When a Box is Not Just a Box

Residents at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living spent an afternoon filling colorful boxes for a locally founded organization. The Jared Box Project was established by a local elementary school to remember and honor a former classmate named Jared, who passed away in the year 2000. At the age of five, Jared was diagnosed with an incurable brainstem tumor, during his many trips to doctors' appointments he took toys and games along to occupy his time, oftentimes sharing these treasures with other children in the waiting areas. His classmates created the Jared Box Project to provide boxes full of toys and games to sick children as a way of spreading good cheer and well wishes. Since the project began in 2001, over 200,000 boxes have been given away.

The residents at Juniper Village at Brookline completed 12 boxes, filled with an assortment of items including coloring books, stickers, play-doh, silly putty, and friendship bracelets. All boxes made were for the 4 to 8-year-old age group of boys and girls. A representative from The Jared Box Project picked up the donations and will distribute the boxes to local children in need. "It's important for our residents to stay connected to the community by offering their time to helping others. Our residents helped make a difference in children's lives without even leaving the building." say Jill McKenrick, Connections Director. Connections programs like this are one way in which residents continue to support the local community.

For more information on the Jared Box Project and how you can create your own, please visit www.thejaredbox.com.

Poems from Life

Our partners from the PA Center for the Book shared this message with me from their director. If other Juniper communities are considering doing a similar project, I think a strong community partner is key:

Congratulations, that was a remarkable program!  It brought together so many of the tangents of the PA Center for the Book--how could we not have co-sponsored it?  I was moved at each poem which perfectly married literature with story,  and in this case, the story of some very interesting older people.

And that is the brilliant part of the project, as these poets turned their ordinary lives into extraordinary words--all of these ordinary people lived extraordinary lives.  We all do live unique lives and your poetry shared those ultimately transcendent experiences beyond the walls of their rooms or houses or memories.

I was quite moved, as was the entire audience.

April 2017 Events in State College, PA: Believe in Yourself

Each April we begin our Healthy Aging Series with a focus on brain health, and encourage you to Believe in Yourself. We know that believing in yourself has a positive effect on your mental health, but did you know that self-confidence influences your physical health as well? Recent studies show people who exhibit self-confidence are generally healthier and tend to live longer. That's because confidence is a positive emotion and positive emotions have countless health benefits for your mind, body and spirit. In nurturing wellbeing by encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit, Juniper is also building self-confidence. The link between health and confidence also may be related to the ability of positive emotions to boost our brain's power to hold attention, be aware and remember things. We are better able to learn, build new skills and relate with others when we are feeling optimistic. Also confident people are better able to handle chaotic situations in a positive manner. This helps to reduce or avoid excessive stress, high blood pressure, anger, confusion – all the negative side effects of feeling powerless, overwhelmed and out of control.

If you need to kick start your confidence, here are a few things to try: smile; count your blessings; surround yourself with confident people; learn how others have found their confidence and follow their lead; challenge negative or inaccurate thinking and replace with accurate, constructive thoughts; and encourage yourself. You can also plan to join us this month for uplifting discussions and a focus on brain health with offerings such as Daily Brain Builders, Wii games, and a Brain Healthy Luncheon.

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

§  “Poems From Life” An Evening of Original Poetry Inspired by Real-Life Events because each of us has our own unique story to tell, so in collaboration with local poets, we will bring to life the amazing, inspiring, thought-provoking, and heartwarming stories of some of the incredible individuals who live in our Juniper Village at Brookline community, then please stay for refreshments and an opportunity to meet the faces behind the stories as Juniper Village is proud to partner with the PA Center for the Book and Penn State Libraries for this very special event on April 11th at 6:30 pm. (No Reservations Required.)

§  Healthy Aging Lecture Series Healthy Bones for Life as Juniper Village is proud to partner with the Penn State Center for Healthy Aging to present Mary Jane De Souza, professor in the department of kinesiology because there’s plenty of science detailing what we can do to make sure our bones stay healthy and strong, so learn about threats to bone health and how to build your lifestyle for long-term benefits on April 20th from 9:30 am to 11:00 am. (Reservations are required. Call 814-865-4776 or email psuhealthyaging@gmail.com.)

§  Cooking with Kris Brain-Boosting Smoothie Demonstration, Dining Services Director, for an afternoon snack with friends to create your own brain-healthy smoothie with selections of power foods including blueberries, coconut oil, beets, and other tasty treats on April 26^th at 3:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our April 2017 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Senior Living with you as you Believe in Yourself.

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/