July 2017 Events in Louisville, CO: 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 Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville include our:

§  Super Heroes Breakfast to honor the men and women that support us every day, so join us as for a delicious breakfast with the Louisville police and fire departments and of course the biggest heroes of them all...our amazing care team at Juniper Village on July 13^th from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. (Please RSVP by July 5^th to 303-665-3722.)

§  Juniper Village Gives Back because volunteering gives us purpose and has a positive impact on our community, this year our courtyard will celebrate a new partnership with the Denver Children’s Home, so join us to learn more about this wonderful organization and how our residents are giving back on July 20^th from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. (Please RSVP by July 12^th to 303-665-3722.)

We look forward to sharing our July 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville with you as you Stand In Integrity.

June 2017 Events in Louisville, CO: Live In Wellness

“You are what you eat.” The old adage is now truer than ever. Good health is largely dependent on good nutrition, so much so that doctors trace many physical and emotional ailments back to a diet deficient in vitamins and minerals. Eating a well-balanced diet is a major part of encouraging long life, lowering the incidence of disease, and helping sick people recover. On the flip side, inadequate nutrition and poor quality foods can generally cut life span and open us up to many illnesses and disease. In effect, food is medicine per Webster's definition of medicine: "The science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease." Food acts as medicine - to maintain, prevent, and treat disease.

With this month’s Alive in All Seasons focus on food, we’d like to give you a prescription for a healthy diet: breakfast daily (do not skip); meals x3 (at least) daily; foods from each of the food groups per meal daily. The food pyramid defines the food groups as grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and proteins. The amounts vary according to age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. Here’s a good guideline to start you on your way. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Make half your grains whole grains. Move to low-fat and fat-free dairy. Vary your protein routine and eat and drink the right amount for you.

Join us as we continue our focus on healthy aging by shedding light on our hydration program with healthy snacks and juices, and demonstrate how food and nutrition help us to Live in Wellness from a dietitian’s point of view.

Our fabulous June 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville include our:

§  Dads and Donuts for our delightful Dads, help us honor the man that often taught us to ride a bike, throw a ball and drive the car, by joining us at Juniper Village as we honor them with gourmet sweets and a photo opportunity with a Vintage automobile on June 10^th at 10:30 am. (RSVP by June 1^st to 303-665-3722.)

§  Lettuce Celebrate Food Lunch as our beautiful courtyard becomes a place for learning with an Avista Registered Dietician who joins us for a lunch and learn to support our Partners in Caring, so whether you need the credit or just want to enjoy a meal and learn something new, join us on June 15^th from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. (RSVP by June 8^th to 303-665-3722.)

§  Dog Days of Summer our 2nd Annual event to celebrate being the most “pet friendly” community in Colorado with corn dogs, chili dogs and therapy dogs, including the reigning champion from last year who will be back to compete in our costume contest on June 21^st from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. (RSVP by June 14^th to 303-665-3722.)

We look forward to sharing our June 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville with you as you Live In Wellness.

May 2017 Events in Louisville, CO: Grow Strong Daily

Continuing our Spring Alive In All Seasons focus on healthy again, we continue to let wellbeing thrive with a May focus on Fitness. Staying fit throughout all seasons of life is possible and at Juniper we promote fitness every day of the week! We recently shared on our Facebook page a New York Times story, authored by Gretchen Reynolds, providing results from the Mayo Clinic who recently conducted an experiment on the cells of 72 healthy but sedentary men and women who were 30 or younger or older than 64. The volunteers were randomly assigned to a particular exercise regimen. There were some unsurprising differences: The gains in muscle mass and strength were greater for those who exercised only with weights, while interval training had the strongest influence on endurance. But more unexpected results were found in the biopsied muscle cells. It seems as if the decline in the cellular health of muscles associated with aging was “corrected” with exercise, especially if it was intense, says Dr. Sreekumaran Nair, a professor of medicine and an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic and the study’s senior author. In fact, older people’s cells responded in some ways more robustly to intense exercise than the cells of the young did. So pick up those weights, get on that bike and remember it’s never too late to benefit from exercise. And if you’re not doing so already, follow us on social media so you don’t miss a thing.

We invite you to Grow Strong Daily along with us with programs such as Fitness Five and our Route 66 Walking Program. Learn more about fitness and keeping your heart healthy at our Heart Healthy Luncheon and educational presentation. Staying fit throughout all seasons of life is possible.

