News

We're proud to announce we've been honored as a 2022 Best of Senior Living award winner by A Place for Mom. Top reviews from our residents and their families showcase outstanding care provided by our staff to keep our seniors feeling safe, healthy, and happy. Learn more about the awards: aplaceformom.com/awards 

There can be a beauty to the perfect winter day, witnessing the snow perfectly stacked on tree branches and having a reason to break out the cocoa mugs. But the shorter days and limits on outdoor activities may also leave older adults in particular more vulnerable to the winter blues, or Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, known as SAD, is a form of depression that cycles with seasonal changes. Typical symptoms include insomnia, increased anxiety, loss of energy, and changes in appetite.

While any form of depression must be monitored closely, the winter blues can often be alleviated with smaller changes until we can welcome the extended sunlight that comes with spring.

Some simple strategies, suggested by the Mayo Clinic include:

• Adjust your sleep schedule to be awake during the lightest hours of the day.
• Consider moving your bed closer to a window.
• Lighten up draperies or other window coverings.
• Bring real plants and fresh flowers into your living spaces, if possible.

A senior living community, especially one like Cogir Senior Living, has built-in benefits that help to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder. The first is the peace of knowing that you or your loved one is under the careful eye of a qualified staff. Our staff knows the signs to look for so that the right measures can be taken, when necessary. The second important benefit that our community provides is just that. Community. Human interaction, friendship, and connection and an abundance of activities to choose from are not just useful tools, they are essential tools.

Whether you are part of a community or the caretaker of an elderly loved one, here are three activities you can do together to build connection and sidestep those winter blues:

1. Take a stroll: Moving our bodies is a great way to increase “feel good” chemicals. If you’re able, grab a friend and take that walk outside and add some Vitamin D to maximize the natural mood boost that comes from exercise.
2. Take another stroll, but this time down memory lane: Pull down those picture albums, grab a fuzzy blanket, and hunker down for storytime. Laughter is another natural mood enhancer, so don’t forget to find the funny in your retelling of that one camping trip plagued by food poisoning?
3. Cook dinner… together: Healthy food plus human interaction and connection are the perfect ingredients for a pick-me-up that lasts well past mealtime.

These seemingly small measures can make a big difference when done in combination. Being mindful of Seasonal Affective Disorder and taking steps to lessen its impact makes even a cloudy day a little brighter, and that mug of cocoa that much sweeter.

Call today to schedule a tour of our beautiful community and see all the benefits of a Cogir Senior Living experience for yourself.

At Cogir Senior Living, the health of our residents and staff is our highest priority. Our safety protocols are designed with that in mind. Although we have implemented enhanced measures in accordance with the CDC and local protocols at this time, we are eager to find ways to connect you with our community and your loved ones.

Check in with our staff to learn what guidelines need to be considered for an in-person visit or tour. And a virtual visit is always welcome! As always, thank you for your trust. 

There are places where you know exactly what to expect when you get there. The car dealership? You know what’s coming, brace yourself and be strong! The DMV? Yup. Bring a good book, it’s going to be a while.

Maybe you think you know what to expect on a tour of a Cogir Senior Living Community. And maybe you’re mostly right. But we are hoping to surprise you a little too.
 

WHAT TO EXPECT ON A COGIR TOUR 

A warm greeting from our Concierge: Cogir’s front-desk personnel are more than just receptionists. The spirit of Cogir is warm, open and ready-to-serve… and that’s the welcome you can expect upon entering our community. The front-desk is the problem-solving, information-giving, need-fulfilling heart of our property. On your tour you can expect to start at the heart.

A real conversation: Expect your tour to be personal and personalized. We are eager to understand the specific needs of your family. Choosing a care residence is one of the most important choices you will make for yourself or your loved one. We all want the best fit possible. An open, direct and warm conversation about needs, concerns and expectations is key to finding that perfect fit.

A clear dedication to the health and safety of our residents: When you arrive you will be asked to check in at our kiosk. In compliance with the CDC guidelines, visitors must meet one of two criteria: proof of vaccination against COVID or proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours. We earnestly hope all our visitors will understand the necessity of this measure. We are happy to help our potential visitors and future residents learn more about this commitment to safety; please let us know if you would like to have a conversation ahead of your tour by calling (425) 338-1580.

An introduction to some staff and residents: In the course of a tour you will have the chance to interact with some members of our staff as they are available. Where possible, you might be learning about our amenities and services directly from our onsite chef, our housekeeping staff, and our activities coordinator. You will also be able to converse with some of our residents. Consider it our own in-house Yelp review. 

