Lunch & Learn: Colon Health

To wrap up Colon Health Awareness Month, Juniper Village at Brookline recently hosted a Lunch and Learn session in collaboration with community health care partner, Penn State Hershey. Over a light lunch of vegetable kale soup and salad, LPN Erin Keen tackled the very important topic of colon health.

As part of her easy-to-follow presentation, Erin discussed the necessity of a healthful diet and exercise in maintaining optimal wellness. Warning signs of several common colon-related illnesses, including colon cancer were addressed, as well as the steps one should take if experiencing any of the outlined symptoms.

Celebrate Rehab Success: Mr. Boob

Mr. Boob arrived at our facility after spending a week in the hospital for severe back pain. An MRI revealed multiple lumbar disc protrusions and nerve impingements which caused him pain with movement and his current medical status prevents him being a candidate for surgical intervention. Donald had been living at home alone prior to his hospital stay but after discussing discharge plans with his family members they all decided that it was time to look into other arrangements. With his cousin living at a near by Assisted Living Facility Donald decided that his goal would be to gain the independence needed to move into the same facility.

When Donald started his physical and occupational therapies it seemed as though the road to improvement would be particularly difficult as he had been in a constant state of back pain which greatly affected his mobility. The therapists began investigating techniques to manage and decrease his pain utilizing electrical stimulation modalities and wheelchair positioning modifications. After the first few days Mr. Boob began to feel more comfortable and was experiencing a dramatic decrease in back pain which allowed him to make rapid improvements in functional mobility. Donald was very pleasant and enjoyed sharing his experiences a WWII veteran and we will miss his presence however we are happy to see him return to the community.

Here to Help!

March is National Social Work Month, and we at Juniper Village Rehabilitation and Skilled Care at Brookline could think of no better time to introduce you to Licensed Social Worker, Betsy Brett. With 15 years of service at Brookline, Betsy is one of the first friendly faces you'll meet in our community. A true advocate for residents, she helps each individual to navigate the skilled nursing system and the many supports and programs that we provide in-house.

A graduate of Penn State and Marywood University, Betsy has been working with the older-adult population since the 1980's. She credits her "active and wise" grandparents--both maternal and paternal--as being her healthy aging role models. A stint with the Office of Aging left no doubt that she "had to make a difference in the world" for the mature adult population.

Betsy says that she feels honored and privileged to be able to meet and work with residents and their families. "Working together," she shared, "we are able to provide safe, stable routines for residents, offering comfort and support in a community with the best in care and in-house therapies."

Betsy lives in State College with her husband, Michael. They have one college-age daughter, Tiffany.

March 2016 Events in State College, PA: Your Treasure is Within

As we bring down the curtain on our Creative Expressions series we focus this month on Drama. Juliette Binoche said, “I think acting is about forgetting yourself in order to give the best of yourself. It's passing through you more than you're creating it. You're not the flower, but the vase which holds the flower.”

Through dramatic performance we are able to forget about ourselves while becoming someone else, if only for a moment. We can be transported to another time, another place and another way of thinking. With all of our inhibitions set aside we focus this month on breaking out of our shells to share a bit of ourselves with wild abandon through our weekly drama clubs which will culminate in a fantastic performance or reading of dramatic prose. We invite you to join us in this enlightening journey of self-discovery through the magic of theater this month. We will also be attending theatrical performances around town, where we can let our inner critic loose. One last opportunity to become someone else is offered during our Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations, where everyone can be Irish for the day. Join us as we feast on traditional Irish foods such as corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, shepherd’s pie and more! Lastly, March would not be complete without honoring the dramatic achievements of others with our own Oscar Party. This month we invite you to let your inner star shine at Juniper Village.

Our fabulous March 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care include our:

§  Penn State Hershey Lunch and Learn Colon Health with Erin Keen, RN, as she tackles the very important topics of colon health and colon cancer awareness, while we provide a light lunch on March 24th at 6:30 pm.

§  Crafting Your Composition Song Building with Ron Russell, who will lead us into the wonderful world of songwriting with his guitar accompaniment, as we will be tasked with creating lyrics to our very own Juniper song as musical-themed snacks will abound on March 18^th at 2:30 pm.

§  Irish Dance Showcase for an Irish extravaganza as we feature the PSU Rince na Leon dancer and local bagpiper, Tracey Moriarty with Irish-themed snacks, including Guinness beer bread, Reuben dip, and traditional Irish themed beverages will be on tap on March 30^th at 6:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our March 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care with you as Your Treasure is Within.

Therapy Success Story: William Lyle

When thinking about skilled nursing and rehabilitation, a short-term stay isn't always what first comes to mind; but did you know that short-term rehabilitation is one of the many services provided by Juniper Village at Brookline and our partners at RehabCare? 

Take State College resident, William Lyle. In late January, the 83-year-old Mr. Lyle sustained a fall in his home resulting in a fracture of his left femur. He and his wife were very determined to get him home as quickly as possible so that he could return to his duties around the house, as well as all other activities of daily living.

Mr. and Mrs. Lyle at home

Upon evaluation, the factor most limiting Mr. Lyle’s mobility was the pain and weakness which accompanied the femur fracture. Though some of the work may have been difficult at times, he pushed hard and followed all of the therapy team's recommendations which paid off in the end. In fact, with just over two weeks of physical and occupational therapies, Mr. Lyle has now safely returned to his home with his wife to carry on with all that they love to do. You can view his functional outcome measures in the chart below.

We at Juniper Village at will miss seeing his smiling face--and the therapists will miss working with such a determined patient--but we are all very happy to see him successfully return home. Congratulations, Mr. Lyle!

FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES