On November 8, 2016 three residents from Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living became the newest Pennsylvania Empowered Expert Residents Program (PEERs) at the community. Janice Johnson, Jacki O'Harra, and Jim Powers completed a five-part empowerment training through the Pennsylvania Department of Aging Long-Term Care Ombudsman Office, to become PEERs. This graduation ceremony showcased these three individuals receiving certifications of completion of the course by local volunteer Ombudsman, Susan Radis. Name badges were also provided to the new PEERs to inform campus and community members of their new roles, as well as an embroidered polo tee. Jacki's daughter attended the graduation to be a support to her mom. She shared that Jacki had attended her graduations over the years, so she wanted to attend her mother's graduation.
"The PEERs are a great asset to our community. They provide a service to our residents that we, the staff, cannot provide. Not only are they great advocates for their fellow residents, but they are the bridge between our community and the Office of Aging," says Jill McKenrick, Director of Connections at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living. These three, along with eight others at Juniper Village at Brookline, serve to self-advocate and empower other residents to maintain the highest quality of life and quality of care. Monthly meetings are held with the PEER group, staff, and local ombudsman to foster open communication and discussion on campus-wide topics.
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