Juniper Communities Appoints New Regional Director of Wellness and Wellbeing

Juniper Communities announces that Melissa “Missy” Ebner has joined Juniper as Regional Director of Wellness and Wellbeing. Missy brings a wealth of experience in nursing care, especially with seniors to her position. From a clinical perspective, her role will be to oversee the entire portfolio of clinical care and support for the residents, provide clinical oversight, and staff training. She is a licensed Registered Nurse (RN) in every state where Juniper currently has communities.

“We are very excited to have Missy join the Juniper family,” expressed Lynne Katzmann, CEO of Juniper Communities. “She comes to Juniper with a wonderful background and deep experience in the clinical complainants of senior living. She will be a great resource for our community wellness teams and to the home office team in this changing healthcare environment.”

Missy’s interest in working with senior living communities is that they offer residents more freedom than skilled nursing settings. “The seniors can be taken care of in a homelike environment and you can become a friend, not seen as a nurse or caregiver,” she explained. “Juniper’s staff is wonderful at treating the residents as a parent or grandparent, this doesn’t always happen in institutional settings.”

Juniper Communities owns and operates Personal Care, Assisted Living, Memory-Care, Skilled Nursing and Independent Living communities in NJ, FL, CO and PA.

“Nobody is as forward thinking as Juniper. They are far ahead of the curve in the industry and where healthcare is going. The staff I’ve observed go above and beyond, always doing more even though no one is looking,” Missy described of her building level observations.

Missy Ebner has worked in the healthcare industry since 1987. She received her LPN from the James Martin School of Nursing in 1987 and her RN from Excelsior College in 2005. She is a resident of Willow Grove, PA and born and raised in Pennsylvania. She has been married to Henry Ebner for 26 years and has three children, Corey, Shane and Cassidy.  Something her family and friends know about her is that she loves to shop the Outlets, and loves a good bargain!

Celebrate Little Things: December Events

This month is all about celebrations! Not only will we be celebrating holidays such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve, but we will also celebrate the little things that make life worthwhile. Little things such as the reassuring touch of a friend’s hand, a kind word from an acquaintance and a warm smile from a stranger.

In our all too busy lives we sometimes forget to honor the simple things in life that bring us peace and joy. Most experts recommend that we allow 10-20 minutes of relaxation and stress relief each day. Making time for that can even be a stressful experience! During this busy month of baking, shopping, visitors and juggling tasks take time to remember what is really important.

Here are some tips to keep holiday stress in check: Acknowledge your feelings - you are not alone as holiday stress is not uncommon. Be realistic with expectations - you can only do so much, learn to say no. Ask for help when needed - everyone wants to be needed and may feel more included by being able to contribute. Plan ahead to minimize unplanned expenses and tasks. Take a breather - take a walk at night and do some stargazing, listen to soothing music, or get a massage. Above all enjoy all the holidays have to offer by sharing time with others.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Ugly Holiday Sweater Day because we love our staff, and they love not having to wear their uniforms, so what better way to let them do that by having an ugly holiday sweater day, every single Thursday throughout the month and feel free to join in the fun, since small awards will be given out every single Thursday to the ugliest sweater of the day; our Winter Festivus Holiday Open House where we celebrate the best winter traditions around while you stroll around our community caroling, enjoy our goodies galore, and be on the lookout as there’s even a chance that Santa will be there, or perhaps the infamous Grinch on December 11^th at 3:30 pm; or our Sugar Plum Fairy Ball where we will certainly have fairies who dance around, but on the ground, not in your head, so come dressed in your Holiday best as we celebrate Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite on December 19^th from 5:15 pm to 6:30 pm!

Look through our calendar and join us during the busy month of December for our annual cookie exchange and holiday celebrations. Take time to Celebrate Little Things with those you love!

