Connect 4 Life - Integrated Care in Seniors Housing

In March the Directors of Wellness met to discuss the Importance of Integrated Care, which is the main stay of Juniper Communities' Connect4Life.  Statistics show when a Community provides three key components; onsite delivery of primary care, a "high-tech" foundation of shared data and a "high-touch" coordinator that facilitates a seamless provision of services, the customer truly benefits.  Juniper Communities study compared the population of customers residing in managed care communities and similar frail Medicare recipients.  The key results show hospitalizations were reduced by 50%, re-hospitalizations were reduced by over 80%.  Further study needs to be done, but these results suggest these positive outcomes are a result of a foundation of excellence and consistent quality of integrated care.

Pictured on top from left to right are some of our fabulous Directors of Community Relation: Kathryn Bainbridge, Brookline Senior Living; Katie Kensinger, Brookline Wellspring Memory Care; Brenda Dahlberg, Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care; Christine Heibel, Lebanon; and Bonnie Prisk, Forest Hills. Pictured on bottom from left to right are some of our wonderful Directors of Wellness: Susan Deitzler, Lebanon; Missy Ebner, Home Office; Katie Castro, Brookline Senior Living; Veronica Graham, Mount Joy; Muriel Myers, Forest Hills; and Dana Theis, Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care.

Read more in the FREE White Paper!

The First Day of Spring!

How do we celebrate the First Day of Spring at Juniper Village at Lebanon?  Why, by going to Dairy Queen, of course!  When we heard on the news that our local Dairy Queen was offering FREE ice cream cones on the First Day of Spring, we instantly planned an impromptu bus trip at the only time of day that wasn't filled with an activity already: 3:15 pm.  This must have been exactly the right time to be at Dairy Queen, because we walked right up to the counter without a wait, found seats for everyone, and leisurely enjoyed our free cones.  However, on our way out, the lines were forming and even the drive-up lane was packed!  We made it back to Juniper Village in time to play Bocce with satisfied smiles on our faces!  We are hoping to make this an annual excursion!

Connect4Life Leads to Better Outcomes for Residents

Integrated Care in Seniors Housing that Meets the Triple Aim from Cindy Longfellow

Data shows Connect4Life’s high-tech/high-touch integrated services lead to higher quality care and better outcomes for residents

Executive Summary: Integrated Care in Seniors Housing that Meets
the Triple Aim

By Anne Tumlinson, MMHS and Lynne Katzmann, PhD

According to the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, more than 190 million Americans, or about 59 percent of the population, are affected by one or more chronic illnesses. Over the next 15 years (between 2016 and 2030,) 80 percent of the United States population will experience one or more chronic conditions, costing more than $42 trillion in medical care spending and losses in employment productivity.

To address these challenges and enhance the resident experience, Juniper Communities, a Bloomfield, NJ-based national owner-operator of seniors housing, developed the Connect4Life model, which provides on-site comprehensive therapy, primary care, pharmacy and lab services, integrated with other services using a “high-tech/high-touch” communications protocol that transfers information through an Electronic Health Record (EHR) and coordinates care through a human navigator.

Juniper Communities retained Anne Tumlinson Innovations (ATI) to compare Connect4Life outcomes and utilization data with data on the broader Medicare population from the 2012 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). The findings suggest that the Connect4Life model contributes to lower hospital readmissions and the utilization of inpatient services among a high-need resident population. The results affirm the potential of integrating select clinical care and services in a seniors housing environment that provides supportive services to those who have chronic conditions, functional limitations, and complex social needs.

The results suggest an integrated program of services in seniors housing—like Juniper’s Connect4Life —can contribute to reducing the cost of care and services to Medicare beneficiaries residing in seniors housing. More importantly, the data points to the value of the Connect4Life model for managing population health because of its ability to efficiently target integrated care interventions in the high cost, high-need Medicare population.

Juniper Communities has been a thought leader in senior living care, developing nearly a dozen innovative service and delivery programs to enhance aging, lifestyle and resident health. Recognizing opportunities in to meet the triple aim of recent health policy changes in the United States – improved customer satisfaction, evidence-base quality and lower healthcare utilization, Juniper is pioneering Connect 4 Life – one of senior living’s first truly integrated care models of assisted living care and service.

Read more in the FREE White Paper!