Our fabulous May 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville include our:

§  Mother’s Day Tea because Moms are Awesome, and here at Juniper Village we love to spoil our Moms, so what better way to do that than with tea sandwiches and sweet treats that are sure to show these very special ladies how much we appreciate them, and the community will be filled with the beautiful sound of harp music, so dress in your Spring Best and join us for an event to honor our MOMs on May 6^th at 10:30 am. (RSVP by April 28^th at 303-665-3722.)

§  Way To Grow as one of the beautiful benefits of Juniper Village is our courtyard with flowers, vegetables and walking paths, and many of you have a green thumb and we would love for you to celebrate Spring in the garden with us, so please join us for Mojitos and Margherita Pizza al fresco on May 23^rd from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. (RSVP by May 16^th at 303-665-3722.)

§  Memorial Day Family BBQ to eat and play in our beautiful courtyard where the competition is hot and the drinks cold at our annual backyard event on May 29^th at 11:00 am. (RSVP by May 21^st at 303-665-3722.)

We look forward to sharing our May 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville with you as you Grow Strong Daily.

April 2017 Events in Louisville, CO: 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 Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville include our:

§  Brain Health Lunch and Learn for a delicious brain healthy meal and learn about how food relates to brain health with the Alzheimer’s Association as our featured speaker, so take home a full tummy and brain health tips from your friends at Juniper Village on April 5^th at 11:30 am. (Please RSVP by April 1^st to 303-665-3722.)

§  Easter Brunch for a family Easter Holiday Celebration as the Easter Bunny will hide eggs for us to discover and Chef Abhaya and his team are sure to put on a bountiful spread on April 15^th at 10:30 am. (Please RSVP by April 8^th to 303-665-3722.)

§  Linked Senior and Dinner To Go to learn about the newest brain stimulation program, Linked Senior, that Nurtures the Spirit of Life here at Juniper Village and receive dinner to take home on April 27^th from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. (Please RSVP by April 20^th to 303-665-3722.)

We look forward to sharing our April 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville with you as you Believe in Yourself.

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!

March 2017 Events in Louisville, CO: 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 Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville include our:

§  Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Celebration because you can eat it here...you can eat it there...you can eat it anywhere...Juniper Village serves up Green Eggs and ham and Beezlenut Splash punch, so join us for a magical evening with food fun and characters from the world of Dr. Seuss on March 2^nd from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm. (Please RSVP by February 26^th to 303-665-3722.)

§  Blarney Bash because there are only two kinds of people in this world, the Irish and those who wish they were, so we should all celebrate as such, and don’t forget to put on your green before joining us in the exciting performance of the Irish Dancers, and all will have the opportunity to Kiss the Juniper Blarney Stone, that is said to grace us with the gift of gab, but we won’t stop there, we will also have an entirely green sweet bar, so we hope you can join us, and may the luck of the Irish be with you on March 17^th at 11:00 am. (Please RSVP by March 11^th to 303-665-3722.)

§  Drumming it Up to learn about and participate in our first Drumming Circle at Juniper Village, as recent research indicates that drumming accelerates physical healing, boosts the immune system and produces feelings of well-being, a release of emotional trauma, and reintegration of self; join us and our resident music therapist, Andrea as she teaches about and leads us in this fun and valuable modality on March 28^th at 12:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our March 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville with you as Your Treasure is Within.

February 2017 Events in Louisville, CO: Awaken Your Passion

This month, our focus on creative expression continues with a focus on art. Art, as with beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. It is understandable that some have great artistic ability and others do not. But, at Juniper we know that everyone has a passion for creative expression, regardless of ability or age. Pablo Picasso once said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” He is speaking about becoming inhibited as adults. With our various art programs we encourage uninhibited creativity as a form of therapy. Creating art affords the opportunity of self-exploration and self-expression leading to both physical and mental benefits. Creating art in any of its various forms, is also about sharing a bit of ourselves with each other. Art is one way to express ourselves, and the creations are honest and true representations of our experiences. In sharing our stories through art with others we invite communication and create lasting bonds.

