Juniper Village at Meadville Receives High Marks From State

Juniper Village at Meadville has received a perfect, deficiency free survey from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services for its personal care home license.

“This is such a tremendous affirmation of the good work we do here,” said Monica Blood, executive director. “It is very difficult to receive this rating, and it means we are taking exceptional care of our residents as well as our own operations.”

The review by the state examines medication administration, regulatory compliance, resident care, day to day operations, staffing and more. Also, the department reviews records to confirm that each resident is obtaining the proper level of individual care. To achieve this perfect survey, the staff and leadership at Juniper engage in constant follow-up on residents and procedures, according to a press release.

“It truly does take a village to ensure each resident is being provided exceptional care and receiving a deficiency free survey is proof of the great job our team is doing," Blood said. "What it means to residents and families is that they can expect nothing less than exemplary care at our Meadville community."

Juniper Village has a detailed matrix that tracks quality measures, most importantly falls, medication errors and re-hospitalizations that is continually monitored to identify areas in need of improvement.

Forever Friends

Two of our very special ladies were extremely excited when they heard their longtime friend’s name. Could it be that after more than seventy years these two friends would be reunited? Indeed, Lou and Faye were!

They met over ice cream in a store by the name of “The Newsroom” over seventy years ago. The ladies struck up a conversation and came to realize that both of their husbands were gone in the Merchant Marines. Lou invited Faye and her infant daughter to move in with her while the men were gone, and Faye took her up on the offer. They have many wonderful memories of late night talks, listening to music and writing letters to their husbands.

After the men returned, Faye and her husband moved away and the ladies lost touch. That is until Faye moved into Juniper Village where Lou was already living! They are once again enjoying one another’s company, and just like old times it is often over ice cream.

October 2016 Events in Meadville, PA: Show Your Colors

As we say good bye to Indian summer, we welcome the cooler air and slower pace of the autumn season. From warm apple cider, everything pumpkin and end of season hiking trips, there are so many reasons to enjoy autumn. William Cullen Bryant says it best, “Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.” With the seasonal changes now in full swing we see fall flowers appearing where summer blooms once stood and leaves changing into vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red. The evening air has a slight chill and carries the scent of campfires, leaves and cinnamon spice. Our activities turn from swimming and baseball to raking leaves and football. Not only is Mother Nature showing her colors, but we begin to show our team colors with a focus on sports! Join us throughout the month as we bond over sporting events while cheering on our favorite teams, complete with tailgate parties and snacks.

Throughout October we will show our colors as we sponsor and support local sports teams. We will honor our associates who show their colors by “nurturing the spirit of life” with The Juniper Spirit awards. Alas, October would not be complete without celebrating the season with our annual Halloween Costume Party, which is open to ghosts and goblins of all ages. Join us this month and Show Your Colors!

Our fabulous October 2016 events in Meadville, PA at Juniper Village at Meadville include our:

§  Aging with Knowledge, planning your future and knowing your options, to join us for hors d'oeuvres and an interactive panel discussion where you will learn and be able to ask questions about the options available to us as we age, featuring speakers from SouthernCare Hospice, Rolling Fields, Interim Healthcare, Waid Funeral Home, Home Instead, Elder Law Attorney, and of course, Juniper Village, co-sponsored by Juniper Village at Meadville and SouthernCare Hospice on October 6^th at 6:00 pm. (RSVP by September 31^st at 814-333-4400.)

§  AIAS Oktoberfest to celebrate Oktoberfest with the oompah sounds of the German Group, Keystone Bavarians, so join your friends and colleagues for traditional German fare and beer; take a tour of Juniper Village and register for giveaway on October 16^th at 4:30 pm. (RSVP by October 8^th at 814-333-4400.)

§  Lunch & Learn: Sports News with Katie Gauss who blazed a trail in Erie, PA as the first full-time female sports reporter, adding a woman’s touch to a role traditionally filled by men; Katie is eager to come and share her passion for sports and the excitement of reporting on them on channel WSEE on  October 19^th at noon. (RSVP by October 15^th at 814-333-4400.)

§  Trick or Treat on Chestnut Street so bring your goblins and ghouls for a frighteningly good time at this much anticipated annual event with no RSVP necessary on October 27^th at 6:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our October 2016 events in Meadville, PA at Juniper Village at Meadville with you as you Show Your Colors.

A Wing and a Prayer

Residents and family members at Juniper Village in Meadville are always ready to welcome Tamarack Wildlife and their feathery friends that owe their lives to the dedicated staff and volunteers of the Wildlife Rehab Center. Their goal is to rehabilitate injured wildlife and release them back into the wild, however sometimes even with all the TLC they receive it is not possible for them to survive on their own and so they care for and use these birds of prey for education.  

They brought three different species of rescued birds to share with us. First we met Lady Hawk, a red tailed hawk that came to them with a wing injury when she was less than one year old and this year is celebrating 25 years at Tamarack!

Next we met a barred owl named Sophia who was brought to Tamarack to be treated for a broken wing. Although she has healed, due to the location of the break she has limited flight so she now calls Tamarack home. Barred Owls are one of only two Pennsylvania owl species that have dark eyes (other owls have a yellow iris) and they are the most vocal variations of any Pennsylvania owl. It was interesting to watch our hunters identify recordings of the different owl’s hoots and screeches and do a little educating of their own, informing us that the sound of a Barred owl, that was quickly identified by resident, Jon McNutt is used to call out turkeys.

