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 Spearly 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 Valentine’s Day Bash featuring The Cupid Shuffle at 2:30 pm on February 14^th, our Spearly Family Craft Creation art project with light refreshments at 7:00 pm on February 20^th, and our 5^th Annual Spearly Art Show at 2:00 pm on February 27^th. We encourage you to review our newsletter 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!

Spearly Christmas 2013

Nowhere was the spirit of Christmas more evident than here at The
Spearly Center. Our community looked like one big family on Christmas
Day: staff in the Gift Giving Parade were decked out in their red and
green holiday outfits, residents were busy opening their many gifts,
and everybody enjoyed the Christmas dinner complete with turkey, roast
beef, stuffing, gravy, corn, and an assortment of holiday pies.

Weeks before this special holiday, residents completed their wish
list- everything from clothes, jewelry, sports memorabilia, and hobby
kits- of what they desired to receive from Santa. You could hear the
sound of tearing wrapping paper and see the smiles on residents' faces
when they opened their presents. Some residents proudly tried on
their new jackets, pajamas and sweatsuits, while others got right to
work on their new puzzle or art project. The gratitude and
contentment was contagious, and a good time was had by all!

The Price of Perfection - Lessons Learned by our Director of Community Relations Anne Gross

So what lessons have I learned from those moments in my past referenced in my last post?  Here are just a few:

1.        Sharing your vulnerabilities with others enhances compassion.  For example, if my mother and I could have shared her embarrassment when strangers stared at her when we went out, we both could have empathized with each other about our unique situation.  And if she could have shared with me how she yearned to be able to walk down the street with me eye to eye – instead of my pushing her in a wheelchair – I could have expressed my feelings of loss that I had a mother who couldn’t do the things that others mothers could, increasing tenderness both for myself and for my mother. 

2.        Intimacy derives from our ability to share both our strengths and our weaknesses.  My mother could never express her emotional and physical needs to others – such as what it was like when others left her do the things she couldn’t do.  Without a voice of her own, it was those closest to her who decided how she needed to deal with her disability, leading her to often feel misunderstood and angry.  To have a say in how we want to be treated we need to share both our strengths and our vulnerabilities.  

3.        It is important in the face of adversity to seek out others like yourself.  There is no better way to learn about yourself than to befriend others with similar struggles, helping you to realize that your feelings are “normal.”  This realization alone helps you deflate your sense of differentness and deficiency, making it easier to open up with others.

Most importantly, it is never too late to start such discussions with family members.  The next time your adult child visits, try talking to her about certain “taboo” topics in your family.  Who knows, it might open up lines of communication and intimacy that have long been buried.  

Image from Stockimages on http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

The Price of Perfection by our Director of Community Relations Anne Gross

We live in a society where we are bombarded by images of lives that seem perfect – glamorous wives and handsome husbands effortlessly raising exceptional children.  So, when the unexpected happens – an illness, problems with our children, a divorce – we often become consumed by fears that we won’t be accepted by others if they know of our perceived imperfections.  Living in a society that puts a premium on silencing suffering, we instead project an upbeat, positive, and cheerful demeanor.  Not only do we withdraw and hide our problems from others, we often hide them from ourselves as well.

Although I’m certainly not recommending that we drown in our sorrows, we also need to ask ourselves if there is a price we pay when we focus solely on presenting the picture perfect family.  I know well the impact on a family when struggles are silenced in the hopes that this will lead to more acceptance by others.  Growing up in the 1950s, I was raised from birth by a paraplegic mother who lost the use of her legs after contracting polio at the age of two.  My family believed that if we could downplay the significance of my mother’s paralysis – by helping her accommodate to the world of the nondisabled, never discussing her disability, and always presenting a cheerful, upbeat attitude, we could “pretend” as if her paralysis didn’t exist. Although this philosophy helped my mother tremendously – she was an accomplished musician who married and raised two children – it also robbed our family of an opportunity to show compassion toward each other over our unique situation.  

Let me give you an example.  Several decades ago, my mother and I, in preparation for my upcoming wedding, headed down to the local florist in town.  Although I can count on one hand the number of times I broached the subject of my mother’s disability with her, in what I think of as a rare moment of courage, I expressed my wish that she could dance at my wedding.  My mother quickly rebuffed my desire with a curt “it doesn’t bother me,” which effectively buried the topic.  I felt a familiar anger toward her that my wishes – even in fantasy – had no voice.  Had we been able to acknowledge our loss – that it would have meant so much to have her be a part of the ritual first dance – it would have brought us even closer at such an important time in our lives.  Instead, we never discussed it and, at the wedding, everyone else in my immediate family participated while the mother of the bride sat alone at her table.  If we could have both expressed our feelings of differentness, together we could have arrived at a way to honor her by bringing her onto the dance floor for a special toast.  And, despite my mother’s words to the contrary, I could sense her pain that she was excluded. 

Image from Stockimages on http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

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"