2017 Giraffe Awards

On July 12th, Founder and CEO of Juniper Communities, Lynne Katzmann, visited Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living in order to do something that only she can do, award the Golden Giraffe pin to the staff recipients of the annual Giraffe Award. This award is given to employees who have shown excellence throughout the year. Five staff members were honored during the ceremony for showcasing exceptional service to residents and staff on a daily basis.

The first to receive the award was Tom Pollock, the Environmental Services Director at The Pines. Tom has worked at Juniper Village for over six years and is responsible for all maintenance and care needs at The Pines. Next was Barb Hostetler, dining assistant. Barb is recognized for her incredible customer service and intuitive ability to relate to residents by communicating with them through eye contact and a soft approach. Melanie Kitchen, housekeeping employee, was honored for her positive attitude and bringing a smile with her every day. Georgi Knight, cook, was recognized for her incredible strength through personal challenges, as well as challenges of driving through the snow to get to work in the winter months, a task she does not enjoy in the least. The last staff member, but certainly not the least, to receive the 2017 Giraffe award was Jess Swanger, LPN. Jess brings confidence, dependability, and a team approach with her each day. Each of these employees received a giraffe pin that they will wear on the nametag to acknowledge their incredible service to Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living.

Thank you Lynne for your visit to Juniper Village at Brookline and thank you Tom, Barb, Melanie, Georgi, and Jess for providing exceptional service to our campus and community.

Nurturing the Spirit of FUN

Juniper Village at Brookline celebrated its 3rd Anniversary in style with a week dedicated to Staff Appreciation. Each day of the week featured a different theme, complete with props, costumes, and treats. Monday found us celebrating Sport Day. Staff members were encouraged to wear attire showcasing their favorite sport or sports team. Stereotypical tailgate foods such as pizza and wings were provided to residents and staff in order to help reinforce our team spirit.

Tuesday was our opportunity to embrace our inner cowboy/girl for our Western Day and staff came ready for a hoedown. Flannel shirts, western skirts, and sticky mustaches all helped staff and residents to get into character. The leadership team grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch that day.

Wednesday was Juniper Day and a sea of orange anniversary t-shirts filled the community. Staff and residents alike received their shirts several days ahead in preparation for Wednesday. An anniversary giraffe cake made by local baker, Heather Luse, was served in the afternoon along with many selections of Penn State Creamery Ice Cream. Also, Wednesday was the very special Giraffe Award Ceremony in which five staff members were honored for their incredible service throughout the year. Lynne Katzmann, CEO and founder of Juniper Communities, presented these awards.

To continue the giraffe theme, Safari Day was Thursday complete with safari cookies. Several staff took their costumers to the next level by making Safari Jeeps to wear all day. To wrap up the week, Friday was Beach Day complete with the traditional dunk tank. Unfortunately, the very rainy weather did not allow for the volunteers to sit in the tank, but that did not stop the fun of grass skirts and tropical treats. Many smiles, laughs, and hugs were shared in a week where staff felt love and appreciation for all of the work they do each day at Juniper.

When a Family Member Needs You

Recently, a Housekeeping Associate of Juniper Village, Skilled Nursing – Penny Smith - had been diagnosed with breast cancer during a routine appointment. Two tumors have been removed and Penny is being treated with radiation daily for the next six weeks. As you can imagine, this will not only take a toll on Penny emotionally and physically, but financially as well.

Penny has been employed by Juniper Village at Brookline since November of 2006 and has many long term friends among the Juniper family.  Two of those friends, Rene Leigey and Traci Martz, decided to try and raise funds for Penny to help alleviate some of her financial concerns. They planned a pot luck lunch and asked other associates if they might want to donate a dish for the cause. What was to be a simple lunch turned into something much greater. The room was full of enough foods to feed a small army and donations like tie knot blankets, a candy / cookie basket, a movie night basket, a crystal pitcher and glasses, home décor, a matching purse and wallet, and breast cancer pins, were also brought in to be raffled. Everyone wore pink for breast cancer awareness, everyone paid only $5.00 and had a wonderful lunch, and by the days end a total of $1,100.00 had been raised for Penny.

When Penny was given the funds in private she was overcome with emotion, stating “oh my goodness, people do truly care”.  Penny is extremely appreciative and will use these funds to assist where needed with medical bills and with time off to recuperate.

This is an example of how a close knit working team is truly a family and will come together when one of their own is in need. This has not only made Penny feel loved, it has made this family of people feel as though they could truly help.

~ Note the importance of routine breast exams for women. Early detection is key. ~

Annual Family Picnic

Over the years, Independence Day has evolved into more than simply celebrating our Nation's day of independence into a holiday that celebrates the gathering together of family and friends, often in a picnic setting. It was with this sense of family, friendship, and celebration that led Juniper Village at Brookline 26 years ago to plan a family picnic as a way to embrace this most American of holidays.

A celebration is had the weekend before July 4th every year since that first picnic, rain or shine, in the back parking area of The Inn. Without fail, several days before the picnic, a large professional tent is drilled into the pavement, tables and chairs are set to accommodate more than 600 attendees, and the local Lions Club sets up their grill in order to provide all of the residents and guests with their famous roasted chicken.

On the day of the picnic, staff comes dressed in the required attire.anything red, white, and blue. Staff arrives early, ready to put together the finishing touches.  Hanging of flags, decorating the stage for live entertainment, placing tablecloths and festive décor all to get ready for the most anticipated attraction.  The food tent, complete with Penn State Creamery ice cream, freshly baked pies, hamburgers, hot dogs, and other tasty picnic staples is always a fan favorite.