Cherish the Journey: November Events

Life is a journey filled with lessons, celebrations and special moments that ultimately lead us to our destination, our purpose in life. The road will not always be smooth and we may encounter many challenges. Some of these will test our courage, strengths, weaknesses, and faith. Along the way, we may stumble upon obstacles that must be overcome. But, sometimes these obstacles are really blessings in disguise, although we may not realize it at the time. How we react to the situations we face will determine what the rest of our journey will be like.

This month Juniper Communities will honor our Families and cherish the journey we have taken together. November is all about celebrating the bonds we share and recognizing where we’ve been and where we’re going. We will do this through autobiographical journaling, reminiscing about family celebrations and breaking bread together in Thanksgiving. In order to support our families along this journey we will continue to develop our support groups and provide additional resources when needed. We will give back through our Annual Food Drive. From November 1 through November 30 all non-perishable food items collected will be donated to a local food bank.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Annual Food Drive where you can drop off non-perishable food items for Sister Carmen Community Center in Lafayette anytime all month long; our You’re The Peanut Butter to My Jelly Day as we honor our staff members by breaking out PB&J sandwiches, buckeyes, peanut butter ice cream sandwiches, peanut butter silk pie, and whatever other appropriately themed treats we can think up on November 5^th all day; our Grandma’s Homemade Bread Day showcasing all sorts of starchy goodies including breakfast sandwiches, scones, muffins, even pie (the crust is kind of like bread) with fantastic giveaways on November 7^th from 9:00 am to 10:30 am; our Alzheimer’s Association Class about dementia care with Amelia from the Alzheimer’s Association on November 19^th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm (please RSVP to 303-665-3722); our Thanksgiving Day Feast for our friends, families, and local community with turkey dinner and all the fixings complete with a sampling of desserts from our own families on November 22^nd from 12:00 pm until 1:30 pm.

Look through our calendar and plan to join us for family celebrations, Thanksgiving dinners and many events and activities allowing us all to reflect and Cherish the Journey!

2014 COHCA Administrator of the Year Joins Juniper Village at Louisville

Carmy Jerome has taken the helm of Juniper Village at Louisville as Executive Director. She becomes part of a fabulous assisted living team that provides person-centered care for memory impaired residents in the Louisville area.

“We are thrilled to have Carmy join the Juniper family.  Carmy is a strong demonstrated leader with a deep and unabiding passion for memory care.  Her efforts, which have received national recognition, will dovetail well with Juniper’s programs and new initiatives,” stated Lynne Katzmann, CEO and Founder of Juniper Communities.

Jerome was named the Colorado Healthcare Association 2014 COHCA Spotlight on Excellence Assisted Living Administrator of the Year. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Center for Assisted Living; and has been an active participant on the Quality Committee editing the “Guiding Principles of Assisted Living Care” and “Guiding Principles of Dementia Care.”

“I am excited to be part of a company that is at the leading edge of dementia care. From the building design to the extensive list of programs specifically prepared for people living with dementia, it is clear Juniper Communities has the resident top of mind,” expressed Jerome on her appointment. “I also appreciate that Juniper values educating the staff members, giving them the proper tools to successfully accomplish their respective duties and goals. It’s wonderful to know that at Juniper we “walk the talk” indeed.”

As an advocate of decreasing the off label use of psychotropic medications, she has presented at state and national conventions on a range of topics including Dementia Care, Staff Stability, and Reducing Psychotropic Medications through Person-Centered Care.

Carmy Jerome has worked in assisted living memory care communities for the past five years. Prior to that she was in the restaurant business; however she had much exposure to the industry through her mother who was a nursing home administrator. As a young child she volunteered at her mother’s facility and also worked as an aide during her teenage years.

Show Your Colors: October Events

October brings forth vibrant color in our foliage as well as our sports teams. Our high school football teams will be in full swing and hockey season will prepare to fill the stands with team colors and spirit. Juniper Communities will also be honoring our colors with many sports-themed activities and events. We will be enjoying the changing colors of the season as we transition from summer to fall and the crazy costumes of our annual Halloween celebrations.

