Quite an After Hours

On August 11th Juniper Village at Brookline partnered with Penn State Health and B Events to host the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC) Business after Hours. Over 150 members and guests of the Chamber attended this networking event. Guests were treated to live entertainment by local string band, Strait and Miller. Attendees also enjoyed in fare prepared by Juniper dining including a large antipasto bar, chicken pops, and chocolate fountain. Featured beverages were provided by Otto's Brewery, Barrel 21 Distillery, and Seven Mountains Winery. During the evening, Dr. Kevin Paul Black, MD Vice President of University Park Regional Medical Campus welcomed attendees to Juniper Village and promoted the developing partnership between Juniper Village and Penn State Health. He shared that Penn State University Park is embarking on a full medical school program for students which will highlight collaboration with area health providers, including Juniper Village at Brookline, to provide rotational sites for medical students to learn and develop hands on experience with older adults.
        
Networking and relationship building amongst community based providers is the foundation for Partners in Caring, which is one of nine Juniper Communities signature programs. Juniper Village at Brookline was thrilled to create such a warm and welcoming opportunity for this level of fellowship to occur and is eager to continue to provide this level of community service.

PAWS for People

Beginning in July our local Centre County PAWS from 1401 Trout Road, State College, PA. began bringing local animals who need homes to visit the residents of Brookline Skilled Nursing. The visits will occur two times per month with varying animals based on what animals they have who need homes. The hope is that in joining together with PAWS there will be several needs met: Both the pets and the residents will receive valuable socialization time as they snuggle and play, and the residents, families, and associates of Brookline will know when the pets are on the Activities calendar so they can meet the animals and pass the word to hopefully help in finding loving homes for adoption.

Pet therapy also has many benefits for this generation. The act of petting causes and automatic relaxation response that can lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health. The movement can also increase joint movement, maintain motor skills, and provide motivation to move more, stretch further, and exercise longer. The visiting animals can lift spirits, lessen depression, decrease the feeling of isolation, and provide comfort. And the group the pets are visiting can share past memories and stories of their favorite pets, which will increase communication and socialization (you can read more about the benefits of pet therapy at www.PAWSforpeople.org).

These kittens are a sibling pair. They were very affectionate and playful. We enjoyed a full hour of hugs, kisses, snuggles, and playtime with lots of laughs and shared stories of favorite pets!

August 2016 Events in State College, PA: Breathe in Life

Each August we turn our focus to the environment by offering social events and educational opportunities on living a more environmentally sustainable life. By making caring choices and creating helpful habits we can all make a difference to our planet.

Did you know that an aluminum can may remain in its current condition in a landfill for up to 500 years? That same can, when recycled, can end up back on your grocer’s shelf in as little as two months. Recycling that aluminum can also saves energy. Enough energy, in fact, to power your television for three hours! Aluminum can be recycled over, and over and over again – without limit. Americans will use about 2.5 million plastic bottles every thirty minutes. If that bottle is not recycled it can spend the next 450 years or more in a landfill. A modern glass bottle will take about 4,000 years to biodegrade. Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled again, and again and again. So, the next time you are enjoying a delicious beverage, be conscious of the packaging and make the choice to recycle.

Join us this month as we promote the environment with a focus on our recycling programs – from annual rummage sales to shredding and more; our educational offerings will help you to support our environment and Breathe in Life!

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

§  CBICC Business After Hours for all Chamber of Business and Industry members, Juniper Village at Brookline is rolling out the green carpet, so come celebrate a wonderful networking event with live music, local brews, and plenty of sweet and savory treats on August 11^th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. (Register online at www.cbicc.org or pay $5 at the door.)

§  The Buzz About Bees with local apiarist, Mike Dahlberg, from Nittany Ridge Apiaries, who will provide an educational presentation of interesting facts about beekeeping and the busy life of a honey bee complete with an observation hive and honey extraction demonstration for an interactive experience followed by honey-themed appetizers and honey-sweetened beverages on August 17^th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

§  Honey Happy Hour to sing and dance along to the musical talents of Tommy Wareham while enjoying sweet and savory honey infused snacks and refreshing honey mead on August 18^th from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

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

Nurturing the Spirit of FUN

Juniper Village at Brookline celebrated its 2nd Anniversary in style with a week dedicated to Staff Appreciation. Staff were informed the week prior to dress in certain themes for each day of this week of fun. On Monday, staff had the choice to dress in Juniper giraffe apparel or any giraffe themed clothing and accessories. Many residents also carried on this theme and took part in the afternoon ice cream social. Sports day followed on Tuesday and staff chose their team colors to show off during the day. The community was flooded with town-favorite, Blue & White, but scattered throughout was Silver and Green (Philadelphia Eagles) along with Black and Gold (Pittsburg Stealers.) Wednesday was decorated in a Hawaiian theme and staff & residents were treated to a lunch of Hawaiian fare with an afternoon Pina Colada mocktail. Thursday was the day to pull out the old poodle skirts and leg warmers, for Decades Day. Residents enjoyed an afternoon activity of watching staff compete in the Just Dance Wii game followed by treats of tie-dyed cupcakes made by the Juniper dining staff. To end the week, an all-day carnival was held in the Pines front lawn, complete with cotton candy, a bounce house, and dunk tank. Residents, family members, and staff watched throughout the day as different leadership team members voluntarily sat in the dunk tank waiting to take the plunge! Many smiles, laughs, and hugs were shared in a week where staff felt love and appreciation for all the work they do each day at Juniper.

