Connect 4 Life - Integrated Care in Seniors Housing

In March the Directors of Wellness met to discuss the Importance of Integrated Care, which is the main stay of Juniper Communities' Connect4Life.  Statistics show when a Community provides three key components; onsite delivery of primary care, a "high-tech" foundation of shared data and a "high-touch" coordinator that facilitates a seamless provision of services, the customer truly benefits.  Juniper Communities study compared the population of customers residing in managed care communities and similar frail Medicare recipients.  The key results show hospitalizations were reduced by 50%, re-hospitalizations were reduced by over 80%.  Further study needs to be done, but these results suggest these positive outcomes are a result of a foundation of excellence and consistent quality of integrated care.

Pictured on top from left to right are some of our fabulous Directors of Community Relation: Kathryn Bainbridge, Brookline Senior Living; Katie Kensinger, Brookline Wellspring Memory Care; Brenda Dahlberg, Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care; Christine Heibel, Lebanon; and Bonnie Prisk, Forest Hills. Pictured on bottom from left to right are some of our wonderful Directors of Wellness: Susan Deitzler, Lebanon; Missy Ebner, Home Office; Katie Castro, Brookline Senior Living; Veronica Graham, Mount Joy; Muriel Myers, Forest Hills; and Dana Theis, Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care.

Read more in the FREE White Paper!

Out of Every Bad Turn is a Good One

Mary Ann Finch Vandivier, better known as Finch, is a resident at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living. Finch shared the title of this blog as how she looks back upon having been fired from her job as one of the defining moments of her life. Finch started her college career late in life, receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree in German and her Masters of Art Degree in West European Studies from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana in 1987 at the age of 45. Excited to use these two degrees, Finch began her career by taking a job, only to be fired almost immediately. Not quite knowing where to go or what to do next, Finch purchased what was to be her first computer and ultimately found her new career path through the newly popular internet. Always having had an interest in writing, Finch began writing resumes for people, immediately finding her niche and ultimately turning this newfound joy into an internet based career and business for the past 20 years. Even now, Google recognizes Finch Vandivier Coaching & Writing Services as a business in Carmel, Indiana. Finch provides writing services to an array of clients and businesses, from Anheuser-Busch to broom sweepers.

Just as Finch was hitting her stride professionally a horrific murder took place in a community near her that immediately caught her attention and would not let go, she could not escape the image of this tragedy. Finch took it upon herself to go to the trial and gather as much information about the events of this crime as she possibly could. Admitting that even in the peak of her career and success, she could never quite escape thoughts of the murder, being so engrossed that she would awaken in the middle of the night to write down her thoughts, in the hopes of finding some reprieve from the burden that she seemed to be carrying with her.

Having experienced a stroke in 2010 Finch travelled to Denver seeking advice and comfort from her son, while there she was also diagnosed with stage-three throat cancer and immediately began cancer treatments. During these times of illness, coupled with the requisite chemotherapy and radiation, Finch stopped writing.  She found it just too difficult to maintain due to the challenges and side effects from the stroke and therapy treatments. Over time Finch began feeling better and her family encouraged her to look at senior living options. Finches daughter encouraged her to look at Juniper Village as a way of being closer to her children and her grandchildren. Finch admits that she did not want to get out of the car for the tour and shared that if she had not been permitted to bring her cat and her sewing machine along she likely would not have made the decision to join our community here at Juniper Village.

Finch feels that Juniper Village has given her a "huge block of wonderful time." Not having to worry about meal preparation, cleaning, or even making her bed, Finch can "just live" throughout the day. Time has allowed her to pick up where she left off regarding her passion of writing which has resulted in the publishing of her first book, The Fathers, which is based upon true life events of her past. Finch created both a paper back and on-line offering which is available through both the Amazon store and Kindle.  Despite having just received her first royalty check a few weeks ago Finch shared that writing her book is not about the money, but rather the pleasure she receives from knowing that others are reading her book.

Now that she has more "wonderful time" on her hands, Finch has decided to start taking piano lessons with the goal of learning to play songs from the recent Hollywood production of La La Land. Juniper Village is truly blessed to have amazing residents, like Finch, in the community.

Who's Who at Juniper Village: Medical Concierge

Cierra McCaulley joined the Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living team this winter as a key member to the Wellness Team; the Medical Concierge. Cierra is a native to Centre County, having grown up near Bellwood, PA and now residing with her fiancé in Bellefonte. As a young girl Cierra dreamed of becoming a State Police Officer, having wished to follow in the footsteps of many of her family members. As with many dreams, they change over time and now Cierra is pursuing a nursing career and will begin the educational journey of becoming an LPN (licensed practicing nurse) and EMT (emergency medical technician) later this year. When not at work, Cierra is busy putting the finishing touches on her wedding plans, but is quickly running out of time as her June wedding is right around the corner. Cierra is an active member of Beagle 911, our local beagle rescue. Cierra enjoys visiting her horses on her parents property in Tyrone and playing with her nephews.