While showing our colors we not only focus on our team colors, but also showing our true colors. We recognize that working together as a team, results in better coordination of care, better quality of care and as a result better lives for our residents. This is evidenced by our excellent clinical outcomes data. We are happy to see the results of collaboration resulting in decreased re-hospitalizations and better quality of life for our residents.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our 4^th Annual Chili Cook-Off Competition in Louisville with our annual chili giveaway of a fantastic basket filled with goodies, along with famous people per request of the fire department who will be on hand to judge which chili is the best on October 24^th from noon to 1:30 pm; or our Halloween Monster Bash where Monarch Elementary school ghosts, goblins, and ghouls will be trick-or-treating down our halls and we will be celebrating in our costumes on October 31^st starting at 10:30 am!

Please look through our calendar to celebrate the spirit of autumn with us and Show Your Colors!

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 Alzheimer’s Association Class for those who have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia or those who simply want to learn more about the devastating consequences of this disease on September 9^th at 1:00 pm; our Walk to End Alzheimer’s team participation (we’ll be the ones with the Juniper green shirts) on September 20^th at 9:00 am; or our Roald Dahl Fancy Fictional Friends celebration featuring whimsical costumes and creative refreshments on September 25^th at 1:30 pm.

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

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!

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our 14^th Anniversary Party as we celebrate 14 years of changing the face of aging by having a fiesta where you can kick back, have a margarita then enjoy a quality Mexican feast, and wear your sombrero or poncho as we listen to Mariachi music while watching the sun set on August 14^th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm; or our Time to Get Batty event where we will dress up and get batty to learn about the many ways that bats are helpful for the environment then have a workshop to build bat houses in our makeshift bat cave on August 25^th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Take a look at our calendar and join us for any and all activities that will help you make the most of these last few weeks of summer.

Jennifer Harris of Juniper Village at Aurora Promoted to Regional Director of Operations

Juniper Communities, one of the largest owner-operators of assisting living properties with revenues at $62 million, has named Jennifer Harris Director of Operations for the Colorado region.  Previously she was the Executive Director of Juniper Village at Aurora, recruited there in May, 2008 as the Wellness Director. She was promoted after one year to Executive Director.

In her new position, Harris will oversee the operations of three of Juniper’s Denver metro properties – Aurora, Louisville, and The Spearly Center – and expects to take on more as Juniper continues its expansion in this marketplace.

Lynne Katzmann, Founder and CEO of Juniper spoke about Harris’s abilities, “Jennifer has been a strong leader at Juniper for many years.  She proved her abilities not only in two different positions at Aurora but also in special project work throughout our portfolio.  At Juniper, our mission and culture drive our success so promoting from within makes a lot of sense as our new leaders not only have proven skills but also understand and believe in our mission!”

In her role as Executive Director of Juniper Village at Aurora, Harris led the Aurora team to be recognized by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America with its ‘Excellence in Care, Dementia Care Program of Distinction’ designation in 2009-11, 2011-13 and 2014-16; also, the Alzheimer’s Association’s Leader in Dementia Care for 2012 and 2013. Under her leadership, Juniper Village at Aurora was the first community to fully implement an electronic heath record system and received numerous corporate awards for customer satisfaction.

“It has been my great pleasure to work with Jennifer in multiple roles and projects over the years.  She brings an incredible level of operational strength and wisdom to her work with our Colorado communities.  I have no doubt that she will continue to foster our Juniper mission and community success in her new role as regional director,” said Cindy Longfellow, National Director of Sales and Marketing.

Jennifer Harris started her career in healthcare 21 years ago as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She went on to nursing school and has been a licensed nurse for 16 years.

“I have loved working with elders and especially with the Dementia population. My journey in healthcare has been so much more rewarding than I ever thought it would be,” Jennifer said.

Stand in Integrity: July Events

July is the month in which we celebrate our nation’s independence with fireworks, cook outs and by cherishing our own personal freedoms. Nelson Mandela reminds us “to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” In that spirit join us as we honor those who “Stand in Integrity.”

