Therapy Success Story: John Becker

Meet John Becker. Mr. Becker is one of the nearly million Americans currently living with Parkinson's disease. A kind and fun-loving gentleman who refuses to let his illness keep him down, Mr. Becker recently found himself requiring a brief stay in the hospital, which eventually lead him through our doors. Having lost some strength, balance, and presenting with some minor cognitive deficits, he was understandably eager to return home with his caring wife, and resume his daily activities.

Prior to his hospitalization, Mr. Becker was independently mobile with minimal assistance from his spouse. Upon evaluation at Juniper Village at Brookline, a lack of ability to self transfer, ambulate and to safely perform some basic activities of daily living was noted. Once he began his program of physical, occupational, and speech therapies, however he rapidly progressed and made tremendous gains in functional ability. (Actual functional outcomes can be seen in the graph below.)

Just two weeks after joining us, Mr. Becker has returned home with his wife. He shares,"The people here are very helpful in their services and attentive to needs and genuinely wanted me to get better.”

Admission Date: 01.29.2016
Discharge Date: 02.12.2016

FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES MEASURED

Music for the Heart

This Valentine's Day, the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra (PCO), The American Heart Association, Penn State Hershey, and Juniper Village at Brookline teamed up to present "Music for the Heart," a combination of lecture, concert, and celebration in honor of heart health in our area. The February 14th extravaganza began with Dr. Paul Haidet's lecture on the health benefits of music at Penn State's Pasquerilla Spiritual Center. Immediately following, was a collection of movements from Mahler's 5th Symphony, courtesy of the orchestra and choral group, the Concordia Singers. 

Later that afternoon, Juniper Village hosted approximately 100 concert-goers at a post-show reception in its Willows Dining Room. Guests were serenaded by vocal soloist Danya Katok and PCO's conductor, Yaniv Attar on guitar. A proceed of all concert tickets was donated to the American Heart Association. Juniper Village at Brookline is supporter of the Centre Region Heart Walk held each spring in State College.

Artist in Residence: Eli Kamon

It has been long known that art therapy can help define and treat anxiety, depression, addiction as well as the issues arising from disability and the traumas of illness and loss. Now, it is beginning to be used to help treat physical, cognitive and neurological issues stemming from physical illness such as stroke. Brookline resident Eliezer “Eli” Kamon never set out to be an artist. One look at his paintings, however, and there is no doubt that this former entomologist is incredibly talented with some acrylics and a brush. More than 20 years ago, after his own stroke, Kamon turned to watercolor and acrylic painting as a form of self expression. Painting, in his own words, is “very good… it makes me feel unbelievable!”

“What can I say?” he adds, “Each time [I paint] something else comes out!” Whatever the inspiration, Eli, we hope that new works of art keep on coming!

You can view more of Eli's works at our annual art walk event on February 16 at 7 pm.

February 2016 Events in State College, PA: Awaken Your Passion

In February we turn our Alive In All Seasons focus to art and invite you to awaken your passion with us. Leo Tolstoy defines the activity of art as “To evoke in oneself a feeling one has experienced, and... then, by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds or forms expressed in words, so to transmit that feeling.”

This month we will transmit our feelings using many different mediums to let other share in our experiences, feelings and passions. We will travel through art around the world and experience art as it is meant to be – inspirational and transformative. We will feel the cool breeze and smell the fragrant blossoms of Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France as we gaze upon In the Garden and the Water Lilies series. We will feel the angst of Vincent Van Gogh as we admire his passionate works such as Vase with Twelve Sunflowers and The Starry Night. We will also pour our passion into our own creations evoking memories of the past to share with the future.

Please join us on this journey as we visit local art museums and create our own art through weekly craft programs. Celebrate with us as we recognize Valentine’s Day with sweets for the sweet and Fat Tuesday foods and fun at our Mardi Gras party.

