Juniper Village Gives Back

Here at Louisville we really took our volunteer themed month to heart. We started by making cards for veterans and those currently serving our country thanking them for all they do and have done for us.  We also made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and blessing bags for the homeless. Last week, we honored our local ‘Superhero’s’ and served an amazing breakfast. About 10 fire men and women came and enjoyed breakfast and the company of our residents. A group of residents went to our local meals on wheels and helped prepare food for more than 150  less fortunate people. Ted peeled about 100 bananas that will be used to make banana bread.   Nita and Uncle Bill sorted yogurt covered raisins into 2 oz. baggies. Karola spent the morning separating kale from its stem. Tom and his wife Pearl made dozens of peanut butter cookies and Eileen was busy making snickerdoodle cookies! The residents loved the fact that they were helping so many people!

It feels so good to give back!

August 2016 Events in Louisville, CO: Breathe in Life

Each August we turn our focus to the environment by offering social events and educational opportunities on living a more environmentally sustainable life. By making caring choices and creating helpful habits we can all make a difference to our planet.

Did you know that an aluminum can may remain in its current condition in a landfill for up to 500 years? That same can, when recycled, can end up back on your grocer’s shelf in as little as two months. Recycling that aluminum can also saves energy. Enough energy, in fact, to power your television for three hours! Aluminum can be recycled over, and over and over again – without limit. Americans will use about 2.5 million plastic bottles every thirty minutes. If that bottle is not recycled it can spend the next 450 years or more in a landfill. A modern glass bottle will take about 4,000 years to biodegrade. Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled again, and again and again. So, the next time you are enjoying a delicious beverage, be conscious of the packaging and make the choice to recycle.

Join us this month as we promote the environment with a focus on our recycling programs – from annual rummage sales to shredding and more; our educational offerings will help you to support our environment and Breathe in Life!

Our fabulous August 2016 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville include our:

§  2nd Annual Boulder County Alzheimer’s Walk as an Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's participant organization, the end of Alzheimer's starts with all of us, so join Juniper Village in the fight by walking with us, because as a team, we can be an unstoppable force against the nation's sixth-leading cause of death, and registration is easy; simply visit our Walk to End Alzheimer's participant page http://bit.ly/JuniperBerriesTeam to join the Juniper team, or if you're unable to participate, please consider making a donation to our fundraising campaign, since every dollar advances the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer's Association; we will meet up for the Walk on August 13^th at 9:00 am.

§  16th Anniversary Fiesta para celebrar nuestro 16 aniversario with delicious Mexican food, cervezas, margaritas, sopapillas, and, of course, a mariachi band to serenade us as we dance the night away on August 19^th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. (RSVP by August 12^th to 303-665-3722.)

We look forward to sharing our August 2016 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville with you as you Breathe in Life.

Dog Days of Summer!

We took full advantage of our beautiful courtyard and a perfect summer day! We invited our friends, families and therapy dogs to enjoy the Dog Days of Summer!  The dogs came dressed in their best costumes and some owners also joined in on the dress up fun! One family dressed all in Hawaiian shirts to match their dog! We treated the owners and residents to a lunch all about dogs! We had corn dogs, hot dogs and chili dogs! Of course no backyard party would be complete without delicious juicy watermelon!  The dogs had frozen treats, cookies made just for them, and they all went home with a doggie bag for more fun at home! The residents loved seeing their favorite dog friends all together and all dressed up! Plan on seeing this event again next year!

July 2016 Events in Louisville, CO: Stand in Integrity

Ah...the good old summer time filled with lazy, sunny days, ice cold treats, Independence Day celebrations, and get-togethers at the beach. Another sure indication of summer is our Alive in All Seasons theme of Volunteerism.

July is the perfect month to honor all of the many volunteers who contribute thousands of hours of time in service to our communities. From our four-legged volunteers to those of the two legged variety we are proud to say we receive more than 10,000 hours of precious time each year. We simply could not do it without all of your help, and this month we honor you. We will also be promoting the spirit of volunteerism by volunteering our time to help others. If you have some spare time on your hands consider joining us for a volunteer activity or better yet volunteer your time with us, we’d love to have you. What qualities make a good volunteer? Energy, passion, flexibility, creativity, reliability, commitment and perhaps most important of all – integrity.

Volunteerism benefits all parties involved. In addition to making new friends, volunteering also helps increase your self-confidence, provides a sense of purpose, combats depression and helps you stay physically healthy. Helping others also kindles happiness, as the London School of Economics found the more people volunteered, the happier they were.

In addition to volunteering opportunities, plan 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 2016 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville include our:

§  Juniper Gives Back with Coal Creek Meals on Wheels as we help prepare wonderful lunches for those who are in need and give back to our community in such a meaningful way on July 1^st at 9:00 am.

§  Calling All Super Heroes serving a breakfast fit for a super hero to get your day started off right at this very special event honoring our local fire, police, first responders, and our most important Super Heroes, our amazing staff here at Juniper Village on July 13^th from 8:00 am to 10:00 am.

§  Boulder County Interagency event comprised of representatives of public and private, for-profit and non-profit agencies and facilities serving the senior community in the Boulder County area, as we will be serving a delicious breakfast and showcasing our unique small house concept on July 20^th at 8:30 am.

We look forward to sharing our July 2016 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville with you as you Stand in Integrity.

