2015 Successful Outcomes

Dancing Irish Lassies

Several members of the Rince na Leon Irish dance group at Penn State stopped by Juniper Village at Brookline recently to showcase some traditional Celtic moves. Residents and friends were treated to two sets of performances, both soft and hard shoe, as well as several informative discussion sessions. Attendees delighted in hearing about each girl's background, as well as the history of the group and of Irish dance itself. 

The cultural extravaganza boasted Irish-themed fare, including Guinness beer bread, Reuben dip with toasted rye, and beer & cheese soup. Irish coffee and a special "McDoogles" punch was also on tap. 

April 2016 Events in State College, PA: Believe in Yourself

Do you know that embracing a healthy lifestyle promotes brain health as well? This month we embark on our quarterly Alive in All Season theme of Healthy Aging: Let Wellbeing Thrive. Throughout April we will focus on brain health and encouraging you to Believe in Yourself. We will learn more about how physical health and exercise, diet and nutrition, cognitive activity, and social engagement can help keep both your body and brain healthy and potentially reduce your risk of cognitive decline. At the 2014 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, results of a two-year clinical trial of older adults at risk for cognitive impairment showed that a combination of physical activity, nutritional guidance, cognitive training, social activities and management of heart health risk factors slowed cognitive decline. It’s never too late to make changes to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

Join us this month as we expand our knowledge of brain health and take steps to boost our brain health through our Healthy Brain series featuring our Daily Brain Builders and Wii Games designed to promote cognitive activity. Continue your research by perusing our Healthy Aging Resource Library, filled with volumes of information to help you and your loved ones age well. And, don’t forget to join us for our Brain Healthy Luncheon where we will nourish mind, body and soul. We look forward to sharing this month of healthful thinking and encouragement to Believe in Yourself – you can do this!

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

§  Penn State Brain Builders an exciting, fun, interactive and educational event to exercise one of the most important parts of our body, the brain, with various brain building games and exercises to work through, tips on staying sharp in all seasons of life, and a brain boosting parfait social to follow, this is an event that is sure to get your noggin joggin’ on April 8^th at 2:00 pm.

§  Caring for People with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Habilitation Training Curriculum one day session by the Greater PA Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association created to prepare attendees, already familiar with Alzheimer’s and dementia care, to train direct staff in a wide array of care settings, and provide trainers with the tools and knowledge to return to staff with a consistent, vetted curriculum taught in various settings for 20 years on April 14th beginning at 8:00 am. (RSVP to 814-235-2005.)

§  German Romantics – Nittany Valley Symphony Post Concert Reception for a grand celebration of German culture, following the Nittany Valley Symphony’s German Romantics concert, as we delight in the tastes of sausage, bacon and sauerkraut filled potato croquettes, mini black forest cakes, and German wine and beer on April 17th at 6:00 pm. (No RSVP required; concert information and tickets at www.nvs.com.)

We look forward to sharing our April 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care with you as you Believe in Yourself.

Lunch & Learn: Colon Health

To wrap up Colon Health Awareness Month, Juniper Village at Brookline recently hosted a Lunch and Learn session in collaboration with community health care partner, Penn State Hershey. Over a light lunch of vegetable kale soup and salad, LPN Erin Keen tackled the very important topic of colon health.

As part of her easy-to-follow presentation, Erin discussed the necessity of a healthful diet and exercise in maintaining optimal wellness. Warning signs of several common colon-related illnesses, including colon cancer were addressed, as well as the steps one should take if experiencing any of the outlined symptoms.

Mesmerizing Movement

During a month when we've been celebrating the performing arts, Wellspring residents recently were treated to a unique dancing experience. Shannon Bishop, professional belly dancer and instructor from Black Cat Belly Dance in State College, performed a spirited show of the traditional Middle Eastern craft. After the solo performance, Shannon gave a dance lesson to residents and family members, who eagerly joined in on the fun!

Connections Director, Kaitlin Hoover, was pleased with the performance, stating, "What a wonderful way to engage our Wellspring community in entertainment and exercise!"

Here comes Peter Cottontail...

With Easter right around the corner, the big guy himself made a recent visit to our friends at Wellspring. The Easter Bunny or "E.B" as we call him, hopped through the front door at 610 W. Whitehall Road, and residents and associates alike were hot on his trail.

E.B. joined us for some holiday goodies, and a few photo opportunities, reminding us that Spring is less than a week away! Be sure and join us for our Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza on Sunday, March 20th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.  Call 814-234-3141 to RSVP or for more information. We hope to see you there!

March 2016 Events in State College, PA: Your Treasure is Within

As we bring down the curtain on our Creative Expressions series we focus this month on Drama. Juliette Binoche said, “I think acting is about forgetting yourself in order to give the best of yourself. It's passing through you more than you're creating it. You're not the flower, but the vase which holds the flower.”

Through dramatic performance we are able to forget about ourselves while becoming someone else, if only for a moment. We can be transported to another time, another place and another way of thinking. With all of our inhibitions set aside we focus this month on breaking out of our shells to share a bit of ourselves with wild abandon through our weekly drama clubs which will culminate in a fantastic performance or reading of dramatic prose. We invite you to join us in this enlightening journey of self-discovery through the magic of theater this month. We will also be attending theatrical performances around town, where we can let our inner critic loose. One last opportunity to become someone else is offered during our Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations, where everyone can be Irish for the day. Join us as we feast on traditional Irish foods such as corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, shepherd’s pie and more! Lastly, March would not be complete without honoring the dramatic achievements of others with our own Oscar Party. This month we invite you to let your inner star shine at Juniper Village.

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

§  Belly Dance Performance with one of our favorite local artists who will share her passion and pride with us on March 22^nd at 2:00 pm.

§  Penn State Hershey Lunch and Learn Colon Health with Erin Keen, RN, as she tackles the very important topics of colon health and colon cancer awareness, 

while we provide a light lunch on March 24th at 6:30 pm.

§  Irish Dance Showcase for an Irish extravaganza as we feature the PSU Rince na Leon dancer and local bagpiper, Tracey Moriarty with Irish-themed snacks, including Guinness beer bread, Reuben dip, and traditional Irish themed beverages will be on tap on March 30th at 6:00 pm. 

We look forward to sharing our March 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care with you as Your Treasure is Within.