Fine Pottery Art at Juniper Village

We are very fortunate to have a pottery instructor who is willing to bring everything needed right to us to complete beautiful pottery pieces starting from a ball of clay! Everyone learned how to flatten the clay ball by throwing it down on the table, tracing the shape of their choice onto the clay, painting the clay, and then forming it into a bowl shape. M.J. McFalls, our instructor, then took the pieces to her pottery studio in Myerstown to be fired in her kiln. Everyone was thrilled with the finished pieces, complete with each artist's signature on the bottom!

Six More Weeks of Winter?!

We love groundhogs at Juniper Village at Lebanon!  So we were especially happy when "Uni" the Groundhog made a special stop in The Village to predict the next six weeks of weather.  "Uni" actually has a better record of predicting correctly than his cousin "Punxatawny Phil", who predicted six more weeks of winter.  "Uni", however, said that we will NOT have six more weeks of winter.  With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, we would have to say that "Uni" was correct!  And even if he wasn't, the Ground Hog Lodge members say that he is never wrong, the weather is sometimes wrong, though!  We were also surprised to see a full-sized groundhog, who greeted everyone personally!  Many thanks to Ground Hog Lodge #17 for making their annual visit to Juniper Village, and for speaking to us in Pennsylvania Dutch!  It brought back memories for many of us!

March 2017 Events in Lebanon, PA: Your Treasure is Within

Theatrical readings, colorful costumed dancers and spectacular vocal performances bring to a close our creative expression quarterly theme with a focus on performance and honoring our inner treasure – our self-worth. With so many demands on our time these days, it’s easy to always put others first and forget to care of ourselves. Also as we get older, retire from work and in some cases caretaking, we may forget our sense of value – our self-worth. A large part of nurturing the spirit of life is providing opportunities for purpose.

This month we will put an even greater focus on identifying our continued purpose and self-worth by performing purposeful activities, reminiscing and creating opportunities to treasure ourselves. Motivational speaker Anne Naylor offers these tips to help you treasure yourself: Treasure your thoughts with kindness – nurture your thoughts of gratitude and appreciation. Treasure your feelings and emotions – observe and use them as your guide. Treasure your body – treat it well with exercise, nourishment, rest, joy and laughter. Treasure your spirit – breathe, meditate and enjoy the goodness in your life. We hope you all enjoy the treasure of your wonderful self.

Please join us as we dramatically embrace performance throughout March with our weekly drama club, outings to live theatrical performances and our Oscar-themed party. Celebrate the Irish culture in grand style with our Saint Patrick’s Day event filled with food, fun and, of course, dancing! Honor yourself and recognize Your Treasure is Within this month at Juniper Village!

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

§  How to Keep Your Lungs Healthy During the Allergy Season with Jay Diaz, Respiratory Care Practitioner and owner of C&OPD (Conquering & Overcoming Pulmonary Disease, PLLC), will share ways to keep our lungs healthy during the allergy season; there is no cost to attend this educational program, which will be held in The Club of the Community House, and a light, healthy lunch will be provided on March 8^th from noon to 1:30 pm. (Space is limited and reservations are required by Monday, March 6^th at 717-272-8782.)

§  After Hours Performance by Bryan Stevenson who will entertain you with everything from classical music to popular hits, and if you didn’t get a chance to come out and hear Bryan last year, you won’t want to miss this year’s performance, so stop by The Club of the Community House after work or dinner for an opportunity to relax and unwind because as they say, music soothes the soul, and light refreshments will be served; there’s no cost to participate and everyone is welcome to join us on March 15^th from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. (No RSVPs required.)

§  Laughter, Wellness & PHresh Outlooks Presented by Helen Szollosy from LAFOLOT as we welcome the start of stress-free living, and learn how to get our daily dose of Inner Jogging as the purpose of LAFOLOT is to provide healthy and fun wellness, socialization and positive outlook tools to aid in Healthy Socialization, Healthier Outlook, and improved mental, physical and emotional responses to life; this complimentary, fun presentation will be held in the Village Lobby on March 22^nd from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. (Please RSVP at 717-272-8782.)

§  Spring Fling Breakfast Reception because it’s time to Spring into action as we take this opportunity to build business connections at this event held in The Club that is complimentary to individuals who help serve seniors, including social workers, nurses, personal care and nursing home staff, lawyers, financial advisors, and a complimentary light breakfast will be served on March 28^th from 7:30 am to 9:00 am. (Please RSVP at 717-272-8782.)

We look forward to sharing our March 2017 events in Lebanon, PA at Juniper Village at Lebanon with you as Your Treasure is Within.