Luau

What does Hawaiian music, a Vibraphone, Hawaiian dancer, colorful attire and fun all have in common? A summer celebration in the courtyard at Juniper Village at Aurora. Rick was playing the Vibraphone playing Tiny Bubbles in the Water and various Hawaiian music while Nadine entertained us with her beautiful Hawaiian dancing. She even gave our residents a dance lesson teaching them how to tell a story through moving their hips and waving their hands in the air. A wonderful afternoon was enjoyed by all. Aloha!

Howard & Yvonne

Our residents at Juniper Village at Aurora really enjoy giving back to those less fortunate. Yvonne and Howard were instrumental in putting together buckets of joy for babies in need.  Through word of mouth we found local families needing just that something special to bring smiles to their young ones.  Whose bucket was filled more, our residents or the families?  I know our spirits were filled to the brim by enriching the lives of others.  Way to go Yvonne & Howard!

Kona and Lori from Bessie's Hope

Kona went to pet heaven July 9, but he wants Lori to continue with the elder visits that he enjoyed so much.  He will definitely be there in spirit. Below is a testimony from Lori Powers for a feature we wanted to do.  He died just a couple of days after this was written.  Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Lori, and our gratitude goes out to both Lori and Kona, for all the difference they have made in the lives of elders. Below is a note we received from Lori just before Kona's passing:

Kona and I are SO privileged to be a part of the Juniper Village family. And yes, we do feel like part of the family. We’ve seen growth in one particular resident who lives in Garden House. She had a rocky start when first moving into this wonderful community. In the beginning we were unable to encourage her to interact with Kona and me. We persevered visit after visit. Talk about baby steps, she began petting Kona minutes at a time. Then she began talking with me a bit. Every interaction was a victory. We’ve seen her blossom, comfortably accepting and becoming a part of Juniper Village.

So many residents have blessed us. Kona knows when someone starts their day on the wrong side of the bed. He just knows this stuff. After introducing Kona to the person, I ask if they would like to pet him. They may only give him one or two pats on the head then stop. However, Kona continues to stay with that resident, lying beside their chair for several minutes. They will look down at him occasionally, smiling. We can get residents to speak to him when they seem unable to do so. We can get residents allow me to move their contracted hands to pet Kona. Their smiles bless us. With no urging some residents will talk with us about their childhood, clearly remembering every detail of that time long ago. The biggest victory is when Kona brings a resident back to the here and now. If only for a few minutes. When our visit ends so does the victory. Or does it? We still get a smile from that person. Sometimes it’s the small things which make all of us happy. Now that’s victory!

Thank you for the privilege and blessing of being a part of Juniper Village.

July 2017 Events in Aurora, CO: Stand In Integrity

Each summer Juniper Village begins our quarterly Alive in All Seasons focus on Staying Connected. We promote staying connected to the community, the environment and each other. In July we shed light on staying connected to our community through volunteerism. Do you know that, as a company, we receive more than 10,000 hours of precious volunteer time each year? We have many volunteers, both human and animal, who contribute to our mission of nurturing the spirit of life. Elizabeth Andrew said it best, “volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” This month we honor all of the wonderful volunteers who make time to share a bit of their heart with us. We appreciate those who lead groups in our communities; those who share their unique skills and talents with our residents; those who provide friendly visits to our residents and give a reassuring hug or comforting puppy kiss; and the many, many other special people who enhance our lives.

This month as we focus on volunteerism we invite you to find a way that you can make a difference. Whether helping us at Juniper Village or another organization, volunteering has countless emotional and physical health benefits. Volunteering gives a boost not only to those receiving, but to those giving of their time as well.

Review our full calendar and make time to join us for any and all events.

This month we highlight our Ambassador Program and other volunteer opportunities for residents. In addition to volunteer opportunities, we invite you to join us during July for our summer celebrations and share our thanks as we honor those who Stand In Integrity with us.

Our fabulous July 2017 events in Aurora, CO at Juniper Village at Aurora include our:

§  Volunteering and Serving Seniors (Caring for the Caregiver) to reach out and stay connected to those in the community who are in need of a helping hand, please join our Juniper Village Task Force, as we prepare to visit the community at large and graciously serve our ever so loved senior population who are in dire need of an extra helping hand, full of support, care, and love, so if you know someone in need, call us today at 303-341-6335 to share your story and help will be on its way the entire month of July.

