A Beautiful day, A Beautiful Experience!

Juniper Village at Aurora participated in the 2011 "Walk to End Alzheiumer's" on Saturday, September 17th, held at Denver City Park. It was a perfect day to walk for a great cause. The walk is a fundraiser for research and education for  Alzheimer's Disease. As weknow. much research is happening everyday. The Alzheimer's Association is an excellent resource for people afflicted with the disease, their families, and our staff. For more information and.or statistics, please visit the website at: www.alz.org.

Juniper residents, staff, and families came together for a jointed team effort. Prior to the start of the walk, we had the opportunity to explore the many booths and exhibits there, or even get a snack at the food area. Once the announcer told us to gather at the starting line, the Juniper team, decked out in our Juniper Giraffe shirts, met up with the 8,000 others who came out that day to show their support.  Many were from other communities/facilities that specialized in memory care, as we do, and others who have in some way been touched by a family member/friend with Alzheimer's Disease.  At the walk, we were all moved to see how many people came out for this event, it almost doubled in size from the previous years. This year those who registered received a flower to represent in what way they have been affected by Alzheimer's Disease-What a Flower Garden it was! We walked around the park, and when we reached the end of our journey, we were elated with joy that we also reached our goal. What a great day it was for a "walk in the park."

Spread Your Joy!

Spread Your Joy is the Theme for September, and here at Juniper Village of Aurora, We certainly did that when we celebrated with our Best Friends Week. A Best Friend is someone you find comfort in,someone you can tell your deepest secrets with, and someone that you can just have a Great Big old Laugh with. That's what we did this past week at Juniper! One of Juniper's signature programs, "Partner's in Caring" has a component called the Best Friends Program, where each associate is matched up with a resident, who they will spend a little more extra time with during the week. The connections department offers many programs that allow the Best Friends to meet up and have fun together. September, being that it focuses on friendship, we had the chance to do just that! We started off the week on Sunday baking cookies with our Friend, the next day we celebrated with our Ice Cream Social, where everyone got to pick out from 3 flavors and any topping of choice. What a Delicious Treat that was! Oh the laughs we had on Tuesday, when we had a blast dressing up with our Best friends in an array of different masks and costumes to take a Funny Best Friends Picture; some of which are now displayed in our Juniper display case. Along comes Wednesday, and we celebrated with a Best Friends CARNIVAL Day, where we had balloon hats & animals, cotton candy & cupcakes, Pie Throwing Contest, and plenty of fun carnival games, such as Plinko, SkeeBall, and target toss. On Thursday evening, at 6pm, we had our very first 1920's Flapper Party, which was a huge success! The residents and staff danced together with their friends, displaying such dance moves as the box step, and the Charlston, along with quite a few fancy turns. There were plenty of dance partners, to go around and plenty of Fun! Those who chose to sit and watch also enjoyed deviled eggs, apple pie, and other hors d'oeuvres offered that evening. Last Off, we ended our Amazing week with a Best Friends Pizza Party. We all came hungry, and got to sit and bond with our best friend over the weeks events while enjoying a Nice slice of of pizza pie. Both Staff and Residents had an amazing week spending time with their best friend, and we look forward to many more upcoming events together! Remember to have fun & Spread Your Joy with Others! 

   

Happy Anniversary Juniper Aurora!

Aurora turns 12 this year, and what better way to celebrate, than to spend it with Friends and Family!! On August 16, we had a luau with a

pig roast, Hawaiian ukulele music, and Tons of fun! Juniper Communities not only reaches out to our current resident families, but also welcomes old friends as well. We were more than happy to see some old faces, along with many new ones! Our families had a blast as they enjoyed the delicious pig roast, and Hawaiian side dishes, along with wonderful music to dance to. While the Hula was demonstrated by our Connections director, Nancy, others also took part in the dance
festivities. Although the weather wasn't quite up to par, a Great time was had by all, and we look forward to another Great Year!

The Juniper Family

Juniper Village at Aurora was recently re certified with the Alzheimer's Foundation of America because of our excellence and commitment to dementia care. The staff at Juniper Village are a very selective group as they have the biggest caring hearts and the most compassion for our residents. Their everyday commitment to our residents does and will not go unrecognized, therefore they should Stand in Integrity. As our mission is to nurture the spirit of life in each individual we touch, promote healthy aging and become alive in all seasons, we remember our mission with each task we perform on a daily basis. So to each of our staff here at Juniper Village at Aurora, we recognize everyone as a hero.

Benefiting the Spirit

The Fourth of July came in with a sunny blaze at Juniper Village at Aurora as we celebrated our Independence with a BBQ in our courtyard. Of course, we didn't let the heat bother us as we had a joyous time listening to the amazing humming sound of the bagpipes and enjoyed a classic American cheeseburger. During this day, we like to acknowledge the men and women who are in, and have served in, the military to give us a free country and let them know that they should Stand in Integrity. In the month of July, our focus is on volunteerism, and with many activities centered around volunteering, we invite you to recognize our volunteers of Juniper Village at Aurora to a luncheon on July 14th at noon. Volunteering is a great way to benefit the mind, body and spirit of both the volunteer and the individual, so join Juniper's focus and lend a helping hand to those in need.

Traveling to the Fabulous Fifties

On Saturday, June 11, 2011, Juniper Village at Aurora traveled back in time to the fifties. Our annual Father's Day Car Hop was a blast as

we dressed the part, listened to a live band play fifties music, and had restored vehicles displayed at our front entrance. The air was warm and the skies were bright and shiny as we enjoyed cheese burgers and chili dogs; fountain drinks were also available, from old fashion soda bottles to malts and root beer floats. Dancing was an option as many of our residents, families and staff joined in to show off their moves and grove to the fifty's sound. Between the music, great food, great company and great times, these are ways that we can live in wellness and keep a positive mind.

Healthy Aging

The sun was shining and food was sizzling on the grill as Juniper Village at Aurora celebrated Memorial Day on May 30, 2011, with a BBQ
lunch. Families and friends gathered with their loved ones in our courtyard to soak up the sun and enjoy hot dogs, cheeseburgers, cole slaw, baked beans and watermelon. The Memorial Day BBQ was a kick-off to our BBQ's on every Thursday at noon in June and July; the BBQ's are a great way to help get the residents and families to enjoy our beautiful sunny summer days in our courtyard and take in the amazing smell of a grill. Also, within the month of June our mission is to advise about healthy foods that can be beneficial to healthy aging. So, bring your pen and notepad and join us, as we have a registered dietitian discuss about healthy foods during our BBQ on June 16th.