Dance MaraTHON

The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately known as THON, is a yearlong effort to raise funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer.  Since 1977, THON has raised more than $114 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.  THON 2015 is taking place from February 20th-22nd, 2015 at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.  However, our residents at Wellspring couldn't make it to the actual event, so we hosted our own Dance MaraTHON on site!

Proceeds are being donated to the Penn State THON.  Our residents have enjoyed all types of music and dance this month, from our new Music & Memory program to dancing the night away.  This is all part of our initiative to bring music and the arts to life for even our most frail elders. Our residents danced for 25 minutes, hydrated, and then danced for 20 more minutes!!!

You Gotta Have Heart!

February is American Heart Month, and Janie Provan and Anissa Rupert Ilie from Juniper Village at Brookline are pleased to be serving on the Executive Leadership Committee for the Central PA chapter of the American Heart Association’s 2015 Heart Walk, set for Sunday, September 27, 2015 at Millbrook Marsh in State College.

The Heart Walk exists to make healthier, longer lives possible for everyone, by raising funds to help reduce cardiovascular diseases and strokes. To join or support Team Juniper Village at Brookline, or for more information on the walk visit our team page HERE.

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 Print Making with Annie Swincinski, a Local Artist/ Arts Fest Winner, who will demonstrate the printmaking process and showcase some of her creations as she uses her art as a therapeutic outlet to express her emotions and facilitate her personal transformations on February 2^nd at 2:00 pm (1950 Cliffside Drive Rehab and Skilled Care); our Paint Your Art Out Wine and Chocolate Event extending a special invitation to those in our community who help us to help others including those who work in the fields of senior living and healthcare to join us and local artist Susan Robb for a fun-filled evening as we sip Seven Mountains Wine Cellars wine and sample some delectable chocolate creations while you paint your own wine glass to take home as a reminder of how much we appreciate all you do on February 16^th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm (1900 Cliffside Drive Willows Senior Living Dining Room); or our First Annual Wellspring Artist Auction as our residents will be working all February long to awaken their passion and creativity through artistic expression using different mediums like, painting, drawing, jewelry making and mosaics, the residents will then hold their first annual in-house art auction to sell their various works and proceeds will benefit the Greater PA chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, so come take in unique hand-crafted art and enjoy hors d'oeuvres while supporting a worthwhile cause on February 26^th at 2:00 pm (610 W. Whitehall Road Wellspring).

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.