Morningside of Springfield

In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some historical figures who continued making important contributions well into their senior years.

Former U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek was 66 years old when she was elected to represent Florida in Congress in 1992, becoming the first Black Floridian to do so since the Reconstruction era. The daughter of a sharecropper and the granddaughter of a woman who was born enslaved, Meek was a fierce advocate for South Florida’s Black communities, immigrants, and the working poor.

She is a tremendous example of someone who never stopped advancing throughout her life, even in the face of both racial and age discrimination. In fact, when one of her opponents in the 1992 Congressional race tried to turn her age into a campaign issue, Meek saw it as an advantage. “He should continue to say that I’m too old,” she said, “because the folks that are going to get out and vote are going to be my age or around my age, and they’re told every day they’re too old. He’s doing nothing but helping us.”

She never lost a reelection race and went on to serve in Congress for 10 years. She retired from politics in 2003 at the age of 76 but continued to run the Carrie Meek Foundation until 2015. Learn more about Carrie Meek and her life at the links below:

https://bit.ly/3gDcuLJ
https://bit.ly/3BcrnOF

In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some important figures in history who continued making meaningful contributions well into their senior years.

Percy Julian is regarded as one of the most influential chemists in the modern age, despite having to endure both overt and systemic racism throughout his life.

With his local high schools unwilling to accept Black students, Julian took high school-level classes at night at DePauw University. Although DePauw gave him the opportunity to continue pursuing his education, it was anything but easy. Due to the segregated nature of the campus, he wasn’t allowed to live in a college dormitory and first stayed in an off-campus boarding home, but that home refused to serve him meals. It took him days to find an establishment where he could eat. Despite all he endured, Julian graduated from DePauw in 1920 as valedictorian.

He went on to earn international acclaim for developing a drug to treat glaucoma in 1935. His work on chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants also laid the foundation for the steroid drug industry's production of cortisone, other corticosteroids and birth control pills. He became the first Black chemist (and second Black person from any field) elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Despite his great success, he still found that his race was a factor in denying him academic and research positions, so he established his own laboratory at the age of 55. After selling his lab at age 64, he then founded the Julian Research Institute, a nonprofit organization that he ran until his death ten years later. Learn more about his life and work here: https://bit.ly/2BfVgzB

In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some important figures in history who continued making meaningful contributions during their senior years.

Actress Nichelle Nichols has broken some major color barriers in her career. Her 1966 portrayal of Lieutenant Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series was groundbreaking as she was one of the first Black actresses to play something other than stereotypical maid and housekeeper roles. She was also one of the first Black actors to have a prominent role in a science fiction series. One of the things that made her role on Star Trek so special was that Uhura’s storyline wasn’t focused on race, which helped set a new standard around inclusivity and representation in entertainment.

In fact, when she considered leaving Star Trek for a role on Broadway, a conversation with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed her mind. “For the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day, as intelligent, quality, beautiful people who can sing and dance, yes, but who can go into space, who can be lawyers and teachers, who can be professors—who are in this day—yet you don’t see it on television until now.”

Nichols’ influence was not limited to the silver screen. From 1977 to 2015, she volunteered her time to promote NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, helping to recruit diverse astronauts, including women and ethnic minorities.

Nichols truly embodies the spirit of “Never Stop Advancing,” as she continued to work well into her golden years. She retired from space advocacy and acting in December 2021 at the age of 88 and passed away in July 2022. Learn more about her historic career here: https://bit.ly/3jsHUJS

This Black History Month, we’re highlighting some important figures in history who continued making meaningful contributions well into their senior years.

Benjamin O. Davis Sr. broke a lot of glass ceilings throughout his military career. In 1898, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and applied to West Point - The U.S. Military Academy, only to have his application rejected because it was “not politically feasible” for him to attend West Point at that time.

But that didn’t phase him. He continued to work his way up the ranks, becoming a second lieutenant in two years and a first lieutenant in six – a remarkable achievement regardless of race. Although Davis was deserving of advancement, segregation of the armed forces meant he was typically given assignments that would not put him in command of white troops or officers.

