MORNINGSTAR AT ARCADIA

MorningStar at Arcadia is a senior living community on East Glenrosa Avenue in the Arcadia area of Phoenix, Arizona, managed by MorningStar Senior Living. It offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care under one roof, and the Arizona Department of Health Services licenses its assisted living center (license AL13075C) for 135 residents. The community has 78 assisted living suites across three levels, in studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and penthouse floor plans, plus 30 suites in Reflections, a secured memory care neighborhood.

Assisted living uses a point-based personalized service plan that is reassessed as needs change, and on-site physical, occupational, and speech therapy are available. Every team member completes MorningStar's Lavender Sky dementia training. Common spaces include a bistro, a library, a theater and chapel for lectures, worship, and movies, a private dining room, and a secured courtyard. MorningStar reports that the community holds the Certified Parkinson Disease Care accreditation from the Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance.

Scheduled transportation goes to medical appointments, and outings visit local parks. MorningStar states that it does not accept Medicaid. Because MorningStar at Arcadia offers several levels of living in one place, it can suit couples whose needs differ, or someone who is independent today but wants a plan if more support is needed later. A move from one level to another usually begins with a new assessment, so it helps to ask how that process works and how much notice is involved.

In Arizona, assisted living communities are licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services. A licensed assisted living center serves eleven or more residents and may be approved to provide supervisory care, personal care, or directed care services, with directed care being the level for residents who can no longer direct their own care, as is common with dementia. Families can look up a community's license and inspection history on the state's AZ Care Check website before a visit, and reading recent inspection reports can show how a community has responded to any past findings.

Around the neighborhood, Valleywise Health Medical Center is about 3 miles away. Los Olivos Park is under a mile away, Sprouts Farmers Market is under a mile away for groceries, and Century Library is about 2 miles away. Public bus stops are a short walk from the entrance, which can help family members who visit without a car. On a tour, ask how the point-based service plan is scored, how Parkinson's training shows up in daily care, how the Reflections neighborhood is staffed at night, and which suites are open.

Local Senior Advisor is a free service to families, and a local advisor can help you weigh MorningStar at Arcadia against other options around Phoenix and plan the questions to bring on a visit.