Plozner-Chafa Speaks to ACAP Group

The Centre County chapter of Adult Children of Aging Parents (ACAP) recently invited Liz Plozner-Chalfa, Executive Director at Juniper Village Wellspring Memory Care, to speak to its members on recognizing the early stages of dementia in a loved one.

ACAP is an organization with the mission to support adult-child caregivers who care for their parents and also themselves. Educational programs presented by area experts, information, and related resources are provided to any caregiver, healthcare professional, or other community member who is interested.

"Being able to reach out and help others who are searching for answers about their loved one and dementia is part of what makes my job so meaningful," Plozner-Chalfa said, adding, "It's about caring for our Wellspring residents,of course, but also caring for the greater community."

September 2015 Events in State College, PA: Spread Your Joy

As the air begins to cool and summer wanes, Juniper Village ends our “Stay Connected” series by recognizing Friendship and Joy. What is it that brings you joy? Is it the wet nose of a newborn pup? The smile of your first grandchild? The taste of a triple chocolate ice cream cone? Whatever it is we invite you to share that joy with others at Juniper Village this month.

Much attention has been paid to studies regarding the effects of stress on your health, but what about the effects of joy? The landmark “Nun Study,” as it's often known, revealed that positive emotion is correlated with longevity: 90% of the most cheerful quarter of nuns was alive at the age of eighty-five, whereas only 34% of the least cheerful quarter lived to that age. Similarly, 54% of the most cheerful fourth was alive at age ninety-four, versus 11% of the least cheerful. Of the 678 sisters in the original study about four dozen are still living. So go ahead, grab that triple chocolate cone it might just extend your life!

This month we invite you to “Spread Your Joy” as we honor our friendships in our Red Hat and Villager clubs and our Best Friends events; get our hands dirty at our Friendship Daffodil Project; and celebrate with our Birthday Party and House Warming Initiatives.

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

§  Friendship Lunch and Learn as Evelyn Wald, MS, M, DIV, talks about the importance of social groups and friendships in maintaining positive mental health at any age, so bring a friend or two, on September 9^th at noon. (RSVP to 814-235-2041.)

§  Football with Friends as we gear up for a Penn State football home game, Wellspring opens their doors to friends, family, the community, and all campus locations of Juniper Village at Brookline to tailgate in style with plenty of snacks and refreshments, a wacky photo booth, and a Penn State football documentary playing on September 18^th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

§  Spaghetti Dinner and Bake Sale Fundraiser for Big Brothers/Big Sisters for a sit-down or take-out meal and delicious treats with a program that will teach you how you can make a difference in the life of a very special child through Centre County’s Children and Youth initiative that fosters positive friendships on September 23^rd at 5:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our September 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring with you as we Spread Your Joy.

Juniper Village Wellspring Memory Care at Brookline: Your Partner for Successful Outcomes

We want to be your partner of choice in the new shared savings environment. At Juniper Communities, we have been collecting critical data for nearly 10 years. For example, we closely monitor residents to assure successful returns from either the hospital or rehabilitation setting.

Another contributing factor to acute re-admissions is infections, in particular Urinary Tract Infections (UTI). The senior population can be extremely susceptible to infections and proper care and monitoring is paramount. Our wellness response team is skilled in recognizing symptoms of UTI in order to provide proactive interventions that reduce the need for hospitalization.

Another common cause of both initial hospitalizations and rehospitalizations is medication errors. Changes to medication regime whether after a scheduled physician appointment or emergency hospitalization can leave patients confused about what medications are most current. Our wellness team is responsible for medication reconciliation and management, a process which virtually eliminates medication errors.

Communication is key and Juniper Village, Wellspring Memory Care at Brookline takes communication to the next level through:
• Use of Electronic Health Records (Point Click Care)
• Optimized care transitions protocols
• Full implementation of INTERACT (Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers)
• Use of a highly recognizable and consistent transfer information packet
• Focus on resident and care giver education and engagement
• Individualized care and service

The REEL Deal!

