Your Treasure is Within: March Events

Our Alive in All Seasons program is alive and well at Juniper Village. This quarter’s seasonal theme is on Creative Expression: “Explore Your Creativity” and serves to promote our philosophy of encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit. For March, we will turn our focus to Performance: “Your Treasure is Within”.

This month on March 2, 2014 we look forward to the 86^th celebration of the Academy Awards. As we watch popular comedian and talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres host the festivities while the beautiful stars dressed in their finery walk the red carpet we can’t help to stop, to pause and reminisce of all of the great performances of past years. Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Vivien Leigh, Meryl Streep, Peter Ustinov and Dustin Hoffman; the list goes on! In addition to guessing who might win the Oscars for 2014, this month we will be learning about and experiencing all different types of great performance art, enjoying cultural events and trying our hand at acting in drama club.

It’s going to be a theatrical month at Juniper Village at Aurora filled with creativity, great experiences and memorable performances! You are cordially invited to attend our Mardi Gras Celebration Fat Tuesday Dinner Party on March 4^th at 5:00 pm, an outing to Overland High School for a Musical Performance: Once Upon a Mattress on March 5^th at 9:00 am, our St. Patrick’s Day Dinner and Irish High Step Dancers Performance on March 17^th at 5:00 pm, our Creative Corner: Springtime Flower Pots activity on March 29^th at 2:00 pm, or any of our other activities (see our Newsletter for a complete listing).

So come in, and join in on the act to find that “Your Treasure is Within”.

Rodeo Days!

In the Wild West there’s a long standing tradition…attend the National Western Complex in Denver, Colorado for the stock show and rodeos, in January.  One might ask the question, ‘why in January?’…well the answer is simple:  January was a practical choice because, coming after the fall harvest and before spring calving, it was a convenient time for stock growers. Denver businessmen liked the idea of a January show because the post-Christmas period was the slowest time of the year for sales. What better fix for the mid-winter doldrums than a convention that would draw large numbers of visitors and get Denverites out of their homes to see the stock show.  The first show was in 1908, where over 15,000 attendees; the show has been an on-going, all time fav’ for 108 years!!  In 2014, the attendance was a record 644,022…that’s up by over 15,000 from the year before.

There is a lot of history and growth in and around the National Western Show.  Over the years a lot has been added to draw attention and attraction to show.  Chances are if you’ve been to Denver during the Rodeo Days, you just might have been to a show!  Juniper wanted to keep that tradition alive in our spirits by taking a trip to a rodeo show…and ending the day with a cowboy dinner, back at the ranch.  Those that were able to get to the rodeo showed their grand time of enjoyment with the smiles on their faces.  It’s not everyday you get to see those cowboys lasso a sheep!  City folks have always enjoyed everything from prize-winning livestock to exhibits of farm and ranch machinery at the January extravaganza.  Attendees of our Cowboy Dinner enjoyed not only some of the best Beef Stew and Shepard’s Pie ‘round town, they had the pleasure of listening to some true blue cowboy music!

Juniper Village at Aurora Scores Excellence for Third Time

How many times can an organization be rewarded for its excellence in care? One assisted living community is still finding out. We are going for the record when it comes to being recognized for its outstanding person-centered care, staff training, and programming in serving the memory-impaired.

For the third consecutive interval, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America has awarded us its “Excellence in Care, Dementia Care Program of Distinction”. This status is considered the highest hallmark of recognition for long-term care communities offering services for the memory impaired. We received it in 2009-2010; 2011-2013; and 2014-2016.

The team of reviewers from the AFA look to award the status to a company that goes above and beyond every day expectations.  Reviewers observe how the staff interacts with the residents, eye contact, voice and tone used. At minimum, 75% of the staff must be trained in the dementia care curriculum. There is also an evaluation scorecard that rates pain management, education for family and friends, quarterly in-service, observance of safety and security, and an activity program that meets need of residents.

“Receiving the designation reflects the dedication of Juniper’s staff to stay current with the skills they need to provide the best quality care to the residents. It’s also an affirmation that the programs we offer do nurture the spirit of the residents and keep them engaged in living,” expressed Jennifer Harris, our Executive Director.

We provide a continuum of care to 52 residents with dementia. We are part of Juniper Communities, which owns and operates long-term care communities in Colorado, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and offers a signature program called Alive in All Seasons that focuses on residents’ wellness in mind, body and spirit.


We are the first facility in the Southwest and the 13th in the nation to earn this distinction after meeting AFA’s set of comprehensive standards in 2009.