Dr. Barbara Killinger, PhD, offers this definition of integrity: “Integrity is a personal choice, an uncompromising and predictably consistent commitment to honor moral, ethical, spiritual and artistic values and principles.” To “Stand in Integrity” does not mean that you are flawless or perfect, it means that you admit your shortcomings; you have influence, not because people like you, but because people trust you, believe you, and follow you.

We will also celebrate this month’s Alive in All Seasons theme of Volunteerism by volunteering our time to others, honoring those who volunteer with us, including our Resident Ambassadors; and learning more about volunteer opportunities in the greater community.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Superhero Slurpee Salute where we will be celebrating our local volunteers (aka superheroes) in style with a barbeque extravaganza and business card drawing for a gift certificate to Sonic and a superhero T-shirt on July 11^th from noon to 1:30 pm; our Fly Me to the Moon Event featuring lunar-themed games and a moon-landing photo shoot on July 24^th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm; or our Alzheimer’s Association Class about dementia care with light refreshments on July 31^st from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm (RSVP to 303-665-3722 by July 24). Take a look at our calendar and join us for any and all activities that will help you make the most of these last few weeks of summer. 

Live in Wellness: June Events

The month of June is named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. It is no wonder that so many weddings occur during the month of June. As is such, Juniper Communities will be reminiscing about and celebrating weddings throughout the month. June is also the month with the longest daytime hours of the year in the northern hemisphere. Make the best of the extended days by celebrating wellness!

Can the choices you make really affect your health and wellness? Absolutely! Cancer, heart disease, lung disease, stroke and injury, the major causes of death and health problems, can all be prevented by choosing a healthy lifestyle. Simple changes like choosing not to smoke, seeing your doctor regularly, maintaining a healthy diet, exercising and getting enough sleep all contribute to longer life.

This month we finish our quarterly Alive In All Seasons theme of “Let Wellbeing Thrive” by engaging in activities focused on food and nutrition. Look for our consistently health snack and juice options at our hydration stations and dietitian presentations. Our H’Art and Soul of Dining Program will also be showcased as we implement the addition of more regional favorites – focusing on fresh and scratch made, our signature soups and muffin of the day as well as the new grill menu.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our First Annual Food Fight on June 5^th at 2:00 pm; our Dads and Donuts Event on June 7^th at 10:00 am; and our Fun in the Sun Popsicle Event on June 19^th at 5:30 pm. Join us this month as we Live in Wellness.

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Excellence in Care Award

Juniper Village at Louisville recently went through the survey process to re-qualify for the Excellence in Care Award through the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. We are excited to announce that we were able to re-qualify for this prestigious award!

The Excellence in Care Award is an honor as there aren't that many communities nation-wide who have qualified and passed this rigorous test. There are a number of criteria that is involved in qualifying for this award. Staff involvement and interactions with residents in the community is a large piece, as is ongoing training of staff and available activities for residents living in our community.

Juniper Village at Louisville is committed to providing the best care possible for our residents. We have high standards and really believe in nurturing the spirit of life in each individual. We have historically had an excellent record with our state surveys and continue to strive for improvement in every area because to us it's more than just a job, it's our livelihood.

Please join us as we celebrate this tremendous honor on June 5th at 2PM...we don't know how we're going to celebrate, but we do know that we are going to celebrate big with the staff and residents of our community; we are exceptionally proud of their work and we love our residents!

Tea House Celebration in Honor of Mom’s

The weekend of Mother's Day is always a special event. We at Juniper like to think that our Mothers appreciate the type of setting that you would traditionally find in a tea house. The style is a little bit eclectic, the food is delicate, yet simple.

So, this year, we, again, hosted our famous Mother's Day Tea event to celebrate the ladies in our lives who have helped develop us into the wonderful people that we are today.  Doily Banners were hung to honor mom, and we all broke out our tablecloths and vintage hankies to decorate the tables in true traditional tea house style.

Our cooks prepared wonderful pastries and finger sandwiches that were quickly snatched up, and we enjoyed a variety of drinks (not just tea).