§  Memories in the Making: Auction and Artwork to come join Juniper Village and unleash your “Inner-Picasso” with a silent auction honoring our residents and their Memories in the Making, programming with all donations to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, as appetizers and refreshments will be served on July 20^th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

§  Meals on 4 Wheels as our team will assemble our Task Force and be ready to drop off meals to those seniors most in need, so please share who we can help by calling us today at 303-341-6335, because we are ready to put our capes on and fly Juniper style on July 26^th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our July 2017 events in Aurora, CO at Juniper Village at Aurora with you as you Stand In Integrity.

Car Hop

Wow, amazing, what a great time we had were the comments from our Father’s Day Car Hop at Juniper Village at Aurora.  Family members, car club members and motorcycle members were just delighted and reminisced about the vintage cars.  One family member said to her husband, “look honey, this car is as old as you are”. The 10 motorcycles and their riders were a wonderful addition to our car hop this year. Shelvis and The Roustabouts performed a “sell out” show as usual while residents, family members and friends danced to the tunes such as You Ain’t Nothing But A Hound Dog and other famous Elvis songs.

We are so excited for next year’s show as it will grow and grow with more excitement, cars and motorcycles.

The Power of Music & Memory

“Music, what a joy it brought to my heart on this day!” Krystal Ryan, Connections Director remarked as she focused her attention on Ronnie sitting in the back of our room enjoying live entertainment and wanted to find a way to engage her. Krystal began to sing and dance beside her, her eyes filled with joy, heart and happiness. Ronnie’s mood changed to pure happiness and delight as she came to life through the music. As you can see, she began to dance, clap and play the piano with her hands.

Music is something that we all take for granted, but if you take the time to listen, you’ll find yourself enchanted!

Music is for everyone, the young, the old, and those in between. Now, take some time to listen and find what music means to you!

June 2017 Events in Aurora, CO: Live In Wellness

“You are what you eat.” The old adage is now truer than ever. Good health is largely dependent on good nutrition, so much so that doctors trace many physical and emotional ailments back to a diet deficient in vitamins and minerals. Eating a well-balanced diet is a major part of encouraging long life, lowering the incidence of disease, and helping sick people recover. On the flip side, inadequate nutrition and poor quality foods can generally cut life span and open us up to many illnesses and disease. In effect, food is medicine per Webster's definition of medicine: "The science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease." Food acts as medicine - to maintain, prevent, and treat disease.

With this month’s Alive in All Seasons focus on food, we’d like to give you a prescription for a healthy diet: breakfast daily (do not skip); meals x3 (at least) daily; foods from each of the food groups per meal daily. The food pyramid defines the food groups as grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and proteins. The amounts vary according to age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. Here’s a good guideline to start you on your way. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Make half your grains whole grains. Move to low-fat and fat-free dairy. Vary your protein routine and eat and drink the right amount for you.

Join us as we continue our focus on healthy aging by shedding light on our hydration program with healthy snacks and juices, and demonstrate how food and nutrition help us to Live in Wellness from a dietitian’s point of view.

Our fabulous June 2017 events in Aurora, CO at Juniper Village at Aurora include our:

§  Annual Father’s Day Car Hop & Car Show to celebrate Father’s Day 1950s style with a good old fashioned classic car show as we join the Juniper Car Hops for an afternoon of fun, fun, fun ‘til your daddy takes the T-Bird away with “Shelvis and The Roustabouts” who will entertain you with their classic rock and roll tunes on June 10^th from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm.

§  The Alzheimer’s Association and Juniper Present The Basics Class because Alzheimer’s Disease is not a normal part of aging, and if you or someone you know is affected by Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia it’s time to learn the facts, so the Colorado Alzheimer’s Association presents “Understanding the Basics and Fundamentals of Dementia” with this program held at Juniper Village of Aurora that provides information, detection, causes and risk factors, stages of the disease, treatments, and much more, as Caregivers, Family Members and Professionals are all welcome, and light refreshments will be served on June 17^th from 10:00 am to noon. (RSVP to 800-272-3900 or email holden@alz.org.)

§  Kick Off To Summer Luau to pull out your grass skirt, dust off your coconut shells, grab your lei because it is time to kick off summer with tropical drinks and eats, entertainment and fun for all, so come get on your Limbo on June 21^st from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our June 2017 events in Aurora, CO at Juniper Village at Aurora with you as you Live In Wellness.