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

§  Art Therapy for Seniors informational dinner with Erin Carter featuring our Mardi Gras finest fare will grace the tables with favorites like Creole shrimp and grits and traditional King Cake on February 9^th at 5:30 pm. (Please RSVP to 814-235-2041.)

§  Annual Art Walk where you’ll be able to see all the talent and potential our Juniper family has to offer as you view our residents’ art work from past and present on February 16^th at 7:00 pm.

§  Sip and Paint event to unleash your inner artist and brush up on your painting techniques during this Happy Valley Sip and Paint event as we’ll relax and unwind with a Big Spring Spirits Distillery signature cocktail and traditional hors d’oeuvres, so create your very own masterpiece on canvas to take home and enjoy on February 19^th at 6:00 pm. (Please RSVP to 814-235-2041.)

We look forward to sharing our February 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care with you as we Awaken Your Passion.

Alive Inside: Brookline Welcomes Music & Memory

After more than a year of celebrated success in our Wellspring Memory Care community, Juniper Village Rehabilitation and Skilled Care is kicking off its own Music and Memory program! Music and Memory was founded by social worker, Dan Cohen, when he discovered the power of personalized music therapy for those with dementia and other cognitive issues. The program focuses on the creation of personalized play lists for each resident, based on their individual profiles, and input from them and their families. Throughout the year, various fundraisers are held to facilitate the purchase of iPod Shuffles, headphones, and iTunes gift cards for each resident. Ongoing research and evaluation of Music and Memory's in-care organizations has consistently shown that participants are happier and more social when participating in the program. Relationships between associates, residents and families deepen, as everyone involved benefits from a calmer and more supportive social environment.

A viewing of the documentary about Music and Memory, entitled, Alive Inside, was shown at one of Juniper Village at Brookline's senior living communities to educate families and community members on the impact of the program. To learn more about how you can help the Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Music and Memory program, contact Connections Director, Larry Glace at 814-235-2005 or larry.glace@junipercommunities.com.

"Virtually" the Best in Therapy

Meet John Flynn, Juniper Village Rehabilitation and Skilled Care at Brookline resident, hunting enthusiast, all-around nice guy, and OmniVR™ "virtual rehabilitation" system user. Flynn is one of approximately 10 Brookline residents currently benefiting from this interactive therapy system from the Accelerated Care Plus™ company. OmniVR™ uses a small infrared camera that recognizes individual users and adapts to resident therapy performance. With capabilities in occupational, physical, and speech therapies, the program can be set to adjust to a variety of different visual needs, can be programmed to work from left to right and vice versa, and can be placed on a timer. Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant, Dustin Reed, says that one of the aspects of this technology that impresses him the most is the way in which it allows residents to use different parts of the body, which in turn, improves other aspects of healing. The program also allows for individualized goals to be set and presents users with real-time, virtual trophies for successful completion of tasks.

As pictured above, John recently played his favorite carnival game, where he worked on upper extremities strengthening. "I was a hunter," he said, adding, "I really like the animal targets and the variety of speeds that this game provides. It's really fun!"

OmniVR™ also allows for gait training, as well balance, cognitive and other therapies. With an attached printer, the machine can produce game accuracy read outs that eventually can be used for comparison purposes. "This is a great way to keep therapy fresh for our residents," said Reed, adding that he is eager to see forthcoming progress improvement results.

You can read more about OmniVR™ technology here.

Dinner & Discussion with the PA Centre Orchestra

Karen Blair Brand, board vice president for the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra, recently joined us for an evening of euphonious education, exploring the history of orchestral music and the Centre Orchestra. Accompanied by the trio of James Lyon, Kurt Kroeker and James Nackley, Blair Brand captivated the audience with everything from little known musical facts to the orchestra's upcoming season. During the presentation guests dined on a delightful chicken scaloppini dish prepared by senior living chef, Kris Kishbaugh.

The Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra is the only professional orchestra in Centre County. They perform an average of six concerts per season.