Please make sure to visit us for any of our wonderful upcoming events. We love to have people join with us for any of our festivities!

Grow Strong Daily: May Events

Welcome to May where we will be dancing around the May Pole on May Day; donning opulent hats for the Kentucky Derby and sombreros for Cinco de Mayo; honoring our mothers on Mother’s Day and our fallen heroes on Memorial Day. What a fantastic month of celebration! In addition to observing these holidays, Juniper Village will be focusing on this month’s Alive In All Seasons theme “Grow Strong Daily” with an emphasis on fitness.

Studies show exercise is an effective treatment for many chronic conditions such as arthritis, heart disease and diabetes and can also help people with high blood pressure, balance problems or difficulty walking. Stress management, improved mood and cognitive function are other benefits of regular exercise. This is why Juniper Village makes exercise a part of every day! We are completely dedicated to whole person wellness and “nurturing the spirit of life” for each individual we touch by encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit.

Join us here at Juniper Village at Louisville for our Mother’s Day Tea on May 10^th at 10:30 am; our Annual Sock Hop on May 20^th from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm; our Alzheimer’s Association Class on May 21^st from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm (RSVP to 303-665-3722 by May 18^th); or our Backyard BBQ and Games on May 26^th from noon to 1:30 pm. See our newsletter calendar for a complete listing of events and come visit us during any that suit your fancy!

Cheese It Up with the Cheesiest Cheese Balls In Town!

Somewhere in our understanding of what is important in our work here at Juniper Village at Louisville, we may have stretched the boundary of importance to include being cheesy and making sure that everyone has a good time.

Sometimes when we're coming up with ideas for celebrating at our community, we specifically aim to achieve this goal. Fortunately, there are national days of celebration; such as, Cheese Ball Day that really enable us to do this type of an event rather easily (thank goodness that somebody, somewhere thought this should be a day to celebrate cheese balls, because we here at Juniper are on top of making this one of the most amazing days ever!)

So, with this in mind, we set out to have a cheesy day (which included cheesy attire…check out the picture of some of the leadership team members…kitty leggings, St. Patrick's Day cupcakes a full month later, sequin skirts, tulle skirts…florescent colors…if that is not the epitome of cheesy, then we don't want to know what is!) We also decided to tell cheesy jokes (not necessarily just about cheese…my personal favorite is: What did the Mama Tomato say to the baby tomatoes…catch up, catch up!) Then, we played a cheesy game with cheese balls (which is also a personal favorite). We had the staff sit with a shower cap on, which then had shaving cream placed on top of it while the residents threw cheese balls, with the aim of getting them in the shaving cream and sticking…needless to say, fun was had by everyone!

Please join us for any of our upcoming cheesy events, where we guarantee that fun will be had! Our next event is our Mother's Day Tea on May 10 at 10:30 a.m.

Whimsical, Whacky, Seussical Clapping

This is the second year in a row that we have celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday. He would have turned 101 this year, and last year was the big centennial, with everyone jumping on the bandwagon to celebrate all things Dr. Seuss…this year, we might have been one of the few, but we still had a GREAT time celebrating this wonderful man and his cherished children's stories.

Our play is really quite a bit of fun. We treat it more like it's an award show, and in between getting awards, our characters put on little skits from each of their respective stories. We, of course, had the Cat in the Hat along with Thing 1 and Thing 2 who caused a raucous amount of fun. Horton and the Mayor of Who-ville were there and they taught us that people are people no matter how small. The Lorax, our favorite environmentalist, and the Grinch, who likes to pretend like he doesn't care about anybody or anything, went around and met some of the audience. And, of course, the characters from Green Eggs and Ham taught us that sometimes we need to try something new.

It was fun as we celebrated the characters who have taught us and others so many morals to guide our life. If we're lucky, next year we will be able to have some new characters added to the play such as Sneetches and maybe a scene from the Butter Battle Book (because in this writer's opinion…it's the best Dr. Seuss book, however, most people are completely unaware of it!) We hope you enjoy the photos from this event…also, let us know if you have a favorite Seuss book that you would like to see us re-enact!

