Juniper Village at Brookline Receives 2016 Bronze National Quality Award

Juniper Village at Brookline received the 2016 Bronze National Quality Award for the high level of care they provide to frail elderly and disabled residents. The award honors nursing homes, assisted living residences and personal care homes for providing quality care to their residents. Bronze award winners demonstrate a commitment to providing a caring professional staff culture as they work with patients, residents and families to ensure high quality care and a high quality of life for seniors and persons with disabilities.

“Quality care is every long-term care providers’ top priority,” said W. Russell McDaid, CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association (PHCA). “These facilities have demonstrated their commitment to quality care by choosing to participate in the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living’s rigorous quality awards program, and actually achieving the award is a testament to the caring, professional way their caregivers and staff work with residents and their families. We are so proud they are being recognized with this distinction and we congratulate all of them.”

The award is the first of three distinctions — Bronze, Silver and Gold — that the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living announce each year as part of its National Quality Award Program, which began in 1996.

Facilities begin the quality improvement process at the Bronze level, where they develop an organizational profile with essential performance elements such as vision and mission statements and an assessment of customers’ expectations. Bronze applicants must demonstrate their ability to implement a performance improvement system. A team of trained examiners reviews each Bronze application to determine if the facility has met the criteria. As a recipient of the bronze award, these facilities may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the criteria required for the silver level, and after that the gold level.

Silver Quality Award winners will be announced on June 30. Gold Quality Award winners will be announced on August 12.

GIN in the Evening

Centre County Geriatric Interest Network (GIN) was recently treated by Juniper Village at Brookline to a seasonally inspired after-hours event. On a beautiful spring evening, area healthcare professionals were invited to participate in an outside networking event geared towards bringing a community of caregivers together in order to collaborate and inspire while being treated to Juniper's professionally prepared light fare which included fruit kabobs drizzled with Mexican chocolate, smoked chicken pops with chipotle barbeque sauce, brick fire pit beef, and spring themed cocktails. Centre County GIN is compiled of community based providers, which serves in partnering with Juniper Village through our Partners in Caring Signature Program. Partners in Caring is one Signature Program that promotes relationships between Juniper staff and community agencies to provide a holistic approach to care for our residents.  Juniper's nine Signature Programs are the backbone to the highest quality of care to our residents. The other Signature programs that shape the quality of care to the Juniper Community include Connections, First Impressions, Green Canopy, Juniper University, Pride in Practice and Performance, R.E.S.P.E.C.T., and H'Art and Soul of Dining. To learn more about how these programs help us "Walk our Talk," visit our website or any Juniper Communities campus.

June 2016 Events in State College, PA: Live in Wellness

What is wellness? The National Wellness Institute defines wellness as "a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential." At Juniper we believe in fostering this definition of wellness everyday by offering programs and services that help our residents achieve their full potential. As we wind down our Healthy Aging series, this month we focus on Food by highlighting our H’Art and Soul of Dining Signature Program.

Throughout our lives the most important discussions, revelations, decisions and announcements have transpired around the dinner table. When company came over we caught up on the latest gossip over coffee and fresh baked goods. If you needed advice from your parents, it was often given while enjoying Mom’s delicious pot roast on a Sunday evening. Why should that be any different when you enter your retirement years in one of our communities?

With the kitchen often being the heart of the home, we have developed H’Art and Soul of Dining with this in mind. This program strives to impart spirited service, companionship and nourishment through sharing the joy of good food – just like home! Our dining program is designed to not only meet resident’s physical needs, but their emotional and social needs as well. We believe this program provides a perfect balance of nutritious and delicious food choices, comfortable atmosphere and ambiance, social interaction, cleanliness and a spirit of service.

Indulge with us this month as we focus on the “heart” of the home with program offerings centered on food and nutrition such as our hydration program with healthy snacks and juices and educational presentations by a dietitian. Join us in June as we Live in Wellness.

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

§  Cured Meat Cooking Demo with Matt Nevling to connect to your inner chef, and join our very own dietician, as he demonstrates the fascinating process of curing meat with taste testing permitted and encouraged on June 10th at 2:30pm. (No RSVP required.)

§  Juniper Family Picnic as residents, family members, and invited guests look forward to this event all year long because we’ll have tons of classic cook-out food and drinks under the big tent, along with live entertainment for all ages on June 26th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. (Watch for your invitation!)

§  Lunch & Learn: Live in Wellness – Dietary Needs for Seniors with registered dietician and Juniper Village at Brookline dietary consultant, Shawnee Kelley, for this informative (and delicious) take on what we need to keep our bodies operating well at any age with a menu to include strawberry mesclun salad and pecan crusted cod on June 29th at noon. (RSVP to 814-235-2041 and let us know of any dietary restrictions.)

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