Davis was in his 60s when President Franklin D. Roosevelt promoted him to the rank of brigadier general in 1940, making him the first Black general officer in the United States Armed Forces. During World War II, Davis was very influential in the proposed policy of integration using replacement units.

He retired in 1948 after 50 years of service in a public ceremony with President Harry S. Truman presiding. Six days later, Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which abolished racial discrimination in the military. Davis went on to continue being very active in the civil rights movement until his death. Learn more about his amazing career here: https://bit.ly/3rZbkiY

Happy Groundhog Day! No matter what Punxsutawney Phil says, we know spring is on the horizon! What are you looking forward to this spring?

We love this inspirational story from Southern New Hampshire University! When 89-year-old Joan Donovan graduated high school at 16, her family couldn't afford to send her to college. But her passion for education drove her to continue taking post-graduate classes at her high school.

Her formal education became less of a priority when she got married and started a family, but she revisited her dream of earning a college degree after her six children grew up and moved away. She recently earned her Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing and received her diploma at a special celebration with her family over the holidays.

"I'm a goal-seeker," Joan told SNHU. "And it was a goal, and I reached it. It's a dream come true, really."

We hope Joan's story inspires you to never stop pursuing your goals! 👏

Special Delivery: 89-Year-Old Receives Her Diploma During the Holidays At Southern New Hampshire University, we believe there are no limits to what you can do, what you can be, or what you can achieve. This is a university that goes the extra mile - so you can too.

When you reach a certain age, you know that "friends supporting friends" is what it's all about. What a great reminder from the iconic Jamie Lee Curtis that the high tide floats all ships!

Do you have a friend who always cheers you on? Show them some love in the comments!

Jamie Lee Curtis proudly dons shirt with a meme of her enthusiastic support for co-star Michelle Yeoh The shirt was printed with Curtis' reaction to Yeoh's Golden Globes win to celebrate friendship.

Scrambling to find a holiday gift that will bring joy to your senior loved one? Two great ideas you can pull off at the last minute:
➡️ Book tickets for an experience you can share together – like live performances, wine tastings, or a bus trip or cruise!
➡️ Subscription boxes are a great way to make your loved one feel special all year long and they come in any variety you can think of!

Check out Five Star Senior Living’s full list of gift ideas for seniors and tell us if you plan to try any of them: https://bit.ly/3gLl7aU

One unique gift option for the foodie in your life: a special meal prepared by the expert hands of a private chef.

Not only does your loved one get a delicious gourmet meal, but they’ll also get to enjoy the company and wisdom of a culinary master.

Check out Five Star Senior Living’s full list of gift ideas for seniors and tell us if you plan to try any of them: https://bit.ly/3U89MPK

Shopping for someone sentimental this holiday season? Give the gift of priceless memories with photo-based memorabilia!

From custom canvas prints and digital photo frames to personalized coffee mugs and handmade scrapbooks, there are endless options to create something unique that brings a smile to your loved one’s face each time they use your gift.

Check out Five Star Senior Living’s full list of gift ideas for seniors: https://bit.ly/3XEblI9

Give the gift of comfort this holiday season with a cozy blanket!

A blanket might seem unimaginative at first, but with options like electric blankets, weighted blankets, custom photo blankets, and more to choose from, this is a great option to help your loved one stay warm while they’re thinking of you!

Check out Five Star Senior Living’s top gift ideas for seniors for more holiday shopping inspiration: https://bit.ly/3F9VNEM

🎁⚠️ Gift idea alert! Birdfeeders make a great present for older adults who love nature. 🐦 Pair it with a bird identification journal for hours of entertainment!

Check out 7 more holiday gift ideas for older adults here: https://bit.ly/3gucBwF

Practical, but not boring. Functional, but not complicated. If you’re still trying to find the perfect holiday gift for the older adult in your life, we’ve got you covered!

