Spread Your Joy: September Events

September signifies the end of summer with Labor Day celebrations and the Autumnal Equinox on the 23^rd. In this last month of our “Stay Connected” series we aspire to connect with our friends and embrace the theme of Spread Your Joy.

The Mayo Clinic tells us that friends are good for your health. They can help you celebrate good times, provide support during bad times, prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends increase your sense of belonging and purpose, boost happiness, reduce stress, and improve your self-confidence and self-worth. Friends can also encourage you to increase healthy habits – it’s always better to walk, run, swim or exercise with a friend. And friends don’t always have to be of the human kind either! Several studies have shown that heart attack patients who have pets survive longer than those without.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Garden Party featuring tasty refreshments and energizing music on September 2^nd at 2:00 pm; our Dan Dropkin Guitar Performance featuring our favorite tunes courtesy of a great entertainer on September 12^th at 11:00 am; or our Intergenerational Bible Study for fellowship, faith and praise on September 28^th at 2:30 pm.

Please look through our calendar and join us for any events that can help you stay connected, cultivate friendships and Spread Your Joy!

Taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to a Whole New Level!!

On August 29th, Juniper Village at Brookline took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to a whole new level with a REALLY big bucket!  Note, that we challenged the home office team. They will have to think of something good for when they are all together!  But, I am not sure there's any way to top this. 

Mount Nittany Medical Center’s 24th Annual Golf Classic

Associates from Juniper Village at Brookline were out in full force at the Mount Nittany Medical Center’s 24^th Annual Golf Classic on Saturday,  August 16, in State College. Juniper Village sponsored the “Closet to the Pin” contest and awarded cash prizes and Juniper goodies to three lucky golfers during the event’s awards dinner. The outing, which raises funds for the area’s premier hospital, brought in over $143,000 this year, which will go towards the construction of the facility’s “Healing Garden”, to be located contiguous to the hospital’s cancer pavilion and accessible via the main lobby of the Medical Center, and provide stress relief for patients, families and physicians and staff, while offering a quiet and beautiful space for the community, as well. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year.

Breathe in Life: August Events

Our Alive in All Seasons’ theme for August is The Environment. Our communities will focus their efforts on maintaining healthy environments through environmentally conscious activities. Our “Green Canopy” program emphasizes designing and operating buildings that meet new standards of environmental sustainability. We are proud to be the first long-term care company with a building in the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

According to research by Go Green, Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour; 25 billion Styrofoam cups and 40 billion soft drink bottles and cans each year. Eighty-four percent of the average American’s household trash can be recycled. If we recycled just 1/10 of our newspapers 25 million trees could be saved. Are we all doing our part?

Join us this month as we learn more about the environment, expand our wide-scale recycling program, learn more about environmental sustainability programs and work with our community Green Teams to promote our “Green Canopy” initiative. We encourage you to accompany us on this environmental journey so that we can all continue to Breathe in Life!

Juniper Communities Purchases Brookline Village, Increases Portfolio Size 25%

Juniper Communities has announced that as of close of business July 9, 2014, it has acquired Brookline Village in State College, PA for a cost of $35,500,000. The Brookline property covers a full spectrum of retirement and senior healthcare living options. The acquisition will increase Juniper’s size and resident capacity by 25%.

Juniper Communities purchased Brookline Village using cash from its balance sheet and debt from a local bank.

“At Juniper, we are committed to a double bottom line, one of strong financial performance coupled with providing superior quality of care and service in our residences,” said Lynne Katzmann, Founder and CEO. “This property and its outstanding reputation for excellence will greatly enhance Juniper’s overall portfolio mix and strength of offerings in the region, making it a very attractive investment.”

The Brookline property consists of five buildings with a total of 274 units: 116 skilled nursing/rehabilitation, 38 memory care, 87 personal care, and 33 independent living. The expansive main campus is comprised of independent living apartments, two personal care communities, and a skilled nursing/rehabilitation and long-term care facility. A short distance from the main campus is a free-standing, purpose-built memory care community.

Juniper Communities is a privately held New Jersey-based company that owns and operates assisted living, personal care, memory care, independent living, and skilled nursing facilities. It is ranked one of the largest providers by most industry sources with 2013 revenues at $62 million, concentrating its operations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, and Colorado.

“The Brookline property has been a labor of love for the Coldren family for two generations. The campus and all of the community’s buildings are in impeccable condition,” Katzmann said in describing the transaction. “Some minor updating may be needed, but more importantly, we look forward to implementing our signature programming across the campus.”

Juniper’s signature programming includes an award-winning dementia care program known as Wellspring Memory Care, a comprehensive electronic health records system, an integrated connections and activities program referred to as Alive in All Seasons, plus others. All are designed to foster the Juniper mission of nurturing the spirit of life in each individual served.

According to Katzmann, Juniper looks forward to partnering with the local providers and businesses in the area to help maintain their high standards for innovation, cost-effectiveness and quality operations. This is the seventh campus of senior living properties Juniper holds in Pennsylvania.

Juniper Village at Brookline, as the campus will be named, has held a reputation for excellence over the last 50 years that Juniper will maintain. Located in the serene valleys of Mt. Nittany in picturesque Central Pennsylvania, Juniper will continue to support the caring and professional staff who are dedicated to ensuring security, care and compassion, peace of mind and comfort for the individuals who call the community, home.

About Juniper Communities, LLC.

Juniper Communities, founded in 1988 operates long-term care communities in NJ, FL, PA and CO. Juniper is dedicated to Nurturing the Spirit of Life in each individual served and believes the keys to healthy aging are an active body, an engaged mind, and a fulfilled spirit. The company’s mission is to serve its stakeholders, residents, families, employee associates, and investors with excellence and strong dedication to the company’s hallmarks of quality, value and innovation. For more information on Juniper call 973.661.8300 or visit www.junipercommunities.com.