June 2016 Events in Louisville, CO: Live in Wellness

What is wellness? The National Wellness Institute defines wellness as "a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential." At Juniper we believe in fostering this definition of wellness everyday by offering programs and services that help our residents achieve their full potential. As we wind down our Healthy Aging series, this month we focus on Food by highlighting our H’Art and Soul of Dining Signature Program.

Throughout our lives the most important discussions, revelations, decisions and announcements have transpired around the dinner table. When company came over we caught up on the latest gossip over coffee and fresh baked goods. If you needed advice from your parents, it was often given while enjoying Mom’s delicious pot roast on a Sunday evening. Why should that be any different when you enter your retirement years in one of our communities?

With the kitchen often being the heart of the home, we have developed H’Art and Soul of Dining with this in mind. This program strives to impart spirited service, companionship and nourishment through sharing the joy of good food – just like home! Our dining program is designed to not only meet resident’s physical needs, but their emotional and social needs as well. We believe this program provides a perfect balance of nutritious and delicious food choices, comfortable atmosphere and ambiance, social interaction, cleanliness and a spirit of service.

Indulge with us this month as we focus on the “heart” of the home with program offerings centered on food and nutrition such as our hydration program with healthy snacks and juices and educational presentations by a dietitian. Join us in June as we Live in Wellness.

Our fabulous June 2016 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville include our:

§  Yo and Jo on the Go because with enough coffee, anything is possible, so come on by this morning as we make sure you have a hot cup o’ Jo and some yogurt on the go in our garden courtyard where we will be ready to serve since it’s on us this morning on June 9th from 7:30 am to 10:00 am.

§  Dad’s Vintage Car Celebration as this Father’s Day we are celebrating all the things Dads’ love, so we will begin the morning with our very own vintage car show and a delicious array of doughnuts with an electric saxophone player to help us rock out in honor of our awesome dads on June 18th from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm.

§  The Dog Days of Summer because we LOVE dogs here at Juniper; the hot dog, corn dog, chili dog and of course our very own therapy dogs, so we thought it would be fun to see our furry friends in costumes, and the crowned “lucky dog” winner of this costume contest will win a prize donated by our local Louisville pet shop, Louis Pet Supply, while we, of course, serve our other favorite dogs for lunch on June 30th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our June 2016 events in Louisville, CO at Juniper Village at Louisville with you as you Live in Wellness.

Juniper Village at Louisville’s Innovative Small-House Design

There is a growing understanding of what makes a successful environment for seniors living with memory impairment.  The elements that can make a difference in the lives of those with dementia are not that complicated and can be encapsulated in two words – connectedness and a sense of home.  The small house or cottage model has been found to be the most successful environment in providing that sense of home, connectedness, and ultimately, happiness.  Juniper Communities has served as an innovator in pioneering the small house model within their memory care communities.  Juniper continues to believe that this model remains the gold standard in memory care.

Juniper has been well ahead of the trend as we have owned and operated two types of small house models for more than a decade.  Two of our small house models, Aurora and Louisville, both in Colorado, were purpose built by Juniper in 1999 and 2000 respectively, as part of our initiative to provide leading-edge care to residents living with memory impairments. These two communities include four small houses, each with 12 or 13 rooms, virtually all private, surrounding a town hall area. Each town hall provides destination locations consisting of multiple familiar spaces such as an office suite, game room, library, country store, and gymnasium, where residents from all houses can go for additional services or programs. In this model, where the houses are linked, all staff are readily available to assist if needed.

In both models, residents at Juniper’s communities live within a short walk to the living room, kitchen and dining areas.  The environment is homelike; there are no nurses’ stations and no medication carts that block the hallways.  Staff wear polo shirts, not scrubs, and are trained to engage residents in activities of daily living, as well as social and recreational activities.  In both models, there are large, accessible and safe outdoor spaces surrounding the community.

Ultimately it is all about relationships.  The small-house model of care becomes a true community for a group of seniors and staff. It focuses on nurturing the spirit of life, and its heart is found in the relationships that thrive there. Juniper’s goal via the small house model has always been and continues to be to serve as a place where seniors can receive assistance and support with activities of daily living and care, without the assistance and care becoming the focus of their life.  And ultimately to provide the key elements to successful memory care – connectedness, home, and happiness!

Music & Memory: Juniper Village at Louisville Uses Innovative Approaches

The statistics on caregiver stress and burn-out are overwhelming.  Support groups sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association or community groups can be key to managing stress.   Juniper Village at Louisville Wellspring Memory Care offers solutions similar to those experienced by one of the profile families – a secure, homelike care setting which allows the family caregiver to participate to the degree that they choose and are able. 

One program that we have recently instituted in all of our memory care communities is Dan Cohen’s Music & Memory.  We recommend learning about and using this program in any care setting – at home, day programs, or long-term care communities.  Research shows that persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, can reconnect to the world and gain improved quality of life from listening to personal music favorites.

At Juniper Village at Louisville Wellspring Memory Care all residents have access to music players. Upon move-in, we ask family members to provide us with a list of a resident’s favorite songs from their young-adulthood which we load onto their player.  For family caregivers, Music & Memory, secure memory care communities, and support groups, all offer support and assistance to family caregivers.  Finding the right combination of “what works” is critical.

If you would like to speak with someone about a long-term or temporary respite stay for your loved one in a secure Memory Care facility, would like more information about implementing a Music & Memory program at home, or would like to make a donation of music players or iTunes gift cards to facilitate our program, contact Juniper Village at Louisville Wellspring Memory Care.