Community Partner

Juniper Village at Brookline was pleased to host Penn State's Center for Healthy Aging as they presented their Aging Lecture Series discussion on bone health held on April 20, 2017. Over forty community members, residents, and family members gathered to listen to Mary Jane DeSouza, professor of kinesiology at Penn State, discuss the science behind strong bones and how to maintain long-term bone health. Attendees were given tips on keeping bones healthy and strong through exercise, supplements, and good old-fashioned sunshine (Vitamin D). Professor DeSouza shared information on her current research study in which dried plums are being used at varying quantities each day as a natural supplement to support bone health. Although this is a four-year study, she shared that the initial findings are very promising.

Juniper Village is proud to serve as a gathering location for community events, such as the Healthy Aging Lecture Series, that highlight current research studies and up-to-date resources offered through Penn State and the State College community.  Juniper Village has opened its doors for numerous community partners such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Centre County Senior Center Coalition, Geriatric Interest Network, Chamber of Business and Industry in Centre County, Centre County Orchestra, American Red Cross, FUSE Productions, Penn State Hershey, and many other community organizations. For information on upcoming community events at Juniper Village at Brookline, please visit www.junipercommunities.com or 'Like' us on Facebook.

Poems from Life

Our partners from the PA Center for the Book shared this message with me from their director. If other Juniper communities are considering doing a similar project, I think a strong community partner is key:

Congratulations, that was a remarkable program!  It brought together so many of the tangents of the PA Center for the Book--how could we not have co-sponsored it?  I was moved at each poem which perfectly married literature with story,  and in this case, the story of some very interesting older people.

And that is the brilliant part of the project, as these poets turned their ordinary lives into extraordinary words--all of these ordinary people lived extraordinary lives.  We all do live unique lives and your poetry shared those ultimately transcendent experiences beyond the walls of their rooms or houses or memories.

I was quite moved, as was the entire audience.

April 2017 Events in State College, PA: Believe in Yourself

Each April we begin our Healthy Aging Series with a focus on brain health, and encourage you to Believe in Yourself. We know that believing in yourself has a positive effect on your mental health, but did you know that self-confidence influences your physical health as well? Recent studies show people who exhibit self-confidence are generally healthier and tend to live longer. That's because confidence is a positive emotion and positive emotions have countless health benefits for your mind, body and spirit. In nurturing wellbeing by encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit, Juniper is also building self-confidence. The link between health and confidence also may be related to the ability of positive emotions to boost our brain's power to hold attention, be aware and remember things. We are better able to learn, build new skills and relate with others when we are feeling optimistic. Also confident people are better able to handle chaotic situations in a positive manner. This helps to reduce or avoid excessive stress, high blood pressure, anger, confusion – all the negative side effects of feeling powerless, overwhelmed and out of control.

If you need to kick start your confidence, here are a few things to try: smile; count your blessings; surround yourself with confident people; learn how others have found their confidence and follow their lead; challenge negative or inaccurate thinking and replace with accurate, constructive thoughts; and encourage yourself. You can also plan to join us this month for uplifting discussions and a focus on brain health with offerings such as Daily Brain Builders, Wii games, and a Brain Healthy Luncheon.

Our fabulous April 2017 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care include our:

§  Cognitive Benefits of Art Therapy with Mary Ann Ott with our very own art therapist, Mary Ann Ott, who will give a presentation on the cognitive benefits of art for the elderly population during a group art therapy session of acrylic canvas painting will immediately follow, so join us to learn a little as well as express your creative side on canvas on April 10^th at 10:30 am. (RSVP to Mary Ann at 814-235-2005 by April 4^th.)

§  “Poems From Life” An Evening of Original Poetry Inspired by Real-Life Events because each of us has our own unique story to tell, so in collaboration with local poets, we will bring to life the amazing, inspiring, thought-provoking, and heartwarming stories of some of the incredible individuals who live in our Juniper Village at Brookline community, then please stay for refreshments and an opportunity to meet the faces behind the stories as Juniper Village is proud to partner with the PA Center for the Book and Penn State Libraries for this very special event on April 11^th at 6:30 pm. (No Reservations Required.)

