Fall Festival A Great Success!

On Sunday, October 16, smiling faces gathered under sunny skies to raise over $2,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association! For the eighth consecutive year, Juniper Village at Brookline hosted the Fall Festival at Harner Farm, with all proceeds benefiting the local Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

The Fall Festival had something for everyone to enjoy. Most popular was the gigantic corn maze, where people of all ages dared to navigate their way through intricate pathways of cornstalks stretching eight feet high. Face and hair painting were other popular activities, where kids were transformed into sweet kitty cats and scary skeletons! Game stations featured over ten options, from the Ghost Tower to the Pumpkin Float.

And what festival would be complete without food? Penny Jeffries from Juniper’s Wellspring Memory Care building cooked up steaming kettles of her famous autumn vegetable and ham and bean soups. The menu also featured juicy hot dogs on the grill and fresh, cheesy pizzas donated by Pizza Mia in State College. And Juniper employees and residents showcased their confectionery skills for the bake sale, with offerings such as homemade cheesecakes, apple pies, and Halloween bark!

Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Fall Festival a wonderful success, and for your support of the Alzheimer’s Association!

WE ARE... Juniper Village

Throughout the Penn State football season, residents and staff at Juniper Village at Brookline can be found sporting the University's simple but easily recognizable colors of Blue and White. Penn State Football season brings out everyone's excitement, anticipation, and team spirit more than any other time of year. There is one day in particular though that stands apart from the rest, that brings the communities at Juniper Village and Penn State just a tiny bit closer, that blurs the line between Student and Senior; the day of the homecoming parade.

On Friday, October 7th residents and staff from Juniper Village at Brookline participated in the Penn State Homecoming Parade. This parade is a time to celebrate not only Penn State University but also to celebrate and display the numerous organizations, clubs, and special interest groups within the State College area. Residents and staff at Juniper Village took this showcase evening as an opportunity to celebrate and to demonstrate to the community what an asset and partner that they have in Juniper Village. Residents took this chance to gather inside the newly decorated blue and white Juniper bus, waving to parade attendees and reminiscing with each other about their childhood adventures. Not wanting to miss out on the action, Juniper staff joined along in the fun and walked the parade path handing out candy to the thousands of children and adults that can be found mobbing the sidewalks of downtown State College and the Penn State University campus.

A Day of Caring

Nestled in the quiet and quaint rural town of Spring Mills, PA the Old Gregg School provided an education to many children and youth. As the town grew and needs changed, the Old Gregg School evolved to become a community and recreation center. By providing affordable office space, indoor and outdoor recreation areas, and a safe space for locals, this go-to center is used frequently. Juniper Village at Brookline DCRs had the privilege in providing some needed TLC to this center on the annual Day of Caring event in Centre County. Kathryn Bainbridge, DCR of Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living, and Katie Kensinger, Senior DCR of Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring, weatherized outdoor benches and picnic tables while other volunteers restored stair rails and sidewalks to aide in maintaining this valued community building.  The 2016 Col. Gerald Russell PNC Bank Centre County United Way Day of Caring was not only a way for the Juniper DCRs to give back to the community, it was a time to honor a former resident at Juniper Village at Brookline. Col. Russell was a devoted community member and established the Day of Caring in 1993. Upon his passing in 2014, Centre County United Way found it fit to rename the event in Col Russell's honor. For more information on ways that Juniper Village at Brookline helps support the Centre region, contact Kathryn Bainbridge at Kathryn.bainbridge@junipercommunities. and ask to be added to the highlight card mailing list.

Juniper Village at Brookline Leading the Way at PHCA!!

PHCA, the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, is a statewide advocacy organization for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable older residents and their providers of care whose members comprise for-profit, nonprofit and government providers. Together, the more than 500 long-term care and senior service providers and their dedicated caregivers share a commitment to the highest level of care to ensure our sickest, frailest elderly and disabled residents live a healthy, safe life and age with the dignity and respect they deserve.

This year, at the annual convention, some lovely ladies from Juniper Village at Brookline – Anne Campbell, Liz Plozner-Chalfa, and Katie Castro – presented on techniques to reduce the use of antipsychotics. Additionally, Dennis Yeager, the Environmental Services Director at Brookline Senior Living, was awarded the PHCA Assisted Living/Personal Care Most Valuable Employee of the Year. Juniper Village at Brookline also won the Bronze Quality Award.