Easter Brunch and Egg Hunting

We love being able to celebrate with our residents and families. This is a traditional celebration in which Brunch is the central focus (because Brunch is amazing, and it really should be added as a mandatory fourth meal to the day).

We decorated the tables with confetti, lumineries, and paper bunnies. Then our masterful chefs came up with a wonderful selection of food; such as, fruit, pastries, muffins, croissants, eggs, quiche, sausage, bacon, waffles, and more. It really was wonderful and there was plenty of food for everyone. After we sat and ate while enjoying each other's company, we decided it was time to send the kids out into the courtyard on an Easter egg hunt.

The kiddos did an excellent job finding all the eggs and enjoying the treasures that they found.

Thank you to everyone who made our event a success today!

Thank You!

We want to take a few minutes to say thank you to our amazing families.  Here at Juniper Village at Louisville, we strive for excellence in all that we do. We truly want to set the bar for how a Memory Care Community should be run. For us, this isn’t just a job, it’s our livelihood, and because of that we say thank you to our friends and families who make it possible to do the work we love.

We have recently received a letter from a family expressing their gratitude for the love and care that their family member received here, and we thought it was worthwhile to share it with everyone else. Thank you for noticing the work that we do. Even if it goes unnoticed, we will continue to work diligently in caring for the residents who live here with us, because we are truly passionate about what we do!

Believe in Yourself: April Events

April, the month where we play innocent pranks on April Fool’s Day; celebrate Springtime and Easter with egg hunts, brunches, and church; pay homage to mother earth on Earth Day; and welcome the return of America’s favorite pastime – Baseball. This month we embark on a new quarter in our Alive in All Seasons calendar where we celebrate Healthy Aging and will “Let Wellbeing Thrive”. Throughout April our focus is on the brain and honoring the theme “Believe in Yourself”. Did you know that activities that are good for your heart are also good for your brain? The American Heart Association tells us that protecting memory and brain health is a matter of keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy. Regular cardio exercise and a healthy diet not only keep your heart happy, but your brain too.

This month’s offerings include activities and events that will keep our bodies and brains healthy and renew our faith in ourselves. Educational opportunities will cover brain health topics such as brain booster activities and ways to keep fit. We will rejoice in our individuality and celebrate ourselves through life affirming reminiscent and creative activities while reminding each other to “Believe in Yourself”.

Please join us here at Juniper Village at Louisville for our Easter Brunch on April 12^th from 10:00 am to 11:30 am; our Cheese It Up Cheese Ball Day celebration on April 17^th from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm; and our Pulse of the Office Event on April 23^rd from noon to 1:30 pm (RSVP to 303-665-3722 for a free massage or drop by for lunch and drinks). See our newsletter calendar for a complete listing of events and come visit us during any that suit your fancy!

H'Art and Soul of Dining - New Menus with Delicious Recipes!

We are proud to announce that on April 5th our revitalized spring/summer menus will begin for our H’Art and Soul of Dining Signature Program at all of our communities.  This new signature program will help us improve quality of life and whole person wellness for the individuals that call Juniper Village home.  We are very excited this season since the offerings will feature a delicious 5-week entrée select option featuring fabulous new choices using some of the fresh products available through our food vendors. Also, on our updated menus, we have added many lighter alternatives as well as recipes specific to each community that take into account special diets, regional tastes, food committee requests and our resident’s special needs and personal requests.  These changes to our meal plans significantly increase the variety of selections provided for our residents while focusing upon scratch made offerings and heart-healthy meals.  Furthermore, in celebration of our AIAS spring quarter “Healthy Aging,” our Grill Menus will be re-vamped to highlight healthier offerings throughout the season. In addition we will be implementing an innovative hydration assurance program served from our “Oasis Carts,” featuring a variety of flavored waters using citrus or mint or cucumbers, fresh brewed iced tea, lemonade, punch, smoothies and juices as well as nutritious snacks.