Cierra's role at Juniper Village is invaluable, in the ever evolving and often overwhelming health care world she serves as the point person to assist residents and families with managing appointments, deciphering recent physician visits, and coordinating care. The Medical Concierge is part of Juniper Communities Connect 4 Life program which brings High-Tech/High-Touch healthcare to life in a senior living setting. Residents have access to Redwood Health Partners, Theralink therapy programs, and coordinated pharmacy services as part of the co-located services with integrated systems on the Juniper Village at Brookline campus. The convenience this provides for residents of Juniper Village and the increased availability and access to care are just a few of the numerous benefits of the Connect 4 Life program. For more information on Connect 4 Life, please contact Cierra at 814-574-5041 or visit her at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Theatre Company Provides Juniper with Glimpse into Camelot

Juniper residents, community members, and local industry professionals were transported to the land of CAMELOT at a recent dinner and discussion hosted by Juniper Village at Brookline. Led by Richard Biever, artistic director of the award-winning FUSE Productions, the evening offered an insider’s perspective on bringing to life Lerner and Loewe’s classic musical, CAMELOT. Biever shared the history of the musical, which originally starred Julie Andrews as Guenevere and Richard Burton as King Arthur on Broadway in 1963. The original production ran for 873 performances on Broadway and won four Tony Awards. As Biever prepares to mount CAMELOT at Penn State’s Schwab Auditorium this June, he described his creative vision for the FUSE production, showing examples of paintings, furniture, and royal garb that serve as inspiration for set design, lighting, and overall tone of the piece. As an added bonus, guests were treated to live musical performances. Professional actor and Penn State theatre professor, Steve Snyder, sang King Arthur’s “I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight” as well as the well-known title song, “Camelot”. The stunning local actress and Singing Onstage teacher, Madeline Biever, performed Guenevere’s hauntingly beautiful “Before I Gaze at You Again”. The evening also featured a delicious meal by Juniper chef, Kris Kishbaugh, and ended with a Q&A session and lively conversation.

For more information about Juniper Village at Brookline’s Senior Living options, visit: http://www.junipercommunities.com/SL_Brookline_home.php

For more information about FUSE’s CAMELOT, visit: http://fuseproductions.org/camelot/

Connect4Life Leads to Better Outcomes for Residents

Integrated Care in Seniors Housing that Meets the Triple Aim from Cindy Longfellow

Data shows Connect4Life’s high-tech/high-touch integrated services lead to higher quality care and better outcomes for residents

Executive Summary: Integrated Care in Seniors Housing that Meets
the Triple Aim

By Anne Tumlinson, MMHS and Lynne Katzmann, PhD

According to the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, more than 190 million Americans, or about 59 percent of the population, are affected by one or more chronic illnesses. Over the next 15 years (between 2016 and 2030,) 80 percent of the United States population will experience one or more chronic conditions, costing more than $42 trillion in medical care spending and losses in employment productivity.

To address these challenges and enhance the resident experience, Juniper Communities, a Bloomfield, NJ-based national owner-operator of seniors housing, developed the Connect4Life model, which provides on-site comprehensive therapy, primary care, pharmacy and lab services, integrated with other services using a “high-tech/high-touch” communications protocol that transfers information through an Electronic Health Record (EHR) and coordinates care through a human navigator.

Juniper Communities retained Anne Tumlinson Innovations (ATI) to compare Connect4Life outcomes and utilization data with data on the broader Medicare population from the 2012 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). The findings suggest that the Connect4Life model contributes to lower hospital readmissions and the utilization of inpatient services among a high-need resident population. The results affirm the potential of integrating select clinical care and services in a seniors housing environment that provides supportive services to those who have chronic conditions, functional limitations, and complex social needs.

The results suggest an integrated program of services in seniors housing—like Juniper’s Connect4Life —can contribute to reducing the cost of care and services to Medicare beneficiaries residing in seniors housing. More importantly, the data points to the value of the Connect4Life model for managing population health because of its ability to efficiently target integrated care interventions in the high cost, high-need Medicare population.

Juniper Communities has been a thought leader in senior living care, developing nearly a dozen innovative service and delivery programs to enhance aging, lifestyle and resident health. Recognizing opportunities in to meet the triple aim of recent health policy changes in the United States – improved customer satisfaction, evidence-base quality and lower healthcare utilization, Juniper is pioneering Connect 4 Life – one of senior living’s first truly integrated care models of assisted living care and service.

Read more in the FREE White Paper!

When Irish Eyes are Smiling

St. Patrick's Day is a day to wear green, eat traditional foods, and celebrate the Irish culture. Juniper Village expanded this holiday over a two-day affair, to provide a vast array of opportunities for staff and residents to enjoy the festivities.

