Spring Fling

Juniper Village at Mount Joy held its Spring Fling on Saturday, April 11th. The weather was absolutely beautiful, if not brisk, and everyone had a wonderful time. It's always so much fun for associates and residents when children come to join us, and the activities keep all young at heart. There was a petting zoo with bunnies, chicks, pigs, goats, ducks and even a horse! This prompted an array of animal themed snacks to accompany the event, such as animal crackers and bunny-shaped rice krispie treats. The children created crafts such as chimes, tissue paper flowers, and candy sand art. Ron Zoelinksi sang as he played guitar and harmonica for our residents down in our Garden Spot lounge. In the living room, we hosted the Donegal Rhythm singers. It was such a wonderful event to welcome in the beautiful spring weather.

Wellspring Training for Juniper Village at Mount Joy Associates

This month we held Wellspring Training for our associates, which is always both fun and educational-- as well as a vital element to the care and understanding we provide for our residents. The training involves a "virtual tour" where associates can grasp a better understanding of how many of our residents feel as they navigate their daily lives. Associates are glasses that are smeared with Vaseline to simulate visual impairments, gloves with fingers taped together to simulate fine motor/arthritic problems, and beans in their shoes to simulate foot problems. Then they are given a set of directions one time and fairly swiftly...as some caregivers, in a hurry, speak in a rushed manner to residents. The associate then must attempt to complete the tasks. The tasks were: set and clear the dining table, find and put on a tie, find and put on a white sweater, match 6 pairs of socks.

Compassion is such an important part of who we are at Juniper Village-- as well as respect, and as our associates attempted to complete these tasks, there was definitely the reinforcement of that respect we already had for our residents.

April 2015 Events in Mount Joy, PA: Believe in Yourself

Welcome to April - the name derived from the Latin word Aperire meaning “to open”; the month when everything starts to bloom and come alive. What better time to really put forth your best efforts and see the true beauty inside than the month in which everything begins anew! Diana Ross, in the Wiz, advises “believe in yourself, right from the start. You'll have brains; you’ll have a heart; you’ll have courage to last your whole life through if you believe in yourself.” So let’s put our best foot forward, believe in ourselves and we can move mountains!

Join us for our April 2015 events in Mount Joy, PA at Juniper Village at Mount Joy as we pull pranks on April Fool’s Day; honor Jesus Christ on Good Friday, followed by hiding Easter eggs; celebrate the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery on Passover; and celebrate mother earth on Earth Day and Arbor Day. Peruse this month’s calendar as we focus on the brain through our Daily Brain Builders, Wii tournaments and our Healthy Brain Luncheon. Plan to join us for any and all events. Also, check out our Healthy Aging Resource Library to learn more about the brain or any number of health related topics. We look forward to seeing you during this fun filled month.

Our fabulous April 2015 events in Mount Joy, PA at Juniper Village at Mount Joy include our:

Ø  Spring Fling a free “open to the community” event featuring our petting zoo, indulgent tasty treats and refreshments, photos ops with Juniper Village’s own Miles the Giraffe, and an upbeat performance by Donegal High School’s Rhythm Singers on April 11^th from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. (RSVP to 717-492-9692 by April 6^th)

Ø  Dinner and/or A Movie to enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal prepared by our Executive Chef and/or watch a light-hearted comedy sure to put a smile on your face on April 23^rd from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm Dinner or 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Movie. (RSVP to 717-492-9692 with your preference by April 17^th)

We hope to see you at one or more of our April 2015 events in Mount Joy, PA at Juniper Village at Mount Joy!

Juniper Communities Introduces Theralink for Onsite Integrated Therapy at Juniper Village at Mount Joy

Juniper Communities, a national owner-operator of Juniper Village senior living communities, is rolling out Theralink in all its facilities, and locally at Juniper Village at Mount Joy. Theralink is an on-site program designed to help residents regain and maintain independence, fitness and overall wellbeing. It is being implemented through a newly established partnership between Juniper Communities and Genesis Rehab Services.

“Rehabilitation, restorative services, and fitness are vital to healthy aging and whole person wellness,” explains Lynne Katzmann, CEO and Founder of Juniper Communities. “Coordinated with other clinical services permits, Juniper will be able to provide integrated post-acute care onsite at the communities through Theralink. This is especially important for Juniper’s residents who want and need more intensive rehabilitation services in their ‘home’.”

Grant Welson, Area Director for Genesis Rehab Services states, “Juniper is taking an industry lead by creating Theralink to offer onsite therapy services where they are integrated into everyday patient care. Feedback from preliminary implementation from Juniper’s residents has been overwhelmingly positive.”

