Alive in All Seasons, Christmas Celebration

Christmas time is always a special time around Juniper Village at Meadville!  This year’s Alive in All Seasons Celebration was better than ever.  Friends and families were able to gather for this yearly holiday celebration with tons of hors d’oeuvres, live holiday music and of course a glass of wine.

We continue to celebrate the holiday season every day with our beautifully decorated building, Christmas music playing in the living room and multiple holiday related activities.  Neighboring school children have made multiple stops to sing their Christmas carols and play their musical instruments.  The residents and staff have enjoyed all of the extra visitors that the holidays bring.

We are all looking forward to a special visitor, you know, the jolly guy all dressed in red!  Not sure which day he will stop by, but it is something we all look forward to every year, don’t you worry, we are all on the nice list this year!!!

Christmas ROAD TRIP, Juniper style

Our ever dedicated, super fun and always up for an adventure Connections Director, Renee, took 10 of our residents to Kraynak’s “Santa’s Christmas Land” which is a 300 foot indoor starlight avenue of uniquely designed artificial Christmas Trees located in Hermitage PA.  With approximately 80 decorated trees on display plus many other seasonal favorites the residents really got the Christmas spirit in high gear after this trip.

After the tour, the group headed to Bob Evans for a hearty lunch which was enjoyed by all!

Everyone is looking forward to getting the holiday season underway!  Stay tuned to our blog for more fun seasonal holiday posts in the upcoming weeks!

December 2015 Events in Meadville, PA: Celebrate Little Things

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.

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.

Our fabulous December 2015 events in Meadville, PA at Juniper Village at Meadville include our:

§  Lunch & Learn Beating the Wintertime Blues for an informative presentation from Dr. Lisa May about staying upbeat when the weather turns cold and the sky is gloomy and enjoy a complimentary meal on December 2^nd at noon. (RSVP by November 30^th to 814-333-4400.)

§  AIAS Christmas Gathering for hors d'oeuvres, fun and family, as we will be having lots of wonderful snacks upstairs, then don't forget to join us downstairs for fun and drinks on December 10^th at 4:30 pm. (RSVP by December 4^th to 814-333-4400.)

§  Barber Shop Chorus right in the main dining room, so you won’t have to go far to hear the joyous tunes on December 22^nd at 6:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our December 2015 events in Meadville, PA at Juniper Village at Meadville with you as we Celebrate Little Things.

Juniper Village Meadville "Gives Thanks"

Thanksgiving 2015 is in the books and this year we all have so many things to give thanks for!  First and foremost we are all grateful for each other, for our family, our friends, our caregivers, and our co-workers.  For the people that love us, take care of us and think of us on a regular basis.

Our residents are touched on a regular basis by their families that visit with them throughout the year, and especially at the holidays. The friends that they live next to and share their daily lives with.  The staff that cares for them every day, taking extra care to make sure all of their daily needs are met.  The community members that come in to assist with activities, music, spiritual messages or just a friendly visit.

Our staff is also grateful for the support we receive from our corporate office, our local management team and most of all from each other as we work together to help provide the best care possible for our residents that we all truly love and appreciate.  We are also appreciative of our families and friends outside of work that love, support, and encourage us on a daily basis and give us the strength and determination to do what we do every day.

One fish, Two fish, Red fish, TROPHY!!!!!!

Well the title may not rhyme but who cares, WE WON!!!!

The Meadville Junior Chamber of Commerce (CAYCC) sponsored the 49th annual Halloween Parade and Juniper Village Meadville entered a float in this year’s parade!  The parade was held in downtown Meadville October, 31 2015 at 6:30 pm and this year’s theme was “Seussville”.

Meadville’s Juniper Village, pulled out all the stops with characters and book covers from several of the famous Dr. Seuss books, some were well known and others not as common.  The staff spend countless hours planning and preparing for the big parade and then building the masterpiece!

The day of the parade we had 15 staff members and 4 residents actually in the parade all dressed in Seuss characters.  No one more in the crowd more excited then our own Executive Director, “The Cat in The Hat”, Monica Blood!

At the end of the night, a first prized trophy was in hand!

Big thanks to all of the staff and the residents that put in all of the time and effort to make this years float a huge success!

Juniper Village at Meadville celebrates veterans, today and everyday!!!

This year’s Veteran’s Day celebration was a busy day around Juniper Village at Meadville.  We are so proud that we currently have 16 US Military Veterans living here at Juniper Village.  For me personally,  as a proud mother of a young Airman with the PA Air National Guard currently serving at Al Udeid Airbase in Doha, Qatar makes this Veteran’s Day just that much more special!

This year’s celebration involved a trip to Sagertown Elementary with a few of our veterans where they were honored for their service to our Country.  We then had a well-attended luncheon with our residents as well as members of the community.  This year’s luncheon was graciously served by the Meadville Women’s Club and Pastor Aabye was our featured speaker and he spoke about our Country’s vast war time history as well as his own personal military experiences.

No Veteran’s luncheon would be complete without an appropriately themed homemade dessert from our own chef, Erin!

Thank you to all of our staff for making this day extra special for all involved!

A Day in the Gem City

It was a perfect fall day filled with sunshine for the residents of Juniper Village at Meadville to go to Erie for lunch and a drive around Presque Isle State Park, a 7 mile stretch of public beaches, wetlands and fishing sites. They learned many fascinating facts about Erie and the peninsula like The City of Erie, Pennsylvania has had many names such as The Bay City, The Lake City & Gem City.  Erie is the name that stuck largely due to the lake but also because it was the name of the Native American tribe that once resided on the southern shore.  Nothing better than a visual to absorb a bit of our great states history.