Below are some of the recipes featured on our new menu:

Carrot-Currant Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour (to measure, spoon into a cup and level)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup carrot juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup dried currants
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk together butter, egg, milk, carrot juice and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and gently fold just until moistened. Fold carrots and dried currants into the mix. Scoop batter into the muffin pan and bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan (cool on a wire rack if you have one).

Yellow Squash Soup

Cooking Spray

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup diced zucchini

1 cup diced yellow squash

3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 (15 ounce) can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can diced no-salt-added tomatoes

Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 3 minutes. Add all other ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Little Musings

So...in our humble opinion, we have one of the best jobs in the world. What does that mean...well, we get to come to work every day and spend our time with some of the most fascinating people in the world; our residents. Our residents have such varied backgrounds, and rich stories to tell about things that they've experienced in their lives. It's incredibly enviable, as I am only all to aware that I will not have such rich life stories to tell when I'm their age...just fascinating.

But beyond their life stories, they are these amazing people, and every day we catch these glimpses of how incredibly caring and loving our residents are, and it really is touching to see them. So today, we want to show some pictures that we captured around the building that made our hearts warm and fuzzy just to see how our residents interact with one another. Every day is varied and lovely, and we wouldn't trade this experience for all of the most wonderful experiences throughout the world. These are the moments that make us unique.

At Juniper, we see things differently, and we think that you'll notice when you come by to visit. Please do not hesitate to come by at any time. We are always looking for volunteers too, if there is any interest out there!

Your Treasure is Within: March Events

Our Alive in All Seasons program is alive and well at Juniper Village. This quarter’s seasonal theme is on Creative Expression: “Explore Your Creativity” and serves to promote our philosophy of encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit. For March, we will turn our focus to Performance: “Your Treasure is Within”.

This month on March 2, 2014 we look forward to the 86^th celebration of the Academy Awards. As we watch popular comedian and talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres host the festivities while the beautiful stars dressed in their finery walk the red carpet we can’t help to stop, to pause and reminisce of all of the great performances of past years. Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Vivien Leigh, Meryl Streep, Peter Ustinov and Dustin Hoffman; the list goes on! In addition to guessing who might win the Oscars for 2014, this month we will be learning about and experiencing all different types of great performance art, enjoying cultural events and trying our hand at acting in drama club.

It’s going to be a theatrical month at Juniper Village at Louisville filled with creativity, great experiences and memorable performances! You are cordially invited to attend our Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday Celebration on March 4^th at 5:30 pm, our Moriaty-Moffitt School Irish Dancers performance on March 17^th at 3:00 pm, our 2nd Annual Suessical Night at the Oscars on March 19^th at 6:00 pm, our Village Volunteering activity on March 28^th at 2:30 pm, or any of our other activities (see our Newsletter for a complete listing).

So come in, and join in on the act to find that “Your Treasure is Within”.

National Pancake Day Celebration, Yes Please!!!

We focus a lot on our residents and put a lot of effort into making sure that there are always fun events for them to attend. One of the things that we don’t blog nearly often enough about is our staff…and to be honest, we have the best staff around. They work hard and truly provide the best care possible for the residents who live here, and that is praise worthy in and of itself.  And, to be honest, we celebrate them often, but we don’t always remember to get our camera out as those celebrations are not always as photo worthy. This year, 2014, we will work harder to post more often about our staff.

So, with that in mind, every month we have at least one big celebration…this month we chose National Pancake Day…because who doesn't love pancakes! (Or at least that’s what we were thinking when we were planning this event). Of course, it’s never limited to just the staff, we often make sure vendors and residents celebrate with us for any and all of these events.

Our chef made the pancake mix, the leadership team cooked them up, we had a toppings bar, and the staff came, they saw…and devoured. It was a lot of fun, and we always would encourage you to join us for these events, the more the merrier! Join us next month when we celebrate with the staff again…naturally, we will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day all day long with cheesy themed food to eat…and of course pinches for anyone not wearing green. (Thank goodness our Juniper Polo shirts are green!)