Elvis Is In The Building!

We were "all shook up" when Elvis arrived at Juniper Village to sing many of his most famous numbers!  Resident Paul Hirlinger got up to sing several numbers with Elvis (also known as D.J. John Garloff). Staff member Lindsay went up to sing and do sign language for "Jesus Loves Me", and at the end of the show, Paul helped Elvis throw scarves out to the ladies in the audience.  It was a great afternoon of singing and swooning in honor of Elvis's birthday!

The Endless Banana Split!

Here at Juniper Village at Lebanon, we know that the answer to any problem known to man is: "Ice Cream"!  Many of us would like to eat it morning, noon, and night, so imagine how excited we were to participate in making a six-foot Banana Split!  Everyone pitched in to peel and slice bananas, scoop the ice cream, add the toppings, dish it out, and of course, eat it!  Residents, staff, and family members of all ages were on hand to taste the finished product, which was fantastic!

Giraffe Award Winners Announced!

In December at Juniper Village at Lebanon, five co-workers were chosen to receive the prestigious Giraffe Award, which signifies excellence in work performance and "going above and beyond" to bring a special quality of life for our residents and coworkers.  The five coworkers chosen were:  Evette Hernandez, Connections Department; Charmain Wenger, Wellness; Sarah May, Wellness; Lindsay Bender, Business Office Coordinator Assistant; and Tina Garloff, Dining Services.  Each one of these outstanding individuals received a special giraffe pin and a hug from the founder of Juniper Village, Lynne Katzman.  We could fill many pages with the accomplishments and talents of these wonderful people!  Just like the giraffe, they each have a big heart, and it shows in their work each day.  Our director Joan-Marie also handed out Giraffe Awards to each resident, as we are blessed to have so many wonderful residents living here, each with their own unique talent or trait.  Look for many of these awards to be posted on their doors!

Ringing in the New Year at Juniper Village!

We rang in the New Year a little early this year at Juniper Village at Lebanon.  Our favorite piano player, Karl Hausman, was only available on Dec. 30th, so that's when we celebrated New Year's Eve, complete with our own Bologna Drop!  Dropping a giant piece of bologna has been a tradition in Lebanon for 20 years, but we think that our own bologna drop is even better than the one being held downtown on the 31st. First of all, it's held inside, where it's nice and warm.  We get to eat bologna and cheese the whole time and toast at "midnight" (really 7 pm) with real sparkling wine or sparkling cider.  When the lights were turned down and the countdown began, the excitement built to a crescendo when the bologna was finally dropped, and people lifted their glasses to toast the New Year.  We wish all of our families and friends a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year in 2017.

How to Build a Snowman Without Any Snow!

There it was, the end of December, and no snow! So how could we build snowmen? Debra and Joe from Hospice For All Seasons had the answer! Simply use rice and a child's colorful sock, and voila! Snowmen! The residents had a wonderful time decorating their own personal snowmen, with no two looking the same! The best part was, we didn't have to worry about them melting!

January 2017 Events in Lebanon, PA: Welcome New Beginnings

Welcome to 2017! What a wonderful time for us to reflect on the past year and forge ahead with new beginnings. January is a time to begin again; a time when we make (and sometimes break) our New Year’s resolutions and focus on how we want to improve in the coming year.

January is also the month that Juniper Village begins our Winter Alive In All Seasons theme of Creative Expressions: “Explore Your Creativity” where in January we will focus on music! Do you know that research shows that music can help us physically by easing pain, helping us sleep better, eat less and enhance our blood vessel function? It is also suggested that music can help us mentally by reducing stress, relieving symptoms of depression, elevating mood, decreasing anxiety and improving cognitive performance. Because of this, Juniper Communities has adopted the Music & Memory program.

Through the use of MP3 players and headphones our teams download personalized music for each resident. These musical favorites tap deep memories and can bring participants back to life, enabling them to feel like themselves again, to converse, socialize and stay present. Learn more about our Music & Memory program by talking with our Connections Director and consider making a donation to this worthwhile program. We accept donations of new or used iPods, new over the ear headphones and iTunes gift cards.

Join us this month as we explore our creativity through music with outings to local musical performances, Elvis’ birthday celebrations and concerts by our Joyful Noise Choirs. We invite you to Welcome New Beginnings at Juniper Village and make a resolution to join us for activities and events throughout the year!

Our fabulous January 2017 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon include our:

§  How to Keep Your Lungs Healthy During the Winter Months with Jay Diaz, Respiratory Care Practitioner and owner of C&OPD (Conquering & Overcoming Pulmonary Disease, PLLC), will share ways to keep our lungs healthy through the cold and flu season with a light, healthy lunch provided, and there is no cost to attend this educational program, which will be held in The Club of the Community House on January 11^th from noon to 1:30 pm. (RSVP by January 9^th to 717-272-8782.)

§  Women’s Heart Disease Support Group Hosted by WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital that provides women living with heart disease critical peer-to-peer support, information and encouragement, and this month will be held in The Club of the Community House, with a copy of the schedule and other site locations available at this meeting on January 19^th from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. (RSVP to 717-272-8782.)

§  Havin’ Fun Beatin’ the Drum with Wendy and Scott Gilbert who will share their passion and the therapeutic benefits of “beating the drum” at this hands-on Drum Circle session that will lift your spirit and soothe your soul on January 26^th from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. (RSVP to 717-272-8782.)

§  Blood Drive For Central PA Blood Bank because each pint of blood donated can save as many as three lives, so join us at Juniper Village to make your contribution to the Central PA Blood Bank, as everyone’s participation is encouraged and much appreciated at this event set-up in The Club of the Community House on January 30^th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. (No RSVP required and a special “Goody Bag” will be given to each participant.)

We look forward to sharing our January 2017 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon with you as you Welcome New Beginnings.