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 State College Area Food Bank anytime all month long; our Veterans Day Celebration honoring those who have served this country and fought for our freedoms on November 11^th at 2:00 pm; our Traveling Antique Show displaying interesting treasures from bygone eras on November 17^th at 4:00 pm; or our Family Fest Harvest Meal for residents and family or friends featuring all the traditional fixings in a warm atmosphere on November 23^rd at noon.

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!

Weekend Winedown Raises $14,000 for Alzheimer's Association

For the third year in a row, the Weekend Winedown—an Alzheimer’s fundraiser—sold out in just two weeks! In just one night, this signature event raised over $14,000 for the Central PA Alzheimer’s Association.

The Village at Penn State, Home Instead Senior Care, and Juniper Village at Brookline came together in 2012 to create an event to raise funds for the Central PA Alzheimer’s Association. This year’s Winedown, held Friday, October 3rd, at Seven Mountains Wine Cellars hosted more than 350 guests. There was a silent auction, and nine unique food stations along with a photo booth which helped guests catch memories with friends! This year’s Weekend Winedown event ended in success by raising over $14,000 for the Central PA Alzheimer’s Association to help End Alzheimer’s. Representatives from Home Instead Senior Care, Juniper Village at Brookline and The Village at Penn State are honored to work together to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.  

Brookline Assisted Living Facility Welcomes New Leadership, Initiatives

by Michael Martin Garrett

Angeline Hunter, 91, has lived through many changes in her life. 

She’s seen State College and Penn State grow since she moved to the area in 1943, and after her husband’s death in 2008, she watched the evolution of the well-established Brookline Village retirement community.

Since moving to Brookline in early 2013, there's been one more change she’s had to adjust to: Brookline’s acquisition by the national assisted living organization Juniper Village.

Sitting outside on Tuesday among Brookline’s handsome buildings and greenery - surrounded by friends, family and fellow residents - Hunter listened to Juniper CEO Lynne Katzmann lay her out her vision for the newly christened Juniper Village at Brookline facility at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“You all have welcomed us with warmth, generosity and open hearts and minds,” Katzmann said. “Thank you for letting us be a part of this community.”

Katzmann said Juniper Village had been aware of Brookline’s “legacy of excellence” before it ever acquired the facility. Though Juniper has a lot to live up to, she’s sure that the Brookline team and residents will be able to work together to continuing improving the lives of State College’s senior citizens.

She said some of Juniper’s priorities are keeping things exactly the same: many of the staff from before the acquisition are still at Brookline, and Katzmann has no plans to disturb the facility’s beautiful campus.

But, perhaps more importantly, she looks forward to bringing new activities and initiatives to Brookline. Katzmann says Juniper Communities was “green long before it was fashionable,” which continues to this day with a focus on recycling and environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Recently certified by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America as maintaining the rare distinction of “excellence in care” at its facilities, Katzmann says Juniper Communities is excited to increase the quality of care of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients...

Anissa Ilie, director of community relations with Juniper Village at Brookline, says another major change will be updating all medical records to a digital format, which will make record-keeping and caregiving more efficient. 

Another focus of the change in leadership was to “hit the ground running” and interfere with the resident’s daily lives as little as possible during the transitionary months, Ilie says...

Read Michael's full article on StateCollege.com.

Juniper Village at Brookline Participant in Benchmark Study on Dementia and Delirium

Juniper Village at Brookline is continuing its participation in a major study on dementia and delirium out of the College of Nursing at Penn State University.  The study is called Reserve for Delirium Superimposed on Dementia and Brookline has been an active participant in the study since its inception in 2010.  This September, a presentation was made at Juniper covering the research results to date on the general evaluation and management of delirium.

The purpose of the RESERVE DSD study is to test the efficacy of cognitive stimulation for resolving delirium in persons with dementia subsequent to a hospitalization. The research is testing a non-pharmacological intervention for delirium in the form of recreational activities. The ongoing, five-year clinical trial will conclude in 2015. Dr. Ann Kolanowski, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN and Dr. Donna Fick, PhD, GCNS-BC FGSA, FAAN received a grant to conduct the research from the National Institute of Nursing Research in the amount of $2,405,344.

“Juniper Village is pleased to provide support for this very important research whose eventual findings will benefit our residents by allowing us to better identify those suffering from delirium. The findings will then help us to best treat those residents, enriching their daily quality of care,” explained Janice Whitaker, RN, BSN, NCSN, M.Ed., Juniper Village Rehabilitation and Skilled Care at Brookline Wellness Director.

Currently, 35 residents of Juniper Village at Brookline have participated. At the time of a resident’s move into Juniper’s rehabilitation and skilled care community, residents who seem a good fit for the study, are referred as potential candidates. If the resident – including family members who might be the decision maker – decide to participate, release forms are completed and forwarded to the College of Nursing. They then contact the resident and or family member, and enter them into the study. Student nurses engage with these residents and track their progress throughout their stay.

“Juniper Communities has been committed to innovative dementia care for more than a decade.  We are so proud that our programs have been nationally recognized but more pleased that we have positively impacted the lives of those we serve and their families,” stated Lynne S. Katzmann, Ph.D., President and Founder of Juniper Communities.

Check out local news video for more on this story.

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 Community Celebration Open House and Ribbon Cutting to warmly welcome us as the newest member in the Juniper Communities’ family Juniper Village at Brookline providing senior living, rehab/skilled nursing, and memory care with our uniquely successful programs and activities on October 14^th from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm; our Fall Festival and Walk to End Alzheimer’s Fundraiser sponsored by Juniper Wellspring Memory Care at Brookline and Harner Farm featuring fun and fellowship benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association on October 19^th at noon; or our Friendly Pet Visits with our beloved Missy and Maizy on October 31^st at 11:00 am!

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