In the spirit of all things environmental this month, Wellspring residents were treated to an afternoon of fun in the sun with the world's most knowledgeable fly-fishing entomologist, Greg Hoover. Widely-acknowledged as such, Hoover teaches entomology at Penn State, and serves as the faculty advisor to the Penn State Fly Fishing Club. He was the recipient of the George Harvey Award for unselfishly promoting the sport of fly fishing through teaching of others, and is the co-author of the book, Great Rivers, Great Hatches. Perhaps his greatest claim to fame around here, however, is the fact that he's Connections Director, Kaitlin Hoover's father.

Hoover spoke to residents about the sport of fly fishing itself, some key influences in the sport, and showed the flies (made of different materials to mimic a real insect) that are used to lure fish in for the big catch. He also talked about set up of the fly fishing rod and reel, and offered a little "Casting 101" for those interested. Thanks for a great day, Greg!

25th Annual MNMC Golf Classic

Juniper associates were out in full force last Saturday for the 25th Annual Mount Nittany Medical Center Golf Classic. The event--one of the hospital's largest fundraisers--brought in nearly $162,000 for its cardiac catheterization lab, which was recently accredited through ACE - Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence.

Each year, Juniper Village at Brookline serves as the "Closet to the Pin" contest sponsor, where golfers compete for cash prizes based on driving distance and accuracy. This year's consolation (4th place) prize was awarded to one of our Senior Living family members. Congratulations to all on a job well done!

Dr. Gong Chen Presentation at Brookline

It was a packed house for Penn State biology professor, Dr. Gong Chen. Chen, a world-renowned brain researcher, recently presented "Reversing Glial Scar Back to Neural Tissue for Brain Repair," about his work to repair brain tissue in those with traumatic brain injury, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and other brain-related illnesses.

Dr. Chen and his research group are studying ways to chemically reprogram damaged tissue. While implementation of such a treatment is five to ten years away, the research to this point has been been very promising for an array applications including Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and ALS.

Read more about Dr. Chen's work with in vivo reprogramming for brain repair here.

August 2015 Events in State College, PA: Breathe in Life

As we continue our summer focus on Staying Connected, we devote our August 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village in Brookline Wellspring to connecting to the Environment. One of our Signature Programs is the Green Canopy Program. This program is designed to support healthier living for our residents and staff through environmentally conscious communities and events. This program directly supports this month’s focus on the environment and our vision to make the world a better place, a place where each of us can live fully throughout all seasons of life.

Margaret Mead reminds us that “We won't have a society if we destroy the environment.” To that end, Juniper Village has created Green Teams in each of our communities to support our environmental initiatives by assisting with our recycling and energy efficiency programs – such as using CFL light bulbs and Energy Star rated appliances, while making suggestions for additional programs to increase quality of life and promote sustainability in our communities. Have you met your Juniper Village Green Team? This month during our August 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring our Green Teams will share their mission with the greater community by heading up initiatives to help others learn how to live a more sustainable life through our Wide-Scale Recycling Programs, our Environmental Stability Program and the Implantation of our Green Teams. Stop in for one of our educational programs, recycling and upcycling events or anything else that strikes your fancy this month with our August 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring as we Breathe in Life!

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

§  The Buzz About Bees Presentation as we learn about these essential creatures with beekeeper Mike Dahlberg as he presents a unique observatory experience, complete with the queen bee herself, then watch as honey is made and taste the sweet treat on August 10^th at 3:30 pm.

§  Green Canopy Upcycling Party to meet Rehabilitation and Skilled Care administrator Kathy Russell as she leads an evening of professional networking fun to help our fellow health care professional relax, unwind, and create upcycled masterpieces from wine bottles and corks as wine, cheese and other gourmet goodies abound on August 19^th at 6:00 pm.

§  Discover Birds of Prey Presentation by Shaver’s Creek Wildlife Center as they bring in various birds of prey to show off from a tiny screech owl to a hefty horned owl that will intrigue and excite all on August 27^th at 2:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our August 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring with you as we Breathe in Life.