Safe Halloween

We hosted our Safe Halloween at Juniper Village at Mount Joy and thirty children came to trick-or-treat at our residents' doors. Safe and warm in our well-lit hallways, the children had a blast-- as did our residents and associates! Trick-or-Treat was followed by a costume contest, and we awarded prizes to a variety of categories. Sweetest Costume went to a little snow queen, Elsa. Best Costume was awarded to a gypsy. A little lizard won Cutest Costume. Most Original was a bucking little buckaroo of a cowboy, and the Scariest Costume was awarded to a creepy glowing pumpkin head. The Nicest Costume title was bestowed upon a pretty little pink princess. Refreshments of caramel corn and apple cider were served, and everyone had a thoroughly wonderful and spooky night!

Pink Out!

We hosted a Pink Out! in our effort to unite in the fight against breast cancer. Residents and associates both brought out their pink for the occasion. On the opening night of the World Series, Juniper Village at Mount Joy hosted a Grand Slam Dash & Dine. Guests were invited to grab boxed lunches or dine in with us, and we even had a popcorn machine to help celebrate America's Favorite Past time.

Seven Residents at Juniper Village in 90+ Club

Aging in place is a philosophy at Juniper Village at Mount Joy and the personal care and Wellspring memory care community is equipped to meet the needs of all its residents as they progress on in years. “We intend to keep our residents supported in their needs and alive in body, mind, and spirit in all seasons of life for as long as they are with us,” says Executive Director Debra Miller. “Juniper is equipped to provide additional services to each resident’s care on an individual basis as needed. It’s wonderful for our elderly to be able to stay in a familiar setting with consistent caregivers who promote the highest quality of life regardless of age.”

The seven residents of the 90+ Club are a testament to Juniper’s aging in place care. “Our eldest resident, Catherine “Kitty” Shaffer just turned 101 years old in October. All of these residents are active in the community and age does not slow them down. They are fabulous role models for their peers,” expressed Miller. Pictured are Juniper Village residents Elizabeth Lauer – 93; Catherine “Kitty” Shaffer – 101; June Smith – 98; Ruth Dorfler – 93; standing are Lloyd Swarr – 91 and Jean Rementer – 90. Not pictured is Dorothy Reese – 92.

To be able to offer an aging in place philosophy of care, Juniper Village has a nurse and caring staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Continuity of care is available through four levels of services including medical and physical care, and residents are charged by their individual needs. This includes medical management, symptom management, physical assistance in dressing and eating, assistance with mobility and memory care support.

“With elderly parents and friends who are at the onset of dementia, arriving as early on as possible is a key component to a resident’s successful adaptation to our environment,” explains Miller.

Juniper also reminds the community that it hosts three to four major events per month that are free of charge and open to the public.

Cherish the Journey: November Events

Life is a journey filled with lessons, celebrations and special moments that ultimately lead us to our destination, our purpose in life. The road will not always be smooth and we may encounter many challenges. Some of these will test our courage, strengths, weaknesses, and faith. Along the way, we may stumble upon obstacles that must be overcome. But, sometimes these obstacles are really blessings in disguise, although we may not realize it at the time. How we react to the situations we face will determine what the rest of our journey will be like.

This month Juniper Communities will honor our Families and cherish the journey we have taken together. November is all about celebrating the bonds we share and recognizing where we’ve been and where we’re going. We will do this through autobiographical journaling, reminiscing about family celebrations and breaking bread together in Thanksgiving. In order to support our families along this journey we will continue to develop our support groups and provide additional resources when needed. We will give back through our Annual Food Drive. From November 1 through November 30 all non-perishable food items collected will be donated to a local food bank.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Annual Food Drive where you can drop off non-perishable food items for the Mount Joy Food Bank in Lafayette anytime all month long; our Veteran’s Appreciation Supper to thank you for your service let us serve you and a guest a delicious Italian feast on November 10^th at 5:00 pm (please RSVP to 717-492-9692); our “Jazzy” Afternoon with Temple Avenue a jazz quartet that combines young energy and creativity with respect for the compositions of jazz's finest composers, such as Miles Davis and Clifford Brown, and the vast library of jazz standards on November 23^rd from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm (please RSVP to 717-492-9692).

Look through our calendar and plan to join us for family celebrations, Thanksgiving dinners and many events and activities allowing us all to reflect and Cherish the Journey!

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!