From excellent experiences and meaningful memorabilia to bountiful boxes and gleeful games, check out Five Star Senior Living's list of top gifts for the special senior in your life! ⬇️

8 Holiday Gift Ideas for Seniors When it comes to gift ideas for seniors, the best choices offer practicality and functionality. Read on for a few options for the special senior in your life!

We love it when our community partners come by and help our residents with blood pressure and weight screenings. Thank you Stacey R. Moore, Tonya Mitchell, and NHC HomeCare Springfield for your dedication to our residents!

Happy Fall Ya'll! We had such a great time this afternoon with our residents at our Fall Party.

At this time, we are seeking a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to join our team!

Responsibilities

Institutes appropriate nursing intervention which might be required to stabilize a resident's condition and/or prevent complication.
Makes daily resident rounds to interview physical and emotional status and to implement any required nursing interventions.
Responds to resident and family concerns and ensures that each concern is documented and a resolution is initiated or communicated to appropriate staff.
Coordinates admission, discharge and transfer of residents.
Obtains report from nurse he or she is relieving, provides report to nurse coming on duty and keeps the charge nurse or others (as appropriate) informed about the status of residents and related matters.
Prepares, administer and documents medications following accepted practices.
Consults with licensed or registered nurse, physician or licensed independent practitioner.
Clarifies any order or treatment regimen believed to be inaccurate, ineffective or contraindicated by consulting with the appropriate licensed practitioner.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications

Current Licensed L.P.N., preferably with experience in long-term care of geriatric nursing.
2-4 Years of experience required.
Current CPR certification and additional certification in nursing specialty desired.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables.

Shift/Hours
Daytime

Apply on our company website at:

https://careers.fivestarseniorliving.com/job-detail/full-time-lpn-1-982222

It's finally Fall and you all know what that means...homemade apple butter! These sweet ladies have been busy peeling apples and canning up our delicious apple butter. We can't wait to sample it on Friday.

We have been quite spoiled this week by our community partners. Thank you Comfort Care Hospice for the delicious cookies from Suters Sweet Treats and Luke Metcalf for entertaining us with your wonderful music!

We would like to give a big thank you to Stacey R. Moore and NHC HomeCare Springfield for sponsoring our October Birthday Bash! We love our community partners and enjoyed celebrating with you.

Hey Morningside Families, did you know we are partnering with United Way of Robertson County in the 2021 Give Thanks initiative? We are collecting food items to make three food boxes for those families in need. When you come to the community, simply take a leaf off of our Giving Tree with specific items to purchase. Please write your name next to your item, and return them to the community by November 1st. Our residents and team will assemble the boxes and deliver them to the United Way. Thank you for helping us give back to our community!

At this time, we are seeking a Maintenance Director to join our team!

Responsibilities

Performs general maintenance work on a daily basis, including replacing light bulbs, repairing electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and appliances.
Prepares resident apartments for new occupants by painting, cleaning carpets and general maintenance.
Maintains the grounds by mowing, sweeping and trimming trees and shrubs or securing/managing contractor for those duties.
Takes out trash and conducts daily inspections of the building exterior and ground equipment.
Keeps accurate maintenance records of work done, inventory and purchasing. Manages expenses through knowledge of budget. May purchase maintenance supplies, tools and appliances with Executive Director approval.
Recommends replacement of major items (such as carpet, appliances, etc.) as well as long and short term maintenance needs.
Maintains, plans and implements preventative maintenance program and prepares the Preventative Maintenance Report for Executive Director's review.
Obtains bids for Project Authorization Requests (PAR items).
Transports residents to and from appointments in the absence of the Recreation Manager or Van Driver, using the community vehicle.