The Theralink program will provide physical, occupational, speech, and when needed respiratory therapy that is integrated into the care Juniper currently delivers. Elements of Theralink include special balance and strength training, and fall prevention programs; technology and apps that facilitate and record personal fitness training; dementia management programs that integrate cognitive and occupational therapies; cardiopulmonary management; and monthly assessment reports.

March 2015 Events in Mount Joy, PA: Your Treasure Is Within

Treasure hunting has been around forever! The search for riches has evolved from archaeological digs revealing lost treasure to present day treasure hunts such as television’s “The Amazing Race”. Much has been written about the allure of treasure, but one thing that we’ve come to realize is that the treasure within is the most valuable of all. Each one of us has a treasure within and through our March 2015 events in Mount Joy, PA we will be exploring that treasure at Juniper Village at Mount Joy - be it your ability to sing, play a musical instrument, recite dramatic prose or balance a spoon at the end of your nose. No treasure is too small! In the immortal words of Captain Jack Sparrow, “Not all treasure’s silver and gold, mate.”

With our March 2015 events in Mount Joy, PA at Juniper Village at Mount Joy we end our Creative Expressions Series with a focus on Performance. Please join us during our March 2015 events in Mount Joy, PA while we recognize “Your Treasure is Within” as we provide opportunities to express yourself through our weekly drama clubs and by attending theatrical performances. If step dancing and corned beef and cabbage is more your thing, sample all that is Irish with our annual St. Patrick’s Day party or walk the red carpet and share your movie trivia skills at our Oscar Party.

Our fabulous March 2015 events in Mount Joy, PA include our It’s Your Lucky Day St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with fun take-aways for all with light refreshments and Bag Pipers and festive Irish entertainment including Bag Pipers on March 17^th at 2:00 pm.

We hope to see you at one or more of our March 2015 events in Mount Joy, PA, so check out our calendar for more!

Heartwarming Holiday

February is a month meant to win hearts, and there are few things as charming as a man and his monkey. Jerry Brown the Monkey Man came to visit us here at Juniper Village at Mount Joy, and his performance with his adorable sidekick did not disappoint. The magic tricks lightened our hearts, and our residents and associates were delighted for an opportunity to visit with darling little Django.

Our celebration of Valentine’s Day continued with Characters with Character creating balloon art and caricatures that made us all feel young at heart. The event warmed up as our head chef prepared appetizers and served champagne. Residents selected masquerade masks to add a touch of even more whimsy to the romantic affair. There were tarot card readings offered by Terry Miller, and at the end of the evening, it was truly a heartwarming holiday.

Awaken Your Passion: February Events

This month at Juniper Village we continue our Creative Expressions Series with a focus on Art.

Creating art for many of our seniors has been a lifelong passion, for others it may have been a casual hobby or serious vocation. Whatever the reason, art has substantial benefits to our bodies, minds and spirits! In Successful Aging, John W. Rowe, MD, and Robert L. Kahn, PhD, discuss key aspects of successful aging: low risk of disease, high mental and physical functioning, and being actively engaged in life. Expressive art activities promote active engagement in life in positive, healthy, and fulfilling ways - in other words, nurturing the spirit of life. Recent studies further indicate that older adults who participate in art programs have fewer doctor visits, use less medication, and experience a lower rate of depression – all resulting in lower healthcare costs.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Juniper Village Candy Gram Service offered free of charge as our way of saying “Thank You” for all the love you have shown us over the past year where you give us your loved one’s name and a personal Valentine message by February 12^th and we will prepare a box of chocolates tagged with your special message ready for pick up on February 14^th, and If your loved one resides at Juniper Village, we will deliver it for you too; our Valentine Masquerade as we will be dazzled by Terry Miller’s tarot card readings and entertained by Jerry Brown and the Monkey Man, and after the show, you can have a monkey visit and participate in the Q&A, plus sweet treats will be available for all on February 14^th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm; or our Evening of “Uncorked Art” a fun social event creating wall-worthy paintings like pros with step by step instruction by Terry Miller and all materials and refreshments will be provided for participants so you leave with a masterpiece and leave the mess and clean-up behind on February 26^th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm (RSVP by February 16^th to 717-492-9692).

Look through our calendar and plan to join us this month and “Awaken Your Passion” as we explore various mediums to expression through weekly art programs and visits to local art museums. Or, if art isn’t your thing, tailgate with us during the Super Bowl, await the Ground Hog’s prediction, our join in one of our festive celebrations on Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day or Mardi Gras.