Transparency about costs and fees: A relationship of trust and transparency between your family and Cogir Senior Living starts with this conversation. Our costs are laid out clearly for you so that you can make the best choices for yourself or your loved one. 

A follow-up call: After you have had time to process the information from your tour we want to be available to help answer any additional questions you may have. We would love to invite you and your loved one to an upcoming event or lunch. There’s always something fun around the corner on Cogir’s calendar. Each Cogir Senior Living campus is its own thriving community of friends and neighbors. Come be a part of the fun for a day! 

Finding the right care community for yourself or your loved one is a mix of the practical and emotional. We hope you’ll see right away that we can handle both of those very necessary and human responses. Give us a call, we’re ready and waiting to get to know you better. 

Cogir on Napa Road is a 95-door assisted living and memory care community fully dedicated to helping active assisted living seniors and residents with early dementia diagnosis live the Cogir Difference. The community is comprised of 75 assisted living apartment homes with another 24 apartments in a unique open campus memory care. Cogir on Napa Road joins the Cogir family on September 15, 2021. The previous four acquisitions that joined Cogir in July of this year are Cogir of San Rafael in northern California, and Cogir of Bothell, Cogir of Edmonds and Cogir of Northgate Memory Care, all located in Washington State.

David Eskenazy, Cogir Management Chairman of the Board states, "Every single member of our American management team excelled to make this transition a success. Many months of negotiation and preparation were needed to professionally carry out this operation. We are extremely proud and grateful for the dedication and cooperation displayed by every member of the team."

The addition of these five new senior living communities allow the U.S. division to grow, but it will also help to diversify the range of services offered. These properties provide focus on assisted living and memory care environments to seniors experiencing a need for more assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) or loss of cognitive impairment, whereas the existing 12 properties are largely dedicated to independent and assisted living residents.

Wally Jossart, President of Cogir Management USA says,"This is an exciting time for Cogir Senior Living. The honor and opportunity to serve more seniors while providing rewarding work experience for employees, is something that I take very seriously. I am beyond thrilled to continue the Cogir journey of expanding our US operations and building a Team of exceptional leaders who will grow the company with compassion and integrity."

Mathieu Duguay, Cogir Real Estate’s president and chief executive officer states, “I am quite proud of the work done by the entire U.S. team. Having experienced an unprecedented global crisis, they have worked hard not only to maintain safe and pleasant living environments for our residents, but also to ensure that this transition was carried out in a highly professional manner with little impact on our seniors, their relatives and our new colleagues."

Cogir Management USA’s efforts to acquire new properties over the coming months are ongoing.

Cogir is delighted to announce the addition of four new retirement homes on the U.S. West Coast to the 12 already being managed by Cogir Management USA.

That is right! Cogir of San Rafael, a 59-door memory care community is fully dedicated to helping cognitively challenged seniors, joined the group on July 15. Five days later, on July 20, the addition of Cogir of Bothell, Cogir of Edmonds and Cogir of Northgate Memory Care, all located in Washington State, brought the total of new doors to 237. 

“Every single member of our American management team excelled to make this transition a success. Many months of negotiation and preparation were needed to professionally carry out this operation. We are extremely proud and grateful for the dedication and cooperation displayed by every member of the team,” declared David Eskenazy, and Walter Jossart, respectively Cogir Management USA’s chairman of the Board and president.

Not only will the addition of these four new retirement homes allow the U.S. division to grow, but it will also help to diversify the range of services offered. These properties provide memory care environments to seniors experiencing a loss of independence or cognitive impairment whereas the existing 12 properties are largely dedicated to independent and assisted living residents.

“I am quite proud of the work done by the entire U.S. team. Having experienced an unprecedented global crisis, they have worked hard not only to maintain safe and pleasant living environments for our residents, but also to ensure that this transition was carried out in a highly professional manner with little impact on our seniors, their relatives and our new colleagues,” stated Mathieu Duguay, Cogir Real Estate’s president and chief executive officer.

Cogir Management USA’s efforts to acquire new properties over the coming months are ongoing.
 

At Cogir of Mill Creek we take great care and pride in our safety protocols and adherence to all public health regulations around the coronavirus.  Because of our diligence in sanitizing and social distancing, we are ACCEPTING NEW RESIDENTS during this time.  It's important to understand that we are considered an "essential" extension of the health community and we want to embrace seniors looking for a safe, secure, and enriching environment to thrive in. 

We are conducting both VIRTUAL and IN-HOUSE TOURS and we welcome you in with open arms, and a face mask of course!  We look forward to seeing you very soon!