Qualifications

Requires two years of related maintenance experience and some formal training in one or all of the following areas: carpentry, plumbing, painting, HVAC, refurbishing and cleaning.
Ability to perform general maintenance repair needs at assigned buildings, problem solve, plan, organize, communicate and cooperate with others.
Demonstrated effective supervisory/leadership experience.
Ability to drive and operate a van or larger vehicle.
Knowledgeable in building codes and safety regulations.
Possess the ability to make independent decisions, to follow instructions, and to accept constructive criticism.
Ability to minimize waste of supplies, misuse of equipment, etc.
Ability to seek out new methods and participate and be willing to incorporate them into existing maintenance practices.
Ability to effectively follow written and oral instructions.
As Manager On Duty, must be able to make sound strategic and operational decisions that directly impact the business of the community.
To (2) years of related maintenance experience.
Formal training in carpentry, plumbing, painting, HVAC, refurbishing and cleaning
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Organization & priority management skills.
Knowledgeable in building codes and safety regulations.
Strong problem solving ability.
Ability to minimize waste of supplies, misuse of equipment, ect.
Willingness to seek out new methods and to incorporate them into existing maintenance practices.
Demonstrated effective supervisory/leadership experience.

Our residents enjoyed a competitive, but friendly game of Music BINGO this afternoon.

What a great way to start this beautiful Fall Wednesday than with our Veteran Coffee Social! Thank you to Bettye Lynn Bellar Richert, and Robertson County Funeral Home for sponsoring our event, and Patrol Captain Burnett for speaking with our residents.

The health and well-being of our residents and team members is our highest priority at Five Star. That is why we’re pleased to announce that virtually 100% of our Five Star Senior Living team members are now vaccinated against COVID-19. Between our team members and our high resident vaccination rate of nearly 90%, we’re even more pleased to share that Five Star communities are among the safest places to live and work!
https://bit.ly/3k3tsFE

One of the Safest Places to Live—and Work | Five Star Senior Living Because we care: Five Star Senior Living nears 100% vaccination There are many ways to tell someone you love them. You can say it with flowers, a hug, an act of kindness or a heartfelt letter. You can listen or laugh or cry with them. You can simply say, “I love you.” But prior to last December ...

Yesterday, we enjoyed reconnecting with our families at our welcome back open house. A big thank you to Suters Sweet Treats for the delicious and adorable cookies, and Woodall's Strawberries for donating the berry baskets for our flower arrangements. Morningside families are truly "One in a Melon"!

From signature dishes to local flavors, to our residents’ favorite comfort foods, Five Star dining has always been about good eating and good nutrition. Now, as our community dining rooms begin to reopen as guidelines allow, we’re adding another focus: good science in the form of new menu items bursting not only with flavor but immunity-boosting nutrients! Read on to learn more about our immunity boosting foods: https://bit.ly/3wuqSNb

Dining Rooms Reopening with Immunity Boosting Foods | Five Star Senior Living As our dining rooms begin to reopen as guidelines allow, we’re adding new menu items bursting with flavor and immunity-boosting nutrients. See more.

There’s never been a better time to move into a Five Star community! Our residents have given us high marks for keeping life safe and happy, both during the pandemic and now as our communities safely reopen. Read on to learn how our senior living communities are keeping safe: https://bit.ly/3tWNLqq

Are Senior Living Communities Safe? | Five Star Senior Living Chances are that for the past year you’ve been worried about the safety of aging adults in your life. See why a move to senior living is a safe bet.

One of the most troublesome aspects of the current pandemic is the isolation and loneliness that safety precautions have created for many of our nation’s seniors. Fortunately, for Five Star Senior Living residents, our Lifestyle360 Signature Programming offers plenty of activities to keep loneliness at bay. Check out how Five Star is beating isolation: https://bit.ly/3tPMUHV

Combatting Loneliness in Seniors – Goodbye, loneliness. Hello, life. | Five Star Are you or someone you love feeling lonely? See how we are combatting loneliness in seniors at Five Star.

When you are searching for a senior living community, a key factor to making an informed decision is knowing which questions to ask. If you haven’t been through the process before, it can feel a bit overwhelming. That’s why we created this list of questions to ask senior living communities during your search: 6 Key Questions to Ask a Senior Living Community https://bit.ly/3sN730E

What Questions Should I Ask a Senior Living Community? | Five Star Senior Living Searching for a care solution for an aging parent? Get a list of questions to ask a senior living community’s staff here.