Juniper Village at Meadville keeps the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Going

Juniper Village at Meadville was nominated for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge by Juniper Village at Lebanon, which they completed on Friday, August 22nd. We decided to keep the love going in the Juniper family and have nominated Juniper Village at Shenango and Juniper Village at Williamstown!!!!!!!!!!!!! We also nominated our local Meadville City Police Station (I'm sure they will be super excited heehee). Technically you are supposed to have 24 hours to complete the challenge but I think 24 business hours would probably be ok!!! We are going to take a collection among our associates and ourselves to donate money to alsa.org as well. Can't wait to see your videos!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Juniper Community Awards Recognition

"There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit."     Ronald Reagan

In July we celebrate "Volunteerism".  This month we acknowledged our volunteers here at Juniper Village with a Volunteer Breakfast, educated our community  on becoming  Hospice Volunteers, educated community members on the Retired Volunteer Senior Program, and made pies for a community service project in Conneautville, PA.

At Juniper, we also believe in acknowledging others for sticking their necks out over and beyond.  On July 23, we held a Volunteer Recognition Ceremony along with a Wine and Cheese Ceremony for several community members.  Executive Director, Jennifer Musone & Christa Battin, President of the Meadville Chamber of Commerce acknowledged each honoree with a special written bio and plaque for their community service.

We enjoyed  and were honored to have so many other community members come out to recognize these special citizens as well.  The following individuals were recognized for their commitment and dedication to our community:

Mark Kilburn - Current Insurance Broker/Consultant for the DJB Group and former Free-lance Writer for the Meadville Tribune.  His "Personality Profiles" made so many people feel special and important.

Kim Lengling - United States Air Force Veteran  and Co-Founder of the local non-profit organization "Embracing Our Veterans".  Kim also is the owner of a local marketing consultant organization, Full Circle Events, LLC.  Her love for the Veteran goes over and beyond!

PAWS Pet Therapy - Ruth Prest and Sue Anderson - This exceptional group  of over 70 trained dogs provides exceptional pet therapy to our Elder's here at Juniper Village but also to many other local nursing facilities, schools, hospitals, and other non-profit organizations.

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 Tom Ridge Environmental Center Trip to learn about the ecosystem and subjects related to Presque Isle State Park on August 11^th at 9:30 pm; our Silver Splash Water Exercise at the YMCA featuring no-impact aerobics designed specifically for older adults on August 12^th at 12:30 pm; our Crawford County Fair Trips for delicious traditional foods, music, and truck and tractor pulls on August 18^th and 19^th; or our Butterfly Presentation where you can learn more about the life cycle and environmental importance of the beautiful insects on August 25^th at 3:00 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.

Pet Therapy at the Conneaut Lake Bark Park

The therapeutic use of pets as companions has gained increasing attention in recent years for a wide variety of patients such as the elderly.  Unlike people, with whom our interactions may be quite complex and unpredictable, animals provide a constant source of comfort and focus for attention. Animals bring out our nurturing instinct. They also make us feel safe and unconditionally accepted. We can just be ourselves around our pets.  Research has shown that pet ownership can:  reduce stress-induced symptoms, lower blood pressure,  bringing a pet into a nursing home or hospital can boost peoples' moods and enhance their social interaction, and  add years to your life.

Resident's of Juniper Village at Meadville enjoyed an outing to the Conneaut Lake Bark Park to enjoy a day of Agility Trials.  Thank you to the Conneaut Lake Bark Park for providing a day of fun and therapy for our residents.  Our next trip to the Bark Park will be to attend the upcoming "Doggy Marriage Ceremony".

 Who would have thought Pet Therapy could become so creative?  We encourage all you dog lover's to go and visit the Bark Park.  What a terrific asset to the local community!

Juniper Village at Meadville Welcomes Two New Associates

Renee Peterson as Connections Director and Brenton Steiger as Director of Community Relations

Juniper Village at Meadville is excited to welcome Renee Peterson and Brenton Steiger to their family of associates. “Renee and Brenton are wonderful additions to our team here in Meadville,” says Jennifer Musone, Executive Director. “Their energy and positive outlook on life will enhance our everyday operations and interactions with the residents and community.”

Renee Peterson, started June 17. She is in charge of developing a monthly calendar of activities and outings for the residents. Prior to Juniper, she was an activities aide in a nursing home for three years. When she first began in the industry, she didn’t think she could make it past her first day. But, her love of people and wanting them to experience the joy and purpose in the life they have left kept her in the industry.

Being in charge of activities, she hopes to bring more intergenerational events and opportunities to Juniper Village. Also, she wants to increase the number of outings each month in which the residents can participate. She will be looking at what works, what draws people to participate, and what doesn’t. Renee will also be getting feedback on the activities from the resident council.

Renee grew up in Hadley and now resides in Cochranton with her family. Her 9 ½ year old daughter Faith, loves going to Juniper and talking to the residents. She is always excited to be at the community.

Brenton Steiger started at Juniper Village at Meadville on June 18. He is the new Director of Community Relations and as such, will be providing tours and working on admissions for Juniper. He has a 12 year history in the health care field in several venues including home medical equipment, long term care, acute care, skilled nursing facilities, and personal care communities.

He is especially interested in being able to make true connections with the residents living at Juniper Village and their families. Brenton will be heavily engaged in promoting Juniper and its services, growing the community, and forging relationships between Juniper and the Meadville community-at-large.

Brenton is excited to be back in Meadville as he too grew up in the vicinity. He now resides in Vanango.

Why Transition to a Plant-Based Diet?

Juniper Village at Meadville held a Lunch and Learn with Leslie Blake of Leslie Blake Studio’s and Plant Based Nutrition Consultant.  Our community members enjoyed a free plant based lunch prepared by Leslie Blake and learned about the food and the healing power it provides when eating nutrient-dense plant-based foods.

Plant-based nutrition is consuming a diet of whole plant foods including whole grain products, legumes, vegetables and fruits that provide all the nutrients that the human body requires:  carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and sufficient calories. Did you know that many chronic illnesses can be linked to our meat, dairy, and fat-laden western diet?  Diseases such as:  heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and digestive disorders can be reduced, controlled or reversed by adopting a plant-based diet. 

The world is full of information and misinformation.  It can be challenging and overwhelming to separate what is true and what is not.  Leslie can help you achieve your health and nutrition goals as well as clear some confusion.  For more information on Plant Based Nutrition, please visit Leslie’s Facebook page, “Leslie Blake Studio’s” or call 814-967-3010.

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 Alive in All Seasons Dinner and Hospice Volunteer Presentation featuring a fabulous supper and a discussion on how you can make a positive impact on other’s lives through volunteering on July 10^th at 5:45 pm; our Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast where we invite all of you who have volunteered with us to enjoy a tasty meal with a hearty side of gratitude on July 12^th at 9:00 am; our Retired Senior Volunteer Program Lunch and Learn where you can dine on delicious fare while hearing about a great opportunity to socialize and share your skills with others on July 18^th from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm; or our Community Volunteer Awards Recognition Wine and Cheese Reception where we will award several community members who have gone over and beyond in making people feel nurtured on July 23^rd at 5:00 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.