Linsay Korman Named Director of Wellness

Juniper Village Wellspring Memory Care at Brookline is excited to introduce Linsay Korman as our new Director of Wellness. Linsay is a licensed nurse and Certified Dementia Practitioner® who brings over fifteen years of healthcare experience to the Juniper team. Prior to completing nursing training at Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology, Linsay gained valuable experience as a certified nursing assistant and medical technician. She has worked in hospital, homecare, and long-term care settings. As Director of Wellness, Linsay is a member of Wellspring’s leadership team.

Originally from Northern California, Linsay moved to Pennsylvania in 2009. She currently resides in Centre Hall with her husband Scott and three wonderful sons Owen, Evan, and Alex. Linsay and her family love the great outdoors, and enjoy spending quality time together on family nature hikes.

Please join us in welcoming Linsay!

Time "Flies" When You're Having Fun!

At Juniper Communities, we believe in encouraging an active body, an engaged mind, and a fulfilled spirit. One of the ways we do that is by taking time to connect to nature and the environment. Recently, residents at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care had an up-close and personal experience with some of the tiniest creatures in nature – freshwater macroinvertebrates! These critters may be small, but they play a gigantic role within the sport of fly fishing. Our friend, retired Penn State professor, avid fly fisherman, and entomologist, Greg Hoover, was on site for yet another informative and interactive presentation on various macroinvertebrates.

Everyone had an opportunity to feed their curiosity by experiencing the Caddisfly, Mayfly and Stonefly nymphs live and in person! In addition, Mr. Hoover enhanced the program with DVD footage of the creatures in action in their natural environments.  He also compared dry fly imitations to their live counterparts to judge how each mimicked the real deal. As the discussion came to a close, it was noted that whether one is a novice fisherman or a veteran, staying connected to macro-invertebrates in all stages of life increases the chances of reeling in a record-breaking fish.

Afterwards, residents and guests enjoyed a social hour with sweet bug-themed treats and refreshments. Time truly does “fly” when you are having fun.

October 2016 Events in State College, PA: Show Your Colors

As we say good bye to Indian summer, we welcome the cooler air and slower pace of the autumn season. From warm apple cider, everything pumpkin and end of season hiking trips, there are so many reasons to enjoy autumn. William Cullen Bryant says it best, “Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.” With the seasonal changes now in full swing we see fall flowers appearing where summer blooms once stood and leaves changing into vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red. The evening air has a slight chill and carries the scent of campfires, leaves and cinnamon spice. Our activities turn from swimming and baseball to raking leaves and football. Not only is Mother Nature showing her colors, but we begin to show our team colors with a focus on sports! Join us throughout the month as we bond over sporting events while cheering on our favorite teams, complete with tailgate parties and snacks.

Throughout October we will show our colors as we sponsor and support local sports teams. We will honor our associates who show their colors by “nurturing the spirit of life” with The Juniper Spirit awards. Alas, October would not be complete without celebrating the season with our annual Halloween Costume Party, which is open to ghosts and goblins of all ages. Join us this month and Show Your Colors!

Our fabulous October 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care include our:

§  Fall Festival at Harner Farm for a day of family fun at our annual event to benefit the Walk to End Alzheimer’s; there will be kids’ crafts and games, fall treats, a soup and bake sale, and the famous corn maze, so we look forward to seeing you there on October 16^th from noon to 4:00 pm.

§  Say Goodbye-Oh to Ohio Tailgaiting as Wellspring kicks off a big Penn State football weekend with a blue and white tailgate as the Nittany Lions gear up to beat the Buckeyes; there will be a wide range of good eats to fuel the celebration, from football brownies to buckeye chocolates and other festive finger foods, and to truly show our Penn State pride, there will also be a PSU photo booth to capture the fun and laughter that is sure to be had; no RSVP is required, so bring your appetite on October 21^st at 2:00 pm.

§  Safe Trick or Treating as children and families are invited to join residents and staff for a fun evening of candy, costumes, and a “spooktacular” good time as residents and staff will be handing out goodies to those dressed in costume; this event is open to the public, and no reservations are required on October 31^st from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our October 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care with you as you Show Your Colors.