Bavarian Bash!

The weather was absolutely stunning for Sunday's Nittany Valley Symphony post-concert reception at the Willows dining room and patio. Long-time supporters of the local symphony, Juniper Village at Brookline hosts an annual gala that caters to the theme of one particular concert. This year's performance, "German Romantics," featured the works of great German masters of the 19th century.

The after party was buzzing with around 90 guests, who enjoyed German and Austrian food and drink, with menu items including homemade sausage and sauerkraut, hand-cooked pretzels, and Rindfleischsalat served on Bierbrot, crafted by our friends at Herwig's Austrian Bistro in downtown State College. Fine wine and German beer was on tap, and guest sampled from a number of different desserts, including just-baked German chocolate cake, while mingling with long-time friends and making new acquaintances. Cheers!

How does your garden grow?

Working with one's hands is always a rewarding endeavor; Mix in some sunshine, playing in the dirt, and delicious rewards, and you just can't lose! According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association, gardening as a form of therapy has actually been shown to reduce stress and calm nerves by lowering cortisol levels, a hormone that plays a role in stress response.

Residents at Brookline recently formed a gardening group which will meet twice monthly in an effort to spruce up the garden just outside of our second-floor dining room. Plans for the garden include planting and harvesting tomatoes, chives (pictured here), peppers, garlic, cilantro, and cumin for a delightful homemade salsa! Yum!

2015 Successful Outcomes

Dancing Irish Lassies

Several members of the Rince na Leon Irish dance group at Penn State stopped by Juniper Village at Brookline recently to showcase some traditional Celtic moves. Residents and friends were treated to two sets of performances, both soft and hard shoe, as well as several informative discussion sessions. Attendees delighted in hearing about each girl's background, as well as the history of the group and of Irish dance itself. 

The cultural extravaganza boasted Irish-themed fare, including Guinness beer bread, Reuben dip with toasted rye, and beer & cheese soup. Irish coffee and a special "McDoogles" punch was also on tap. 

April 2016 Events in State College, PA: Believe in Yourself

Do you know that embracing a healthy lifestyle promotes brain health as well? This month we embark on our quarterly Alive in All Season theme of Healthy Aging: Let Wellbeing Thrive. Throughout April we will focus on brain health and encouraging you to Believe in Yourself. We will learn more about how physical health and exercise, diet and nutrition, cognitive activity, and social engagement can help keep both your body and brain healthy and potentially reduce your risk of cognitive decline. At the 2014 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, results of a two-year clinical trial of older adults at risk for cognitive impairment showed that a combination of physical activity, nutritional guidance, cognitive training, social activities and management of heart health risk factors slowed cognitive decline. It’s never too late to make changes to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

Join us this month as we expand our knowledge of brain health and take steps to boost our brain health through our Healthy Brain series featuring our Daily Brain Builders and Wii Games designed to promote cognitive activity. Continue your research by perusing our Healthy Aging Resource Library, filled with volumes of information to help you and your loved ones age well. And, don’t forget to join us for our Brain Healthy Luncheon where we will nourish mind, body and soul. We look forward to sharing this month of healthful thinking and encouragement to Believe in Yourself – you can do this!

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

§  Caring for People with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Habilitation Training Curriculum one day session by the Greater PA Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association created to prepare attendees, already familiar with Alzheimer’s and dementia care, to train direct staff in a wide array of care settings, and provide trainers with the tools and knowledge to return to staff with a consistent, vetted curriculum taught in various settings for 20 years on April 14^th beginning at 8:00 am. (RSVP to 814-235-2005.)

§  Cognitive Benefits of Art Therapy with Erin Carter as our very own art therapist, Erin Carter, will give a presentation on the cognitive benefits of art, specifically in the elderly population with a group art therapy session immediately following on April 15^th at 2:30 pm.

§  German Romantics – Nittany Valley Symphony Post Concert Reception for a grand celebration of German culture, following the Nittany Valley Symphony’s German Romantics concert, as we delight in the tastes of sausage, bacon and sauerkraut filled potato croquettes, mini black forest cakes, and German wine and beer on April 17^th at 6:00 pm. (No RSVP required; concert information and tickets at www.nvs.com.)

We look forward to sharing our April 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care with you as you Believe in Yourself.