Spearly Sidekicks

Every September, the Alive In All Seasons theme is Friendship: Spread Your Joy.  Here at the Spearly Center, we have the Spearly Sidekicks program.  Each staff member is paired with a resident and acts as the resident’s Spearly Sidekick, providing advocacy, encouragement and companionship.  Every September we celebrate the Spearly Sidekicks program with our annual Spearly Sidekicks Photo Shoot, where residents and their Sidekicks dress up in wacky costumes for portraits.  This year, Jerry Lucero enjoyed his picture with his sidekick Cathy so much, he decided to re-create it in a drawing.  Jerry, commenting on the program, stated, “Cathy makes me laugh when we hang out.”  Cathy replied, “I enjoy hanging out with Jerry.  He makes me smile, and I love watching him do his art work.”  

Celebrate Little Things: December Events

This month is all about celebrations! Not only will we be celebrating holidays such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve, but we will also celebrate the little things that make life worthwhile. Little things such as the reassuring touch of a friend’s hand, a kind word from an acquaintance and a warm smile from a stranger.

In our all too busy lives we sometimes forget to honor the simple things in life that bring us peace and joy. Most experts recommend that we allow 10-20 minutes of relaxation and stress relief each day. Making time for that can even be a stressful experience! During this busy month of baking, shopping, visitors and juggling tasks take time to remember what is really important.

Here are some tips to keep holiday stress in check: Acknowledge your feelings - you are not alone as holiday stress is not uncommon. Be realistic with expectations - you can only do so much, learn to say no. Ask for help when needed - everyone wants to be needed and may feel more included by being able to contribute. Plan ahead to minimize unplanned expenses and tasks. Take a breather - take a walk at night and do some stargazing, listen to soothing music, or get a massage. Above all enjoy all the holidays have to offer by sharing time with others.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Tree Trimming Social: Traditions and More to join us in our cozy country store for fresh pastries and a warm beverage as we decorate our tree in a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends while enjoying holiday favorites from Daniel on the piano on December 4^th from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm; our Celebrate the Little Things: Holiday Party for great music, tasty cuisine and good company with music provided by our favorite duo” Just the Two of us” and door prizes to get you in the party mood on December 18^th from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm; or our Culinary Cultural Foods of the World  as we come together to prepare tasty dishes from the Virgin Islands, Haiti, Mexico, Ghana, France and the United States, and  hear music from around the world while sampling theses tasty treats on December 29^th from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm!

Look through our calendar and join us during the busy month of December for our annual cookie exchange and holiday celebrations. Take time to Celebrate Little Things with those you love!

Fun At Hill’s Harvest Farm & Pumpkin Patch

October is always a great time of year at The Spearly Center.  On October 22^nd Spearly residents visited Hill’s Harvest Farm & Pumpkin Patch.  It was a beautiful, crisp autumn day.  Pumpkins of all sizes were picked which were used for carving, decorating and pumpkin bowling.  Additionally, everyone enjoyed a tractor-pulled hayride.

Cherish the Journey: November Events

Life is a journey filled with lessons, celebrations and special moments that ultimately lead us to our destination, our purpose in life. The road will not always be smooth and we may encounter many challenges. Some of these will test our courage, strengths, weaknesses, and faith. Along the way, we may stumble upon obstacles that must be overcome. But, sometimes these obstacles are really blessings in disguise, although we may not realize it at the time. How we react to the situations we face will determine what the rest of our journey will be like.

This month Juniper Communities will honor our Families and cherish the journey we have taken together. November is all about celebrating the bonds we share and recognizing where we’ve been and where we’re going. We will do this through autobiographical journaling, reminiscing about family celebrations and breaking bread together in Thanksgiving. In order to support our families along this journey we will continue to develop our support groups and provide additional resources when needed. We will give back through our Annual Food Drive. From November 1 through November 30 all non-perishable food items collected will be donated to a local food bank.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Annual Food Drive where you can drop off non-perishable food items for a local food bank anytime all month long; our Veteran’s Day Celebration: United in Courage event as our men and women who have proudly served our country will be honored at this very special patriotic gathering on November 11^th from 10:00 am to 11:00 am; or our Cherish the Journey: Spearly Thanksgiving Dinner where family and friends are invited to join us in our lovely dining room for a tasty meal with all the trimmings then stay and mingle afterward with some spiced tea for a tour of our lovely community on November 27^th from noon to 2:00 pm.

