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 Celebrating Elvis: Remembering His Legacy Party at 2:30 pm on January 8^th, our Get Your Groove On Music Fest at 2:30 pm on January 15^th, and our Spearly Open House from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on January 28^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.

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

Making Inroads with the Chronically Mentally Ill: Exciting Changes

Tom, a Vietnam veteran living on the streets with a severe mental illness, was found one evening splayed on a darkened city sidewalk disorganized and delusional, thinking that others were out to get him.  After being evaluated at a local hospital, he was admitted to The Spearly Center, a rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility in north Denver that specializes in the care of mentally ill individuals with behavioral challenges, chronic medical issues, and the overlay of the two.

People like Tom represent a disenfranchised and underserved group in our society.  Not a high priority for health care professionals, there are not sufficient resources available – especially inpatient beds on a locked unit – to serve this population.  Although the Spearly Center has housed such individuals for years, the Center could not keep pace with the demand in the community, as similar organizations decreased their bed availability for this population.

“Despite the fact that we had more than 30 secure beds, I saw the need to do more to help individuals with chronic mental illness and behavioral challenges, “said Sue Pappas, Administrator at the Spearly Center.  “We wanted to provide them with more beds, but just as importantly, create a different environment that would be better suited to their needs.” Acting on this realization, Sue and the Spearly Center embarked on a two year journey which ended last month with the Center’s expansion of 17 secure beds and additional resources for people like Tom.

The remodeled Spearly Center unit includes several alcoves where residents can retreat when they feel over-stimulated, an enlarged outside patio, and two distinct common areas.  In addition, the Center can now house more staff on the unit, including the Connections department, which provides daily activities and regular outings for the residents.

“In the short run, the changes had a much more immediate impact that I had ever imagined,” commented Sue. “Residents were more active on the unit, more outgoing, more positively emotive, and talked about having a brighter outlook.  As one resident stated, “We see birds, sunshine, and the weather.  When clouds come in, you can watch them.  Even see the sunset if you catch it at the right time.”

The Spearly Center staff  also found it to be a more positive work experience, “I am very happy for them because they have a bigger space.  And I’m glad it has had a positive effect on them,” stated Ama Koomson, nurse unit manager on the locked unit, who explained that the extra space freed her up to be more available to the residents.

“It has been over a month, and not only have the positive changes endured, but with the passage of time, we have seen a significant decrease in resident to resident altercations,” Sue said. “This is an encouraging sign for us that this model is working.”

The recent changes at the Spearly Center have affirmed the Center’s commitment to this population, giving them not only a place to stay, but providing them with increased dignity and respect.   It is proof that with time, commitment, and resources, people like Tom, who have struggled with mental illness and lived on the streets for years, can find a place to call home.

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 Sounds of

the Holidays featuring Daniel on piano Thursday, December

5th from 3-4pm in our cozy country store. We continue to

enjoy family as we host Celebrate the Little Things Family

Photo Shoot on Thursday, December 12th, 2-4pm in our town

hall. Finally, our well anticipated Winter Wonderland Holiday

Party to be held on Thursday, December 19th 2:30-3:30pm

featuring Gerri, one of our popular musicians.

 

So, this holiday season please stop

by and celebrate with us as we

"Celebrate Little Things"

Veterans Day Celebration: The Colors Of Honor

Patriotism is alive and well at the Spearly Center! On Monday,
Novemeber 11th we celebrated Veterans Day, honoring over 30 of our
residents who gallently served our country. On the first floor of the
Spearly Center, visitors and residents were greeted by a floor to
ceiling display of the flags of each branch of service. In accordance
with tradition, the flags were positioned, left to right, with the
American flag, followed by the five branches of service according to
oldest to newest- Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard-
followed by the POW flag at the far right.

Festivities started at 10:00AM. Arlene Tate, Director of Connections
and an Army veteran with over 10 years of service, spoke eloquently of
the brave men and women who voluntaily serve to protect our country.
This was followed by residents and staff helping themselves to apple
and cherry pie, traditional desserts associated with patriotic
holidays such as Veterans Day. Throughout the celebration, Daniel
Played patriotic songs on the piano, with some of our "bravest"
residents dancing to the music. Open only to those who had served in
the military, the festivities concluded with the raffling off of five
hats- each one adorned with the name of a different branch of service.

Cherish the Journey and Keep the Spirit of Family: November Events

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and, it is indeed a perfect time to celebrate with loved ones; so it is not surprising that our Alive in All Seasons focus for the month of November is families: Cherish the Journey! Matsuo Basho wrote "every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home". These beautiful words remind us of the importance of cherishing this journey of life through celebrations that bind us together; family and friends, nurturing our spirits and fulfilling us in deep and meaningful ways.

This month as we celebrate our Alive in All Seasons theme of family: "Cherish the Journey", we will be hosting many wonderful activities and events with our focus on family! We will be working with residents, families, associates and friends to create family trees and start autobiographical journals. We will enjoy rich and meaningful activities utilizing the traditions, customs and skills of many of our family members, friends and all the significant people that have impacted our lives. We will reminisce about favorite family recipes, learn about families in different cultures, and join together in giving thanks. These activities will foster the development of deep connections with one another, thus, allowing us to cherish and celebrate each others' lives. We will enjoy the opportunity to create and relish more memories of delightful moments along this beautiful journey of life together!