As guests arrive, they are greeted by the upbeat and patriotic tunes of the Deacons of Dixieland. For those in attendance who were in the mood for a good laugh, Chip Mock, a local artist was on hand to provide free caricatures to any and all in attendance.  A new item this year was the availability for families to "Like" Juniper Village at Brookline on Facebook and/or Instagram while being encouraged to share their family pictures with us at #juniperfamilypicnic. Be sure to check out Juniper Village at Brookline on both those sites to view photos and watch a short video of the picnic in action!

Juniper Village and Penn State Health Host Geriatric Interest Network of Centre County!

Recently, Juniper Village at Brookline was pleased to partner with Penn State Health to host a summer kickoff networking event for the Geriatric Interest Network of Centre County. The Geriatric Interest Network provides opportunities for industry professionals to collaborate, advocate, and educate on issues relevant to seniors living in the Centre County region.

Beautiful weather provided a wonderful backdrop for the event, which was held on the tree-lined front lawn of Juniper’s Wellspring Memory Care community. Juniper’s dining team prepared a mouthwatering spread including pulled pork sliders, fresh pineapple salsa and pita crisps, cool veggie cups with hummus, decadent fruit tarts, and more. Acoustic tunes from Caryn Jellen added to the festive atmosphere and fresh flowers, arranged by resident volunteers, adorned the tables.

Making the event a success was the strong turnout from Juniper’s Partners in Caring for this very special event from home care and hospice agencies, to physician groups, to rehabilitation partners, to local associations and government agencies, to leaders from Penn State Health. By coming together, we are able to collaboratively and creatively meet the needs of seniors in our region!

For more information on the Geriatric Interest Network of Centre County, visit: www.centrecountygin.com

July 2017 Events in State College, PA: Stand In Integrity

Each summer Juniper Village begins our quarterly Alive in All Seasons focus on Staying Connected. We promote staying connected to the community, the environment and each other. In July we shed light on staying connected to our community through volunteerism. Do you know that, as a company, we receive more than 10,000 hours of precious volunteer time each year? We have many volunteers, both human and animal, who contribute to our mission of nurturing the spirit of life. Elizabeth Andrew said it best, “volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” This month we honor all of the wonderful volunteers who make time to share a bit of their heart with us. We appreciate those who lead groups in our communities; those who share their unique skills and talents with our residents; those who provide friendly visits to our residents and give a reassuring hug or comforting puppy kiss; and the many, many other special people who enhance our lives.

This month as we focus on volunteerism we invite you to find a way that you can make a difference. Whether helping us at Juniper Village or another organization, volunteering has countless emotional and physical health benefits. Volunteering gives a boost not only to those receiving, but to those giving of their time as well.

Review our full calendar and make time to join us for any and all events.

This month we highlight our Ambassador Program and other volunteer opportunities for residents. In addition to volunteer opportunities, we invite you to join us during July for our summer celebrations and share our thanks as we honor those who Stand In Integrity with us.

Our fabulous July 2017 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living include our:

§  Women’s Resource Center Drive Kick-Off Party as throughout the month of July, Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living will be collecting items with donation boxes will be located at The Inn, The Pines, and The Willows for the local Women’s Resource Center such as paper products, beauty items, towels, household cleaners, and baby items, so join us at the kick-off party to receive the complete list of needed items on July 3rd at 1:30 pm.

§  Miles For Memory as Juniper Village at Brookline is hosting the third annual walk in this collaboration between Juniper Village, Penn State interns, and the community at large that aims to raise funds to support Juniper’s Music and Memory program for residents with dementia, so join us for a morning of exercise, prizes, food, face painting, and fun as we walk to bring the joy of personalized music to our residents on July 15th from 9:30am to 11:30am. (Registration will begin at 9:30 am and the cost is $15 (includes a t-shirt), and the walk will begin at 10:00 am.)

§  An Evening of Volunteerism in Action a very special professional networking event in which we gather to assemble items to support the Ronald McDonald House of Central PA, so if you are on our contact list, be sure to watch for your personal invitation for this fun-filled evening of giving on July 25th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our July 2017 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living with you as you Stand In Integrity.

Right at Your Fingertips

Linked Senior has arrived at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living! This new computer-based programming uses senior friendly touchscreen kiosks to provide 24/7 unlimited access to entertainment, education, spiritual and intellectual content. Linked Senior uses cutting edge technology that is web based and can be enjoyed by residents at all levels of care including independent living, personal care, and memory care.  Some of the content available includes popular games such as Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune as well as educational videos, photo slideshows and a music library of many genres!  "One of my favorite programs is the 'Remember When' feature. This program allows you to pick any year in the past and see photos from world events that year along with fashion, celebrities and vehicles." said Jill McKenrick, Connections Director at Juniper Village. You can find Linked Senior in use by the Connections staff at both the Inn and Pines.  Staff will also be bringing Linked Senior to resident's rooms in the future.  Linked Senior is designed to be user-friendly for older adults and can be used privately in resident rooms for entertainment and recreation.  Many residents have already seen Linked Senior in use as it has slowly been added to our already diverse Connections programming. To learn more about how you can use Linked Senior, Please see a Connections associate or stop by the Connections room at either The Inn or The Pines for a demonstration.