On the eve of St. Patrick's Day, Juniper Village Senior Living hosted a quartet from the Penn State Rince na Leon Irish dance club. This group of young ladies demonstrated several traditional Irish dances while dressed in custom made Irish dance skirts in true Penn State blue & white colors. Attendees enjoyed a delicious Reuben dip, chocolate chip mint cookies, and a green cocktail coined the 'Lucky Leprechaun.' The following day the halls were filled with green as staff and residents alike wore green and gold necklaces, shamrock headbands, and green clothes from head to toe. The community came together in the afternoon for a cupcake treat as well as mint milkshakes. These gatherings were perfect opportunities for 'Best Friends' to come together for a fun Connections offering. The Best Friends program is an opportunity for a single staff member to be connected to a new resident at the time of her/his move-in and grow and foster that relationship indefinitely. The Best Friends program is one way in which Juniper Communities builds relationships between residents and staff beyond the traditional resident/staff interactions.  Whether it is through structured programs or casual interactions throughout the campus, residents and staff share laughter, love, and luck with each other each and every day!

A Mardi Gras Celebration

Mardi-Gras, which dates to the 1600's, is a day of celebration traditionally recognized as a celebration prior to the ritual of fasting for the Lenten season. In more recent history, Mardi-Gras has become a day to wear colorful beads and masks while enjoying delectable delights.

It was in this spirit that Juniper Village at Brookline created our own festive event to celebrate this age-old holiday. Guests were provided with beads and masks for the event as well as photo opportunities with our campus mascot Miles the Giraffe. Staff and residents alike were treated to celebration themed food demonstrations provided by our very own culinary team.  Some of the sumptuous features included traditional New Orleans consisting of shrimp and grits, bananas foster crepes, and Jambalaya.

Kris, Dining Director from Senior Living, cooked shrimp to order, while Serena from Rehabilitation and Skilled Care served fresh crepes straight from the skillet. Not to be outdone, Penney from the Wellspring community, made cocktail gummies for guests to enjoy. Beyond these tasty treats, guests were served the traditional King Cake along with a New Orleans themed cocktail creatively and affectionately referred to as "Hurricanes" which were served in festive glassware. As a culmination of this wonderfully themed event, guests enjoyed live entertainment of both guitar and piano tunes, which provided the perfect ambiance for several attendees to begin dancing the night away.
               
An evening of fellowship, laughs, and love, is yet another example of how Juniper Village at Brookline nurtures the spirit of life for our residents, staff, and guests.

March 2017 Events in State College, PA: Your Treasure is Within

Theatrical readings, colorful costumed dancers and spectacular vocal performances bring to a close our creative expression quarterly theme with a focus on performance and honoring our inner treasure – our self-worth. With so many demands on our time these days, it’s easy to always put others first and forget to care of ourselves. Also as we get older, retire from work and in some cases caretaking, we may forget our sense of value – our self-worth. A large part of nurturing the spirit of life is providing opportunities for purpose.

This month we will put an even greater focus on identifying our continued purpose and self-worth by performing purposeful activities, reminiscing and creating opportunities to treasure ourselves. Motivational speaker Anne Naylor offers these tips to help you treasure yourself: Treasure your thoughts with kindness – nurture your thoughts of gratitude and appreciation. Treasure your feelings and emotions – observe and use them as your guide. Treasure your body – treat it well with exercise, nourishment, rest, joy and laughter. Treasure your spirit – breathe, meditate and enjoy the goodness in your life. We hope you all enjoy the treasure of your wonderful self.

Please join us as we dramatically embrace performance throughout March with our weekly drama club, outings to live theatrical performances and our Oscar-themed party. Celebrate the Irish culture in grand style with our Saint Patrick’s Day event filled with food, fun and, of course, dancing! Honor yourself and recognize Your Treasure is Within this month at Juniper Village!

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

§  Irish Dance Showcase to dress in green and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with an Irish extravaganza as we feature the PSU Rince na Leon Dancers, a group that is sure to get your hands clapping and toes tapping, and we will have Irish-themed snacks, including Guinness beer bread, Reuben dip, and traditional Irish-themed beverages will be served on March 16^th at 6:00 pm. (No reservations required.)

§  Dinner and Discussion “From Script to Stage Bringing Musical Theater to Life” as we join Richard Biever, founder and artistic director of the award-winning FUSE Productions, as he shares what it takes to bring a theatrical production to life; from auditions, to the creative process, to opening night, Richard will take you behind the curtain for the upcoming production of Camelot on March 22^nd at 5:30 pm. (Reservations required for this special program and delicious dinner at 814-235-2041.)

§  Nittany Valley Symphony “Golden Jubilee” Reception as for 50 years, the Nittany Valley Symphony has been inspiring and delighting Centre County residents with the joy of classical music, so join us for a very special reception following their Golden Jubilee Anniversary Concert on March 26^th at 6:15 pm. (Reception reservations required at 814-235-2041. For concert details visit www.nvs.org.)

We look forward to sharing our March 2017 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living with you as Your Treasure is Within.