Welcome Katie!

Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care is very excited to welcome Katie Kensinger to their Leadership Team. Katie joined the Juniper family in June as the Senior Director of Community Relations for Wellspring. Katie, at native of Martinsburg, PA, comes to Juniper with eleven years of marketing experience in the industry of senior care services. She earned her degree in Marketing and Strategic Management at Juniata College and moved to the State College area six years ago. Outside of work, Katie volunteers in the community and her passion is in musical theatre and dance.  She is active both on and off the stage with theatre companies throughout the region. In June, Katie performed at the State Theatre as Janet Van de Graff in the The Drowsy Chaperone, but her favorite role was playing Miss Adelaide in Guys & Dolls. When not balancing work and rehearsal schedules, Katie enjoys hiking and watching her favorite baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. With her bright smile and warm personality, Katie has quickly become a great asset to Wellspring as well as the entire Juniper Village at Brookline campus. Welcome Katie!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

Juniper Village at Brookline has a long history, a 25 year history to be exact, of celebrating Independence Day in style. In keeping with tradition, the weekend prior to the Fourth of July, Juniper Village at Brookline hosts an annual Resident and Family Picnic. Such a picnic isn't complete without professionally installed circus tents, tables and chairs set for 600, the local Lions Club roasting chicken, The Deacons of Dixieland band, and locally made ice cream.  In addition to the chicken and ice cream, guests enjoyed traditional picnic foods of hamburgers, hot dogs, fruit salad, chips, potato salad, cherry and apple pie, and assorted beverages.

To add flair to the festivities, all staff dressed in reds, whites, and blues. Those in attendance enjoyed some new attractions this year including free caricatures by local artist Chip Mock, a beer truck, and chalk drawings. The weather was perfect for this years' picnic and residents from all Juniper Village at Brookline buildings enjoyed the day with their family and staff. One lucky attendee went home with a hand-made crocheted American Flag blanket made by Juniper Village at Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Executive Director, Kathy Russell.

The Family Picnic is yet another way for staff and residents to celebrate good times together.

July 2016 Events in State College, PA: Stand in Integrity

Ah...the good old summer time filled with lazy, sunny days, ice cold treats, Independence Day celebrations, and get-togethers at the beach. Another sure indication of summer is our Alive in All Seasons theme of Volunteerism.

July is the perfect month to honor all of the many volunteers who contribute thousands of hours of time in service to our communities. From our four-legged volunteers to those of the two legged variety we are proud to say we receive more than 10,000 hours of precious time each year. We simply could not do it without all of your help, and this month we honor you. We will also be promoting the spirit of volunteerism by volunteering our time to help others. If you have some spare time on your hands consider joining us for a volunteer activity or better yet volunteer your time with us, we’d love to have you. What qualities make a good volunteer? Energy, passion, flexibility, creativity, reliability, commitment and perhaps most important of all – integrity.

Volunteerism benefits all parties involved. In addition to making new friends, volunteering also helps increase your self-confidence, provides a sense of purpose, combats depression and helps you stay physically healthy. Helping others also kindles happiness, as the London School of Economics found the more people volunteered, the happier they were.

In addition to volunteering opportunities, plan to join us during July for our summer celebrations and share our thanks as we honor those who Stand In Integrity with us.

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

§  AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE as we team up with the American Red Cross to host yet another blood drive open to Juniper staff, family, friends and the greater community because with a great turn out in previous blood drives, this collaboration had to make another debut, and with each donation, the American Red Cross can save up to three lives, so we encourage you to stop on by on July 13^th from 12:30 pm to 6:00 pm. (Sign up at www.redcrossblood.org or call 814.235.2005.)

§  MILES FOR MEMORY our 2nd annual fundraising event where participants are encouraged to walk or run at their own pace to raise awareness and funds for our Skilled Nursing Facility’s Music and Memory program, so track your laps and be eligible for prizes and giveaways with light refreshments served on July 19^th with registration at 9:00 am and kick-off at 10:00 am. (No reservations required.)

§  THANK YOU FIRST RESPONDERS COOK OUT as you and your family are invited to a fun-filled afternoon with your local first responders; climb inside a fire truck and learn all about these great volunteers that keep our community safe while we enjoy grilled hot dogs, cool Rita’s Italian Ice and other yummy treats on July 30^th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. (No reservations required.)

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