§  Healthy Aging Lecture Series Healthy Bones for Life as Juniper Village is proud to partner with the Penn State Center for Healthy Aging to present Mary Jane De Souza, professor in the department of kinesiology because there’s plenty of science detailing what we can do to make sure our bones stay healthy and strong, so learn about threats to bone health and how to build your lifestyle for long-term benefits on April 20^th from 9:30 am to 11:00 am. (Reservations are required. Call 814-865-4776 or email psuhealthyaging@gmail.com.)

We look forward to sharing our April 2017 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care with you as you Believe in Yourself.

Connect4Life - Integrated Care in Seniors Housing

In March the Directors of Wellness met to discuss the Importance of Integrated Care, which is the main stay of Juniper Communities' Connect4Life.  Statistics show when a Community provides three key components; onsite delivery of primary care, a "high-tech" foundation of shared data and a "high-touch" coordinator that facilitates a seamless provision of services, the customer truly benefits.  Juniper Communities study compared the population of customers residing in managed care communities and similar frail Medicare recipients.  The key results show hospitalizations were reduced by 50%, re-hospitalizations were reduced by over 80%.  Further study needs to be done, but these results suggest these positive outcomes are a result of a foundation of excellence and consistent quality of integrated care.

Pictured on top from left to right are some of our fabulous Directors of Community Relation: Kathryn Bainbridge, Brookline Senior Living; Katie Kensinger, Brookline Wellspring Memory Care; Brenda Dahlberg, Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care; Christine Heibel, Lebanon; and Bonnie Prisk, Forest Hills. Pictured on bottom from left to right are some of our wonderful Directors of Wellness: Susan Deitzler, Lebanon; Missy Ebner, Home Office; Katie Castro, Brookline Senior Living; Veronica Graham, Mount Joy; Muriel Myers, Forest Hills; and Dana Theis, Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care.

Read more in the FREE White Paper!

Connect4Life Leads to Better Outcomes for Residents

Integrated Care in Seniors Housing that Meets the Triple Aim from Cindy Longfellow

Data shows Connect4Life’s high-tech/high-touch integrated services lead to higher quality care and better outcomes for residents

Executive Summary: Integrated Care in Seniors Housing that Meets
the Triple Aim

By Anne Tumlinson, MMHS and Lynne Katzmann, PhD

According to the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, more than 190 million Americans, or about 59 percent of the population, are affected by one or more chronic illnesses. Over the next 15 years (between 2016 and 2030,) 80 percent of the United States population will experience one or more chronic conditions, costing more than $42 trillion in medical care spending and losses in employment productivity.

To address these challenges and enhance the resident experience, Juniper Communities, a Bloomfield, NJ-based national owner-operator of seniors housing, developed the Connect4Life model, which provides on-site comprehensive therapy, primary care, pharmacy and lab services, integrated with other services using a “high-tech/high-touch” communications protocol that transfers information through an Electronic Health Record (EHR) and coordinates care through a human navigator.

Juniper Communities retained Anne Tumlinson Innovations (ATI) to compare Connect4Life outcomes and utilization data with data on the broader Medicare population from the 2012 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). The findings suggest that the Connect4Life model contributes to lower hospital readmissions and the utilization of inpatient services among a high-need resident population. The results affirm the potential of integrating select clinical care and services in a seniors housing environment that provides supportive services to those who have chronic conditions, functional limitations, and complex social needs.

The results suggest an integrated program of services in seniors housing—like Juniper’s Connect4Life —can contribute to reducing the cost of care and services to Medicare beneficiaries residing in seniors housing. More importantly, the data points to the value of the Connect4Life model for managing population health because of its ability to efficiently target integrated care interventions in the high cost, high-need Medicare population.

Juniper Communities has been a thought leader in senior living care, developing nearly a dozen innovative service and delivery programs to enhance aging, lifestyle and resident health. Recognizing opportunities in to meet the triple aim of recent health policy changes in the United States – improved customer satisfaction, evidence-base quality and lower healthcare utilization, Juniper is pioneering Connect 4 Life – one of senior living’s first truly integrated care models of assisted living care and service.