Awaken Your Passion: February Events

This February our Alive in All Seasons’ theme is Art: “Awaken Your Passion”. In a moving quote from Honoré de Balzac we are reminded that art and passion are inextricably linked; he states, “passion is universal humanity; without it, religion, history, romance and art would be useless.” Art is truly a conduit that allows us to experience the richness and brilliance of all that life has to offer. Art can have a profound effect upon us by providing nourishment to our spirit and soul.

As you know there is always something special going on here at Juniper Village at Aurora and this February we will celebrate another wonderful month filled with memories, laughter and the opportunity to create! This month we will open ourselves to various forms of art. We will be taking field trips to local museums, learning about the Great Masters, and creating masterpieces of our own using various mediums.

Please join us for our Successful Communication Workshop at 6:00 pm on February 13^th, our Annual Balloon Bouquets Fundraiser Sale benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association that allows you to order bouquets throughout the month for pick-up from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on February 14^th, and our Art Therapy Lunch and Learn at noon on February 18^th. We encourage you to review our calendar for other offerings and attend any or all of the activities that are of interest to you.

Come get together with us for our Alive in All Seasons programs this February and Awaken Your Passion!

Welcome New Beginnings: January Events

It is hard to believe how time has flown and we now, once again, welcome in a new year—2014! This January, as part of our Alive in All Seasons program we will be celebrating the magic of music. Music has long been recognized as a healing tool in the writings of Pythagoras, Aristotle and Plato. A quote by Plato helps us understand the enormity and power of music; “music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything”.

Music is indeed part of our souls, our imaginations, our lives. It is no wonder that people love music; it inspires us, sparks our minds, taps into our creativity, heals our souls, motivates us to dance, to laugh, to cry. This January we will celebrate music in all its glory!

We will be hosting several open events at our community this month. Please join us for our New Year’s Day Meet and Mingle Luncheon at noon on January 1^st, our Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease workshop with the Alzheimer’s Association at 6:00 pm on January 9^th, our Sing-A-Long with Bessie’s Hope Intergenerational Group at 2:00 pm on January 15^th, and our Gitty Up Cowboy Dinner at 5:00 pm on January 23^rd. We encourage you to review our calendar for other offerings and attend any or all of the activities that are of interest to you.

It’s going to be another great month here at Juniper Village at Aurora. Let us join together in music and “Welcome New Beginnings”. 

Winter Wonderland

With the holiday season upon us, we often take the time to honor and
Celebrate the Little Things that mean so much to so many people. We
make time to visit with those that we are close to, honor the
traditions that are dear to us, create or start new traditions to
honor the beliefs that mean so much to us. At Juniper Village at
Aurora, we make every effort to provide those opportunities for our
residents, families, friends, associates, and the surrounding
community...and with our Winter Wonderland, we were able to do just
that. With the Original Dickens Carolers, singing our most treasured
holiday songs, in their terrific costumes, and their interactive and
engaging skits, we were able to feel the holiday spirit upon us. No
matter what a person's beliefs are around the holiday season, you
could sense the care and love for each person in the building. The
tasty homemade treats (chocolate fudge, oreo truffles, peanut brittle,
brownies, cookies...oh, the little things!!) were enough to make a
person smile. The thing that was most evident was everyone simply
being in the moment and cherishing the relationships we have with each
other.

Celebrate Little Things: December Events

"The more you praise and celebrate your life,

the more there is in life to celebrate" ~Oprah Winfrey

 

This December, as part of our Alive In All Seasons program

we will be focusing on traditions. Traditions play such an

important role within our lives by providing a shared identity

and sense of belonging, comfort and joy. Traditions allow us

to tap into our deep and rich cultural, family and religious

heritage. Our Alive In All Seasons tagline this month of

"Celebrate Little Things" reminds us that these traditions,

many of which are small, little things, can serve as the glue

that binds us together and makes our lives great.

 

Celebrations will be abundant this holiday season here at

Juniper Village as we share memories from our residents,

families and our associates about traditions, beliefs and

customs that have shaped our lives. We will learn about how

other cultures celebrate winter holidays, complete with the

singing of carols and the sampling of some delicious ethnic

treats. We will gain respect and insight into each other as

we reflect upon our unique and cherished traditions, and;

maybe create some new ones along the way!

 

You are cordially invited to join us in celebration for Songs

of Faith, Pictures with Santa, Making Gingerbread Houses,

Creating Christmas Penguins, Building a Snowman, Baking

Norwegian Christmas Cookies, a Saint Lucia Breakfast,

Aromatherapy Creations: Warm Apple Cinnamon Sachets,

Gift Wrapping with Friends, Out Trips: Local Neighborhood

Holiday Lights, Sharing Holiday Stories, and a Kick-off to

Winter Craft: Snowflake Creations.

 

So, this holiday season please stop

by and celebrate with us as we

"Celebrate Little Things"