Art typically encompasses painting, sculpting, and drawing. But, the act of creating art can be as simple as doodling. Art is simply the creation of something outside one’s self that often mirrors what is going on within their mind, soul, and body. We use creative arts as a way to nurture the spirit of life. Join us throughout February as we focus on great varieties of art such as photography, needlework, handicrafts, painting, sculpture and more. Please join us as we share a bit of ourselves with our weekly craft classes, experience art on an outing to an art museum, and embrace our celebratory spirit with Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day parties. We look forward to helping you Awaken Your Passion this month!

Our fabulous February 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville include our:

§  Memories in the Making Presentation as the Alzheimer’s Association comes to present on how we are able to utilize this program here at Juniper with our residents as we are truly blessed to have this program available because not only does it make the walls at Juniper look beautiful with our resident’s artwork, but it also gives them another outlet to communicate and express themselves; we love their artwork as it tells a story, their story, and this program creatively sets up opportunities to access these memories, and to share them with you and me, so come join us to learn more on February 7^th from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

§  11^th Annual Art Walk because all year our residents work on their paintings through the Alzheimer’s Association Memories in the Making program, so this evening we get the honor of showcasing our resident’s magnificent works of art, and you will get the pleasure of seeing last year’s artwork along with our artists and their brief biography; this event is an elegant affair where wine and cheese, along with some local talent on the piano, who will be present for your enjoyment on February 22^nd from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm.

§  Mardi Gras Masquerade to come on down to Bourbon Street at Juniper Village because it’s that time of year, and it’s time to party with masks and good food; we like to eat and dance, and eat some more, so get your fill of New Orleans style grub, and we will be handing out beads because we are that kind of a community, and it’s always in fashion to celebrate with a Julep and Jambalaya on February 28^th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our February 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville with you as you Awaken Your Passion.

January 2017 Events in Louisville, CO: Welcome New Beginnings

Welcome to 2017! What a wonderful time for us to reflect on the past year and forge ahead with new beginnings. January is a time to begin again; a time when we make (and sometimes break) our New Year’s resolutions and focus on how we want to improve in the coming year.

January is also the month that Juniper Village begins our Winter Alive In All Seasons theme of Creative Expressions: “Explore Your Creativity” where in January we will focus on music! Do you know that research shows that music can help us physically by easing pain, helping us sleep better, eat less and enhance our blood vessel function? It is also suggested that music can help us mentally by reducing stress, relieving symptoms of depression, elevating mood, decreasing anxiety and improving cognitive performance. Because of this, Juniper Communities has adopted the Music & Memory program.

Through the use of MP3 players and headphones our teams download personalized music for each resident. These musical favorites tap deep memories and can bring participants back to life, enabling them to feel like themselves again, to converse, socialize and stay present. Learn more about our Music & Memory program by talking with our Connections Director and consider making a donation to this worthwhile program. We accept donations of new or used iPods, new over the ear headphones and iTunes gift cards.

Join us this month as we explore our creativity through music with outings to local musical performances, Elvis’ birthday celebrations and concerts by our Joyful Noise Choirs. We invite you to Welcome New Beginnings at Juniper Village and make a resolution to join us for activities and events throughout the year!

Our fabulous January 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville include our:

§  Juniper’s Tribute to the King of Rock and Roll because we know that there is no better way to celebrate Elvis than to embrace the things he enjoyed; peanut butter banana bacon sandwiches are on the top of our list, and of course no tribute would be complete without an Elvis impersonator, and be sure to wear your dancing shoes for the dance competition since the party will not end until Elvis has left the building on January 10^th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

§  Music and Memory as music is intertwined with our memories because since childhood we have used music as a way of learning and bonding, be it the song on your first date or first dance as man and wife, so on this day we will learn about the influence of music on those with dementia, and we will also update playlists for our residents, and have a live demonstration and talk about how we incorporate this therapy here at Juniper Village on January 18^th from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

§  Celebrating Generations of Music because at Juniper, we recognize the importance of having intergenerational experiences, and we see these opportunities as a way to connect our residents to younger generations and create relationships that are not only beneficial for them, but also for the youngsters, because having interactions like these allows for our residents to impart wisdom that can be shared with the younger generations, and we are thankful for our neighbors from Monarch High School who will entertain and engage us with music, and if you’re anything like us, you won’t be able to hold back without singing along, so the more the merrier on January 24^th at 4:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our January 2017 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville with you as you Welcome New Beginnings.