Read more in the FREE White Paper!

March 2017 Events in State College, PA: Your Treasure is Within

Theatrical readings, colorful costumed dancers and spectacular vocal performances bring to a close our creative expression quarterly theme with a focus on performance and honoring our inner treasure – our self-worth. With so many demands on our time these days, it’s easy to always put others first and forget to care of ourselves. Also as we get older, retire from work and in some cases caretaking, we may forget our sense of value – our self-worth. A large part of nurturing the spirit of life is providing opportunities for purpose.

This month we will put an even greater focus on identifying our continued purpose and self-worth by performing purposeful activities, reminiscing and creating opportunities to treasure ourselves. Motivational speaker Anne Naylor offers these tips to help you treasure yourself: Treasure your thoughts with kindness – nurture your thoughts of gratitude and appreciation. Treasure your feelings and emotions – observe and use them as your guide. Treasure your body – treat it well with exercise, nourishment, rest, joy and laughter. Treasure your spirit – breathe, meditate and enjoy the goodness in your life. We hope you all enjoy the treasure of your wonderful self.

Please join us as we dramatically embrace performance throughout March with our weekly drama club, outings to live theatrical performances and our Oscar-themed party. Celebrate the Irish culture in grand style with our Saint Patrick’s Day event filled with food, fun and, of course, dancing! Honor yourself and recognize Your Treasure is Within this month at Juniper Village!

Our fabulous March 2017 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care include our:

§  Dinner and Discussion “From Script to Stage Bringing Musical Theater to Life” as we join Richard Biever, founder and artistic director of the award-winning FUSE Productions, as he shares what it takes to bring a theatrical production to life; from auditions, to the creative process, to opening night, Richard will take you behind the curtain for the upcoming production of Camelot  on March 22^nd at 5:30 pm. (Reservations required for this special program and delicious dinner at 814-235-2041.)

§  Nittany Valley Symphony “Golden Jubilee” Reception as for 50 years, the Nittany Valley Symphony has been inspiring and delighting Centre County residents with the joy of classical music, so join us for a very special reception following their Golden Jubilee Anniversary Concert on March 26^th at 6:15 pm. (Reception reservations required at 814-235-2041. For concert details visit www.nvs.org.)

§  Rail City Improv Comedy Show by Rail City Improv who are Central Pennsylvania’s premier comedy improvisation troupe, or at least they think they are, they haven’t really checked; so join us for an evening of laughter and smiles as the perfect remedy for whatever may ail you, with light refreshments provided on March 27^th at 6:00 pm. (Reservations required at 814-235-2005 by March 22^nd.)

We look forward to sharing our March 2017 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care with you as Your Treasure is Within.

Who's Who at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living: Staff Spotlight: Concierge

Justine McLarren joined the Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living team just this month as the Concierge. Justine, originally from Philipsburg, moved to North Carolina as a young teen and feels as if she has "returned home." While in North Carolina, Justine received multiple degrees from Eastern Carolina University, all in the study of English. Justine continues this area of interest by teaching a Writing & Composition course through the on-line campus of Bryant & Stratton College. As if that were not enough, Justine is also furthering her education by pursuing a degree in teaching. When not busy with school or work, Justine enjoys a new passion, karaoke. Having spent twelve years singing opera, she enjoys the free-spirited singing environment where she can fulfill her love of song without the burden of large crowds.  Justine was encouraged to join us here at Juniper Village at Brookline from one of our other employees here at Juniper, who felt Justine would "love it" as much as the rest of us.

The Concierge role at Juniper Village is part of the First Impressions Signature Program. First Impressions highlights the importance of providing a life-affirming environment for all customers.  Justine's role as concierge, with her infectious bright smile and warm demeanor, will allow her to serve as the first smiling face that most will see as they enter The Inn. During your next visit, please take a moment to welcome Justine to Juniper Village.