Mini THON!

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 $127 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. THON 2016 is taking place from February 19th-21st at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. However, our residents at Wellspring won't be able to make it to the actual event, so we hosted our second-annual Dance MaraTHON (or mini-THON) on site!

This year, members of the PSU THON committee paid a special visit to Wellspring, as did family members and friends. Our residents danced for 30 minutes, hydrated, and then danced for 20 more minutes! Juniper Village at Brookline is also a corporate sponsor of this year's THON activities.

Dinner & Discussion with the PA Centre Orchestra

Karen Blair Brand, board vice president for the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra, recently joined us for an evening of euphonious education, exploring the history of orchestral music and the Centre Orchestra. Accompanied by the trio of James Lyon, Kurt Kroeker and James Nackley, Blair Brand captivated the audience with everything from little known musical facts to the orchestra's upcoming season. During the presentation guests dined on a delightful chicken scaloppini dish prepared by senior living chef, Kris Kishbaugh.

The Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra is the only professional orchestra in Centre County. They perform an average of six concerts per season.

Robert Jackson Earns Juniper Spirit Award!

Resident Services associate, Robert Jackson received the first-ever Juniper Spirit Award at Brookline's Wellspring Memory Care. This bi-annual honor is awarded to associates who consistently go above and beyond in their work duties and facilitate positive team work, exemplifying the true spirit of the Juniper mission. Jackson, a Juniper associate in housekeeping for five years, says that his greatest reward is getting to interact with our residents on a daily basis. "It's what makes me want to come to work every day," he said, adding, "It just makes me happy to be here."

Executive director, Liz Plozner-Chalfa shared that Robert not only talks-the-talk, but also walks-the-walk when it comes to great resident care. "Robert is a true joy to work with and to be around," said Plozner-Chalfa. "He always has a smile on his face and a kind word for our residents, family members, and fellow associates. He is wonderful asset to our team!"

Congratulations, Robert!

January 2016 Events in State College, PA: Welcome New Beginnings

Happy New Year! January is the time when we all welcome new beginnings and set resolutions to make this year better than the last. But how does one keep those resolutions throughout the year ahead? The New York Times offers four suggestions: First, make a concrete plan, something visual to embed it to memory. Second, put something you value on the line – is it your health or your pocketbook – keep that in mind when you are tempted to break your resolution. Third, bundle your temptations. For instance, you want to exercise more, but struggle getting to the gym and you also have a fondness for gossip magazines but feel they are a waste of time. Combine the two – read the magazines only at the gym! And fourth, seek social support. You can achieve more by pursuing goals with the help of a mentor.

Still haven’t made any resolutions? Resolve to join us every month for a wide variety of events and activities. This month we explore our creativity through music with outings to local musical performances, Elvis’ birthday celebrations and concerts by our Joyful Noise Choir. We invite you to Welcome New Beginnings and make regular visits to Juniper Village part of your new year’s goals!

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

§  Dinner and Discussion with PA Centre Orchestra to meet Board Vice President, Karen Blair Brand and members of the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra for an evening of euphonious education as they explore the history of orchestral music and the Centre Orchestra with a dinner performance to accompany a delightful dinner of chicken scaloppini, red-skinned mashed potatoes, and green beans on January 13^th at 6:00 pm. (Reservations required and please inform us of any special dietary restrictions at 814-235-2041.)

§  Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory to view the 2014 documentary film chronicling Dan Cohen’s remarkable journey to bring the healing powers of the Music and Memory program to those suffering with dementia, and learn about the dramatically positive impact that personalized music can have on common dementia-related behaviors, and how Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care was the first to bring this groundbreaking practice to the area, so join us as we introduce the program into our skilled nursing population, and learn how you can help to make a difference on January 19^th at 6:00 pm. (Reservations required at 814-235-2041.)

§  Mini Thon as the 2016 THON committee has announced its theme as “Believe Beyond Boundaries,” and Wellspring is gearing up to throw a dance marathon of our very own with great music, smiles and lots of dancing, we invite the community, colleagues, family and friends to join in on the fun, while members of the THON committee will be in-house to speak about the largest student-run philanthropy in the entire world, before joining in on the dancing as well, then to end over an hour of non-stop moving and grooving, we will relax and refuel with various snacks and refreshments as we enjoy the acapella sounds of an all-male, Penn State singing group known as, “Blue in the Face,” at a great event to raise awareness about an incredible fundraiser for childhood cancer, and get everyone excited for THON Weekend 2016 on January 28^th at 2:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our January 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care with you as we Welcome New Beginnings.

The Giving Season

The elves at Juniper Village at Brookline have been extra busy this month! After we wrapped up our November food drive, which collected more than 400 pounds of food for the State College Area Food Bank, collection for Toys for Tots was in full swing! Earlier this week we were able to send a car full of surprises for some very deserving State College-area children.

Additionally, associates--and the jolliest of all the elves, Santa himself--manned the corner of College Avenue and S. Allen Street on behalf of the Salvation Army. Bells were ringing and a choir was singing (just across the street), as the Red Kettle quickly filled to the brim. Nurturing the spirit of life in our residents and associates is a big part of what we do every day here at Juniper Village, and nurturing that same spirit in our greater community is equally as important. Wishing you all a very happy holiday season, from our family to yours.

Light Up the Night!

Wellspring Memory Care was simply glowing with excitement during our 1st Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony! Residents and loved ones were treated to the sights and sounds of the holiday season as our garden courtyard was transformed into a winter wonderland.

Gourmet hot cocoa and cookies were on the menu, and traditional holiday melodies filled the air, as the evening proved to be a wonderful opportunity to come together to celebrate the little things that make this time of year so very special.

December 2015 Events in State College, PA: Celebrate Little Things

This month is all about celebrations! Not only will we be celebrating holidays such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve, but we will also celebrate the little things that make life worthwhile. Little things such as the reassuring touch of a friend’s hand, a kind word from an acquaintance and a warm smile from a stranger.

In our all too busy lives we sometimes forget to honor the simple things in life that bring us peace and joy. Most experts recommend that we allow 10-20 minutes of relaxation and stress relief each day. Making time for that can even be a stressful experience! During this busy month of baking, shopping, visitors and juggling tasks take time to remember what is really important.

Here are some tips to keep holiday stress in check: Acknowledge your feelings – you are not alone as holiday stress is not uncommon. Be realistic with expectations – you can only do so much, learn to say no. Ask for help when needed – everyone wants to be needed and may feel more included by being able to contribute. Plan ahead to minimize unplanned expenses and tasks. Take a breather – take a walk at night and do some stargazing, listen to soothing music, or get a massage. Above all enjoy all the holidays have to offer by sharing time with others.

Join us during the busy month of December for our annual cookie exchange and holiday celebrations. Take time to Celebrate Little Things with those you love.

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

§  Tree Lighting Ceremony in the tradition of the holiday spirit, as we open up our doors to showcase a winter wonderland in our garden courtyard with homemade hot cocoa and cookies, in a cheerful event to awaken everyone’s spirit, to bring family, friends, staff and the community together to celebrate the little things that make the holiday season such a special time on December 1^st from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

§  Holiday Decorate Your Own Cookies Referral Event as we spread some holiday cheer and adorn these holiday treats while we leave the stress of the season behind and enjoy an evening of professional networking and delicious fun on December 9^th at 6:00 pm.

§  Nittany Knights Holiday Cocktail Concert in the holiday spirit for refreshments and beautiful seasonal tunes by the Nittany Knights Barbershop Chorus at this free concert that will delight young and old on December 14^th at 7:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our December 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care with you as we Celebrate Little Things.