Breathe in the goodness!

Nearly everyone loves the smell of chocolate, though not many people have heard of cocoa mulch. Cocoa mulch is a by-product of the chocolate industry and is rapidly gaining popularity. Since only the cocoa bean is used in the manufacturing of food products, shells can and often are turned into this mulch with a fantastic aroma.

In addition to its delicious fragrance, cocoa mulch is very easy to work with. This product works well as a garden mulch because of the great fertilizer and soil conditioner it contains. Most gardeners actually prefer cocoa mulch rather than the wood-chipped variety because it is less heavy and easily distributed, as well as much cleaner than its alternatives. Cocoa mulch is also a lead decorative weed suppressing mulch.

There are also many health benefits to using cocoa mulch. In fact, being exposed to it can help with mood enhancing properties. It can also help lower blood pressure if you are having a stressful day... so take a couple of minutes to relish the smell! Residents at Juniper Village Wellspring Memory Care enjoy going out to our secured courtyard to garden and get fresh air. In addition to helping get residents outside and become more active, this can be an excellent way to stimulate appetites before a meal. Now, who's up for some chocolate?

Fitness Fun!

Throughout the month of May, Juniper Village Wellspring Memory Care at Brookline has hosted a variety of events to help keep residents physically active. Last Thursday, Samuel Jackson, the CEO of UFit Thrive, visited Juniper as a part of our “Grow Strong Daily” theme. UFit Thrive is a fitness program with a mission of changing the lives of people living with chronic illnesses by creating comprehensive fitness programs. 

Samuel presented Juniper’s residents with multiple exercises that they can complete each day to improve their overall physical fitness. Samuel made the exercises challenging, but rewarding for the residents. The activity left residents feeling refreshed, and even resulted in an overall mood boost! 

Pictured above is Juniper Village resident Lorena Mazer performing the dumbbell curls. Lorena felt so empowered by this exercise that she continued to do repetitions even after Samuel was done instructing! Samuel made the program so enjoyable and easy that it often appeared that residents didn’t realize they were exercising! 

2015 Juniper Leadership Conference Awards

Juniper celebrated its 27^th anniversary this year.  Each year communities are honored for their achievements in critical operational and financial areas.

Awards were presented at the 2015 Juniper Leadership Conference, held this year in Baltimore’s historic inner harbor.  Awards were presented by Lynne Katzmann, founder and CEO of Juniper Communities, and Diane Byrne, Vice President of Program, Development, Training & Operational Oversight.

At the recent Juniper leadership conference, Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care was presented the Juniper Culture Award in recognition of “walking the talk” and leading the implementation of Juniper’s Culture and Signature Programs in the midst of a full acquisition transition in 2014.

A Meal That Matters

Making a difference in the community is an important part of what we at Juniper Village do each and every day. Not only do we believe in nurturing the spirit of life in our own residents, but also in the residents of the greater State College community. This is why a number of Juniper Village at Brookline associates were proud to represent our organization at the 10th annual State College Area Meals on Wheels (SCMOW) benefit dinner. As the longest-running corporate supporter of SCMOW, and the only platinum-level sponsor, JVB associates were treated to front row seating at the event and the opportunity to meet keynote speaker and Penn State football head coach, James Franklin. 

Since 1971, SCMOW has served more than a million meals, and is now able to serve meals three times per week to those in the State College Area School District. According to SCMOW Board President, Bill Haner, the total amount raised at this year's dinner is slated to be between $45,000 and $50,000, which will tie or exceed the organization's record fundraising amount! 

Happy Cinco de Mayo from Wellspring!!!

Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care celebrated Cinco de Mayo in high spirits while enjoying delicious mocktails among friends.

May 2015 Events in State College, PA: Grow Strong Daily

Fitness is on our mind during our May 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring with our Alive In All Seasons theme “Grow Strong Daily”. As you know, physical activity is good for you both physically and mentally. Regular physical activity can help you to continue to do the things you love and stay independent as you age. Exercise can reduce the risk of developing some diseases and reduce symptoms of some chronic conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and balance issues.

But, if exercise has not been a part of your daily routine how do you take that first step? Start by making it fun! Turn a walk around the block into a scavenger hunt – search for daffodils, birds, squirrels or lucky pennies. Instead of a dip in the pool, create an adventure as you pretend to swim with the dolphins. Rather than send your co-worker an email, walk to her office and communicate face to face, double the benefit with a smile! What’s important is to make it fun and just start – today!

Join us for our May 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring as we will Grow Strong Daily with Fitness Five, and walk “cross country” with our Route 66 Walking Program and learn more about keeping our hearts fit at our Healthy Heart Luncheon. We look forward to sharing these and many other activities with you this month. Peruse this month’s calendar, and we will see you soon!

Our fabulous May 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring include our:

§  Learn About Spanish 101 Seminar to strengthen our ability to communicate with one another in a foreign language on May 5^th at 6:30 pm.

§  Jazzy Jewelry Junction an opportunity to pick up a last minute gift for your mom or perhaps the mother of your children on May 8^th at 2:00 pm.

§  Golden Chair Zumba and Healthy Parfaits for a little heart healthy exercise and tasty treats on May 21^st at 2:00 pm.

We hope to see you at one or more of our May 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring!