November 2015 Events in Lebanon, PA: Cherish The Journey

Family is a simple word, with complex meaning. To some family is the people you are related to by blood, but to some family is the people you choose to hold in high regard, and to others family isn’t people at all, but animals – our beloved pets.

Regardless of the definition, family plays an important role in our personal journey. As the saying goes, “Family is what you make it.” Whether made of blood relatives, friends, colleagues or pets, your family can offer you the support you need to thrive.

This month we celebrate family and reflect on our personal journeys while creating new memories for the future. Join us as we reminisce about these journeys through autobiographical journaling. Plan to share with those less fortunate through our annual food drive from November 1-30 with all non-perishable food items being donated to a local food bank. Also interact and share with others through our community support groups, and know that you are not alone. Throughout the month we will also be hosting several family events as we celebrate family and give thanks. We encourage you to review our calendar and join us for any or all of our events and Cherish The Journey!

Our fabulous November 2015 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon include our:

§  Juniper Village Fall Food Drive as Residents are collecting canned goods and nonperishable food items for our Third Annual Fall Food Drive, to feed the hungry by filling the donation boxes located in our entryways, with all proceeds to be given to Lebanon County Christian Ministries, so drop off anytime from November 1^st to November 30^th.

§  Veterans’ Aid & Attendance Information Session as Veterans who qualify for the Aid and Attendance Program may find their financial situation actually improves, so find out if you qualify by attending this free informational meeting in The Club of the Community House, which is open to all veterans and their families on November 4^th at noon. (RSVP to 717-272-8782.)

§  Cultivating Inner Wisdom unique program is open to the community and will be held in the Village Garden Room with Therapist Michele Miller, who will provide techniques you can use to cultivate the wisdom you have acquired throughout your lifetime, and provide suggestions on how that wisdom can be used to help others from a mind, body, spirit perspective realizing that they are interconnected, and an integrated approach to wholeness and healing, “Working with the whole person offers a complete and integrated way of being and doing that makes life's journey more manageable,” on November 9^th at 3:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our November 2015 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon with you as we Cherish The Journey.

An Unusual Visitor Arrives at Juniper Village at Lebanon... A GIANT TORTOISE!

The Residents of Juniper Village at Lebanon were amazed to see a giant desert tortoise walk through the back gate of the courtyard.  "Toto" is the family pet of co-worker, Becky Duke, Connections Assistant.  Becky's son Jeff raised Toto from a 15 pound baby tortoise to his current weight of 62 pounds.  Residents were amazed to hear that tortoises can live to be over 100 years old and over 150 pounds. Jeff told them about Toto's eating preferences, which included some of the flowers and juicy, ripe tomatoes that were growing in our courtyards.  Everyone was amazed at how fast Toto explored both courtyards from end to end.  He seemed to have as much fun as the residents, who were still talking about him the next day.  The residents love all pet visitors, but this was the first time any of them had ever seen such a large turtle!

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME...

A multi-generational group set out from Juniper Village at Lebanon to journey to Pennsylvania's capitol city of Harrisburg to see the Senators play a team from Maryland. Everyone had a fantastic time, thanks to resident Sharon Mingo, who won 20 tickets to watch a baseball game from a Skybox and decided to share them with us!  We took the elevator to the top floor and entered our air-conditioned suite, although nearly everyone opted for the deeply padded outdoor armchairs instead.  Sharon even bought water bottles for everyone.  The youngsters in the group (grandchildren and great-grandchildren) were thrilled to get their pictures taken with the team mascot.

The view of the capitol buildings across the river from the back of our suite was breathtaking!  There was as much action taking place on the river as there was on the ballfield!  Many thanks to Sharon for her generosity and for providing this memorable day for all of us!

A Picnic with Butterflies, Ducks and a Pig!

Who would believe that within a few miles of Juniper Village at Lebanon we would be able to picnic with butterflies, ducks and a pig?!

Residents boarded the bus and traveled a few short miles to Dreamscapes Watergardens and Butterfly House, just north of Lebanon.  The weather was perfect, and we got up close to the butterflies, with some landing on our residents.  The guides told us about the types of butterflies that were in the house and about their lifecycles.  One young visitor was proud to show Betty Werner a "butterfly on a stick"! There was also a potbellied pig and a beautiful duck just a few steps away from our picnic tables in the pavilion.

The residents enjoyed the coolness of the gift shop and the many beautiful Koi Ponds there.

Music and Memory: Where Words Fail, Music Speaks

Earlier this year Juniper Communities introduced the Music & Memory program in all of its Wellspring Memory Care communities. The response to this innovative program has been overwhelmingly positive. We are proud to announce that we are now rolling out the Music and Memory Program into our Assisted Living, Personal Care and Skilled Nursing communities as well.  Juniper Village at Lebanon is proud to kick off this program with two events scheduled in the upcoming months and invite you to join us!

October 12 at 11:30 AM: ALIVE INSIDE SCREENING An inspirational and emotional story left the audience humming, clapping and cheering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. The film dramatically portrays the power of music and memory. A complimentary lunch will be served during the screening along with discussion on how music impacts each of us daily, especially those who live with dementia. Please RSVP by calling 717-272-8782.

 

November 17 at 6:00 PM: MUSIC SOOTHES THE SOUL Katherine Hoopes, music therapist and resident of Juniper Village at Lebanon, will share the clinical benefits of, and her personal experiences with, the positive effects of music. Light refreshments will be served afterwards. Please RSVP by calling 717-272-8782.

If you are able to make any of our upcoming events, or have questions about Music and Memory, please contact our Connections Director at 717-272-8782.

October 2015 Events in Lebanon, PA: Show Your Colors

Every October we turn our Alive in All Seasons focus to holidays and sports as we “Keep the Spirit” during this last celebratory quarter of the year. Sporting events are inevitably part of that celebration for many families.

According to Dr. Renee Clauselle, founder of Child and Family Psychology, “Bonding over sports — the highs and lows of the game — strengthens ties, helps us feel supported, and makes it easier for you to open up about personal things.” Think of sports as an opportunity to connect with others over a favorite – or even rival – team and learn more about each other. Even strangers can learn more about where they grew up, which teams they support, which sports they played and how those sports are different today. You may even learn something about your loved ones that you never knew. Perhaps great-grandma played softball in a women’s league during college. That would be something to pass along to future generations! Watching a sporting event can become so much more than plays and scores; it can become an opportunity to learn the history of someone you love.

Join us this month and “Show Your Colors” as we sponsor a local sports team, get into the spirit of the season with our Halloween Costume Party and honor those associates who go above and beyond with our annual Juniper Spirit Awards.

Our fabulous October 2015 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon include our:

§  Wounded Warrior Fundraiser Motorcycle Ride as our sister community, Juniper Village at Mount Joy, is coordinating a Wounded Warrior’s Fundraiser Motorcycle Ride and the riders will be stopping by our campus to take a short break from their ride in the Village Lobby, and close to 60 bikers are expected to participate, so please come out to greet these individuals and thank them for their support of the PA Wounded Warriors, on October 3^rd at 10:30 am.

§  “Puttin’ on the Glitz” event in The Club of the Community House as we join the Lebanon Valley Home Economics Association for a fashion show explaining ways to spruce up your outfit with Whimzee Boutique providing all of the accessories with an opportunity for you to purchase them on October 7^th at 7:00 pm.

§  Family Farm Fair Costume Party and Trick-or-Treat with all young children and family pets invited to participate as Juniper Village will transform into an old fashion farm fair, complete with a miniature pony, pot belly pig, fair-style games, hayrides and fun snacks with Juniper Village Residents handing out candy for the children and biscuits for the dogs on October 31^st at 2:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our October 2015 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon with you as we Show Your Colors.