Autumn Noodle Bop

The weather is getting cooler, and as the leaves change around Juniper Village at Mount Joy, our residents are busy doing all sorts of autumn-themed activities. Today, we used pastels to copy leaf designs and create Harvest Centerpieces.

In the afternoon, we held a feisty game of Noodle Bop in the living room. With two balloon balls flying all over, everyone got a good whack in to keep the balls a float.

Show Your Colors: October Events

October brings forth vibrant color in our foliage as well as our sports teams. Our high school football teams will be in full swing and hockey season will prepare to fill the stands with team colors and spirit. Juniper Communities will also be honoring our colors with many sports-themed activities and events. We will be enjoying the changing colors of the season as we transition from summer to fall and the crazy costumes of our annual Halloween celebrations.

While showing our colors we not only focus on our team colors, but also showing our true colors. We recognize that working together as a team, results in better coordination of care, better quality of care and as a result better lives for our residents. This is evidenced by our excellent clinical outcomes data. We are happy to see the results of collaboration resulting in decreased re-hospitalizations and better quality of life for our residents.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our World Series Grand Slam Dash and Dine for opening day of the World Series as we root for the home team and the hometown you can be part of the action by dashing in to grab a complimentary boxed lunch with hotdog, chips and a soda to go or dine in with us where we’ll also have a popcorn machine and a sweet treat for after your meal on October 22^nd from noon to 1:00 pm (RSVP by Oct 20^th to 717-492-9692); or our Safe Halloween for all ghosts and goblins grades 5 and below as our residents will be ready to hand out tasty treats and costume prizes will be awarded at this inter-generational event for a spook-tacular good time on October 27^th from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm (RSVP by Oct 24^th to 717-492-9692)!

Please look through our calendar to celebrate the spirit of autumn with us and Show Your Colors!

Carnivals and Apple Crumble

With September comes the beginning of carnival season, and we've been having quite a lot of hometown fun here at Juniper Village at Mount Joy. We had a local juggler, Chris Ivey, come in on Grandparents' Day to perform for our residents and their families. He juggled bean bags and pins, told jokes, and even juggled while balancing an axe or sword.

Nothing says comfort like an apple crumble, and our residents had a good time helping us put one together. Everyone took a turn at the bowl, and the smell while it baked was incredible!

Musical Escapades

The month of August has been hopping here at Juniper Village at Mount Joy. Between musical treats and intriguing activities, we've been keeping cool and having fun all month long. Keeping to a theme of natural discovery and precious gemstones, we broke apart geodes in one activity to look at the crystals inside. In another, some of our lady residents strung bracelets made from seashells.

For our musical entertainment, we were treated on Sunday to Celtic folk music performed by Ron Zielinski. His music, and his good humor, had everyone clapping and laughing. On Wednesday, we were all amazed by Nick DiSanto and his One Man Band performance. Just like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, this man could play an array of instruments all by himself.

Spread Your Joy: September Events

September signifies the end of summer with Labor Day celebrations and the Autumnal Equinox on the 23^rd. In this last month of our “Stay Connected” series we aspire to connect with our friends and embrace the theme of Spread Your Joy.

The Mayo Clinic tells us that friends are good for your health. They can help you celebrate good times, provide support during bad times, prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends increase your sense of belonging and purpose, boost happiness, reduce stress, and improve your self-confidence and self-worth. Friends can also encourage you to increase healthy habits – it’s always better to walk, run, swim or exercise with a friend. And friends don’t always have to be of the human kind either! Several studies have shown that heart attack patients who have pets survive longer than those without.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Grandparents’ Festival featuring character juggler Chris Ivey plus music and delicious refreshments on September 7^th at 2:00 pm.

Please look through our calendar and join us for any events that can help you stay connected, cultivate friendships and Spread Your Joy!

Birthstones

It was a gray Sunday at Juniper Village at Mount Joy, and there wasn't much fun to be had out of doors. So, as storms threatened throughout the day, our residents mostly stayed inside playing games or doing puzzles. In the afternoon, we learned a little bit about birthstones.

Did you know that birthstones are mentioned in the Book of Revelations? Or that wearing them in jewelry was made popular in Poland in the 1500's?

The most fun might have been figuring out what each of our birthstones are and what they mean. If you're born this month, your birthstone is Peridot. The precious gemstone is said to bring you success, peace, and good luck.

Patriotism and Irish Dance

As patriotism reigns through the month of July, we definitely heard our nation's independence ring as the choir from Mount Calvary treated residents to American-themed musical numbers and inspirational speeches on July 12th.

We were all over the rainbow on July 26th as the Rebel Heart Irish Dancers performed their very own choreographed interpretation of The Wizard of Oz. Set to the beloved music from the 1939 film starring Judy Garland, our residents couldn't help but be charmed by the sweet girls and their fancy footwork. It was so much fun, and refreshing, to see something as familiar as the Wizard of Oz transformed into an Irish dance performance.