We invite you to join us as we celebrate the beautiful gift of family, sharing some of your time treasured stories, traditions, customs and wisdom gathered with your loved ones on your journey together! We are filled with gratitude as we give thanks for yet another year bringing joy to the lives of all those on our path! We wish all of our families and friends a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday overflowing with rich abundance! All this month we will also be hosting several highlighted family and community events that include: our Food Drive benefiting those less fortunate all month, our Veterans Day Celebration: The Colors of Honor to give special recognition to Veterans and First Responders who give so much for the freedom of others through special music and light refreshments on November 11 from 10 am until 11 am, and our Spearly Golden Harvest: Thanksgiving Feast featuring turkey dinner with all the fixings on November 28 from 12 pm until 2 pm. We encourage you to review our calendar and join us for any or all of our events as we celebrate families and Cherish the Journey!

Spearly Fun At The Pumpkin Patch

 

On Thursday October 24th, Spearly Residents headed out to Hill's
Harvest Farm for their annual visit to the pumpkin patch. It was a
beautiful fall day, Colorado style: crisp, warm weather, bright red,
orange and yellow leaves adorning the trees, and a view of the Rocky
Mountains in the distance. Residents were buoyant with anticipation
as they headed north for this special outing.

Residents were greeted with a field of pumpkins that seemed to stretch
on forever. After wandering freely and picking out bright orange
pumpkins that varied from small and round to large and pointy,
residents hopped on board a flatbed truck for a traditional hay ride.
Horses were running free as the truck meandered through the fields.
Bernie, Wayne and Loyd- all seasoned ranch hands- felt right at home,
hollering at the horses as they galloped by.

Unlike most outings, the fun didn't stop once they returned home.
Rebecca and the rest of the Connections staff used the small, round
pumpkins for pumpkin bowling. Residents made Jack-O-Lanterns with the
larger pumpkins to add to the fesivities for one of the most favorite
holidays of the year: Halloween.

Looking back on that fun filled day, Rebecca said it best; "To see
them outside and so happy is what made the day special."

3rd Annual Spearly Center Tailgate Party: Rock Your Colors

Picture enjoying a clear, crisp autumn day outside, the smell of hot dogs sizzling on the grill, and live entertainment playing everything from Rock n' Roll to Rythm n' Blues. Add to that two Denver Broncos Cheerleaders, an enthusiastic crowd decked out in blue and orange, and a home team with a 7-1 record, and you've got the 3rd Annual Spearly Center Tailgate Party: Rock Your Colors!

 

 

 

 

 On Tuesday October 22nd, the weather was perfect for outdoor festivities. The entire Spearly community congregated on the front lawn, enjoying all that is special about living in Bronco Country. Residents enjoyed tasty treats, mingled with each other and their Spearly Sidekicks.

 

 

 

 

Every resident has a staff member who is their Spearly Sidekick, which provides advocacy, support and companionship. Everyone posed for pictures and received autographed posters from the Broncos Cheerleaders. As the party went on, students from a nearby school joined the festivities, embracing the Spirit Of Life that so defines The Spearly Center. A great time was had by all!

 

 

Friendship

Residents at the Spearly Center celebrated Frienship: Spread the Joy, September's Alive in All Seasons theme with a day of sunshine, food, and live entertainment on Monday, September 16th. Enjoying afternoon

snacks on the patio, residents mingled, listened to the music of entertainer Don Garcia, and enjoyed the company of each other.

The highlight of the afternoon was a Pinata contest. Each resident had a turn at hitting the guitar shaped Pinata, which had a picture of Justine Beiber adorning the front. The final blow was delivered by resident Tim Leslie, scattering candy and other goodies for all to enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Juniper Village 25 Year Anniversary At Spearly

Juniper Village celebrated 25 years of excellence and being committed to nurturing the spirit of life in those we serve and to each other earlier this May. Excitement filled the air as friends, family, partners in caring, and community members marked this momentous occasion. Smooth sounds from the saxophone, specialty desserts and cool sunglasses were enjoyed by all. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock officially proclaimed May 13th, 2013 as "Juniper Village The Spearly Center Day."

Lynne Katzmann, founder of Juniper Village, wrote, "At this special moment, I want to thank each of you for your dedication to our mission, for your loyalty to our Juniper family and for helping us create a new vision of aging in America." Lynne, The Spearly Center would like to thank you for 25 years of extraordinary compassion, leadership, and devotion to humanity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Skiing with Spearly

March is typically the snowiest month in the Colorado Rockies. What better time to enjoy spring skiing? The Spearly Center, working with the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center's Adaptive Ski Program, hosted two ski trips in March. Seven residents hit the slopes and had an exhilarating time skiing at one of the most popular ski areas in the world. The weather was sunny and beautiful, the mountain air was clean and crisp, and the views were spectacularly breathtaking. Breckenridge, about 60 miles from Denver, is located in the White

River National Forest in Summit County, Colorado. Base elevation is 9,600 feet, while top elevation is almost 13,000 feet.

Awaken Your Passion: 4th Annual Spearly Art Show

"A good painting to me has always been like a friend. It keeps me company, comforts and inspires." -Hedy Lamarr

The Awaken Your Passion: 4th Annual Spearly Art Show was held in our cozy Country Store on February 21st and was a great success! A wide
variety of individual and group art pieces were on display, including sketches, paintings, oil pastel pieces, charcoal drawings and velvet art. Residents, associates and family always look forward to this fun and colorful event. Over 25 residents submitted numerous art pieces in this year's show which represented abstract, impressionism, expressionism, primitivism, surrealism and realism.