Look through our calendar and plan to join us for family celebrations, Thanksgiving dinners and many events and activities allowing us all to reflect and Cherish the Journey!

At The Spearly Center, We Know How To Have Fun! See It For Yourself!!

At Juniper Village at the Spearly Center, we know how to care for others, we know  how to have fun, and we certainly know how to make a difference in others' lives.

On Thursday, October 16^th, we celebrated Our Annual Tailgate Party. For the last 4 years , our Connections Dream Team have organized and made this event very successful for our  residents, our staff  and the entire community. This is one of the most popular events here at The Spearly Center. Residents and staff look forward to it every year.

This year, with Bronco Cheerleaders here, taking pictures with residents, staff, family members, and neighbors, it was once again an event to remember!  Every resident received  an autograph! The weather was great and provided a beautiful ambiance. Our Dietary Manager, Sam, and her team, grilled hot dogs and bratwurst with all the fixings. One of our favorite entertainers, Dave Hildalgo, performed for us all afternoon, and different game stations were available for staff and residents. With more than sixty residents and over fifty staff and visitors in attendance on our front lawn and parking lots, it was quite an event!

Show Your Colors: October Events

October brings forth vibrant color in our foliage as well as our sports teams. Our high school football teams will be in full swing and hockey season will prepare to fill the stands with team colors and spirit. Juniper Communities will also be honoring our colors with many sports-themed activities and events. We will be enjoying the changing colors of the season as we transition from summer to fall and the crazy costumes of our annual Halloween celebrations.

While showing our colors we not only focus on our team colors, but also showing our true colors. We recognize that working together as a team, results in better coordination of care, better quality of care and as a result better lives for our residents. This is evidenced by our excellent clinical outcomes data. We are happy to see the results of collaboration resulting in decreased re-hospitalizations and better quality of life for our residents.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Spearly Harvest Social: Gathering of Friends a wonderful opportunity to foster great friendships while enjoying the beautiful colors of the season with tasty samples from our community garden and entertainment by Daniel on the piano for our surrounding neighborhood, family and friends on October 15^th from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm; our Spearly 4^th Annual Tailgate Party: Rock Your Colors with live music, games and steamy favorites from the grill on our front lawn for our first responders, family and friends on October 16^th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm; or our Spearly “Boo Boogie” Halloween Dance  party with the ghost and the goblins in our cozy country store with  prizes to be awarded in several categories for costumes and a raffle for a basket filled with “spooky” treats on October 31^st from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm!

Please look through our calendar to celebrate the spirit of autumn with us and Show Your Colors!

Karp Appointed Director of Community Relations Juniper Village – The Spearly Center

Juniper Communities is proud to announce the appointment of Katie Karp as Director of Community Relations for Juniper Village - The Spearly Center in Denver, CO. In her role she will be in charge of admitting new residents, developing relationships with case managers and referral sources, and educating the community about what Spearly does and why.

“I hope to be able to continue to educate the community about mental illness and be part of the change of greater awareness and acceptance,” said Katie Karp. “I have worked in a long-term care living facility but never this type of setting. It has been an eye-opener for me and I am humbled. I hope to be able to make a difference in our residents’ lives.”

Juniper Village - The Spearly Center is home to approximately 135 residents and 130 professionals dedicated to providing person-centered, skilled nursing care in a therapeutic community. Those living at The Spearly Center are primarily individuals living with chronic mental illness, brain injuries, or neurological disorders.

“I am very fortunate to become part of Juniper Communities. The Juniper philosophy and passion for serving others is reflected in our founder and CEO Lynne Katzmann, to the Spearly Administrator Susan Pappas, to the rest of the Spearly team. I am looking forward to growing in my role and making a difference in what we do as caregivers,” expressed Karp.

Katie Karp attended Northeastern University. She feels blessed to be able to be in Denver with her husband of 18 years and their two wonderful boys, Erik  and Alexander.