Lastly we were delighted with two screech owls, Willow and Jasper. Willow and her three babies were found when a tree limb containing their nest was cut down. All of her owlets were able to be released at Presque Isle but due to Willow’s wing fracture she has remained at Tamarack and has done a wonderful job mothering other injured owlets that have come and gone. Then along came Jasper, a male screech owl who came with damage to one of his eyes and one of his ears. Now that he is healed he is a marvelous companion to Willow and a great foster father to other rescued owlets.

Tamarack is happy to customize a program just for any audience and we highly recommend taking them up on the offer for an up close and personal encounter with these birds of prey your spectators will never forget.

September 2016 Events in Meadville, PA: Spread Your Joy

As the air begins to cool and summer wanes, Juniper Village ends our “Stay Connected” series by recognizing Friendship and Joy. What is it that brings you joy? Is it the wet nose of a newborn pup? The smile of your first grandchild? The taste of a triple chocolate ice cream cone? Whatever it is we invite you to share that joy with others at Juniper Village this month.

Much attention has been paid to studies regarding the effects of stress on your health, but what about the effects of joy? The landmark “Nun Study,” as it's often known, revealed that positive emotion is correlated with longevity: 90% of the most cheerful quarter of nuns was alive at the age of eighty-five, whereas only 34% of the least cheerful quarter lived to that age. Similarly, 54% of the most cheerful fourth was alive at age ninety-four, versus 11% of the least cheerful. Of the 678 sisters in the original study about four dozen are still living. So go ahead, grab that triple chocolate cone it might just extend your life!

Join us this month as we celebrate friendship and staying connected with calendar events such as our annual daffodil planting and our home warming, birthday party and Best Friend initiatives.

Our fabulous September 2016 events in Meadville, PA at Juniper Village at Meadville include our:

§  AIAS Friends & Family Dinner and Recycling Presentation by Meadville Waste who offers curbside collection of recyclables to their residents, but there is so much more to be learned and we hope to see you here on September 8^th at 4:30 pm. (Please RSVP to 814-333-4400 by September 2^nd.)

§  Hospice Myth Busters because choosing hospice care can be a difficult decision for individuals and their families and there are a lot of misconceptions about the service, and as a result, many who need quality pain and symptom control, along with social and emotional care, do not take advantage of hospice, so join Juniper Village and SouthernCare Hospice to “bust the myths about hospice” on September 15^th at 6:00 pm. (No RSVP required.)

§  Lunch & Learn where we practice “Spreading the Joy” with the talented speaker Meg Maly who has been speaking at various locations throughout the community and we are very excited to have her join us for smiles, laughs and a generally good time on September 21^st at noon. (Please RSVP to 814-333-4400 by September 16^th.)

We look forward to sharing our September 2016 events in Meadville, PA at Juniper Village at Meadville with you as you Spread Your Joy.

A Trip to the Isle

Many residents grew up going to Presque Isle on Lake Erie biking, fishing, and camping or just to have a day at the beach with their family. Some things never seem to change, as residents enjoyed the day as much today as in years gone by. We along with over 4 million other people love and visit Presque Isle every year and we are blessed to have it almost in our back yard! Although it’s a peninsula, not an island, the name given to it by the French is very fitting as it means “almost an island”. Being one of the five Great Lakes, Lake Erie is 57 miles wide (north to south), with Canada being on the other side, and 241 miles long (east to west). It is on average 62 feet deep with the deepest point being a whopping 210 feet!

This is one of our favorite summer outings with an extra highlight this year of having lunch at iconic Sara’s, an old fashion diner with good old hamburgers, hot dogs and root beer floats.  As much as we love our food though the pinnacle of the trip was getting out on the beach, feeling the sand between our toes and the warm breeze off the water, smelling the sunscreen & barbecue, listening to squealing children playing on the beach and looking out over the tranquil lake. Nothing better for a good night’s sleep than a trip to the Isle.

August 2016 Events in Meadville, PA: 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 Meadville, PA at Juniper Village at Meadville include our:

§  Alive in All Seasons Friends & Family Picnic as we are excited to bring back old traditions and have a picnic style dinner on our front lawn with the upbeat, fun filled music of the Lamberts on August 11^th at 4:30. (RSVP by August 6^th to 814-333-4400.)

§  Go Green Workshop Lunch & Learn to find out more about “Going Green” and the benefits not only for our mind and body, but also for our environment, because it’s never too late to be more environmentally conscious on August 17^th at noon. (RSVP by August 12^th to 814-333-4400.)

§  Wild Animals Presentation on wild birds and other wild creatures by Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Center, Inc. founded in 1989 by Harriet Wilson, that upon first opening, treated all types of injured wildlife, but due to the high demand, now specializes in birds of prey of all ages, adult seed-eating songbirds, turtles and opossums, though they do care for other species of wildlife when they have enough staffing, room and funding on August 26^th at 2:30 pm. (No RSVP required.)

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