beautiful and there is a snack bar with 24/7 treats and an orange infused iced water dispenser. (My personal favorite) The home is wonderfully located facing the foothills of Mountain Shadows and the views are amazing. 2. There are primary care physicians who come in weekly to assess community members as needed. It is also possible to have my mom’s meds ordered and filled through the physician’s pharmacy. 3. Excellent physically therapy onsite with Wellness Director and RN. 4. Private dining room for community members to reserve and invite family or friends, and overnight accommodations for visiting family and friends. Visitors are also always welcome to come have a meal with my mom in the main dining room for a nominal charge. There is an awesome movie theater there. 5. By all accounts, the food is delicious and the chef gets to know community members likes and dislikes. There is a wonderful patio with a barbecue facing the mountains that the chef utilizes year round, even when it is too cold to sit outside. 6. Residents have access to 24/7 care by either pushing a button in their room or utilizing an emergency pendant that goes directly to staff so they can respond ASAP. 7. There are so many amazing activities I won’t list them all, but here are some that come to mind. One of my favorites is that they will just take the community van out for a scenic drive to get out of the house and enjoy the beauty of Colorado. Amber, Director of Community Relations, assured me family is always welcome to take part in all activities. Every time I have been to MorningStar, I cry with happiness and excitement for my mom and the wonderful new life that is about to unfold for her. I know she will absolutely blossom there and regain some of her vitality and zest for life. I was there today to finish up some final details and was greeted with a personalized welcome sign. Upon leaving, I was hugged and welcomed to the family. It is a family I feel so fortunate for my mom and my family to be part of.