Grow Strong Daily: May Events

Welcome to May where we will be dancing around the May Pole on May Day; donning opulent hats for the Kentucky Derby and sombreros for Cinco de Mayo; honoring our mothers on Mother’s Day and our fallen heroes on Memorial Day. What a fantastic month of celebration! In addition to observing these holidays, Juniper Village will be focusing on this month’s Alive In All Seasons theme “Grow Strong Daily” with an emphasis on fitness.

Studies show exercise is an effective treatment for many chronic conditions such as arthritis, heart disease and diabetes and can also help people with high blood pressure, balance problems or difficulty walking. Stress management, improved mood and cognitive function are other benefits of regular exercise. This is why Juniper Village makes exercise a part of every day! We are completely dedicated to whole person wellness and “nurturing the spirit of life” for each individual we touch by encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit.

Join us here at Juniper Village at the Spearly Center for our Hip to be Fit Sports Challenge on May 6^th from 10:00 am to noon; the National Alliance for Mental Illness Walk in Centennial Central Park on May 17^th from 8:30 am to 11:00 am; and our Grow Healthy Daily Memorial Day BBQ on May 26^th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. See our newsletter calendar for a complete listing of events and come visit us during any that suit your fancy!

A Sea Of Green

For those lucky enough to be in our building on Monday, March 17th,
everywhere you turned you saw green: from the hanging decorations that
adorned our halls and common areas, to the attire of both residents
and staff, and even our food! For Monday was St. Patrick's Day, and
no where was there more celebration than at The Spearly Center.

The day started off with a performance in our main dining room by the
Irish Heritage Step Dancers. A competitive dance group composed of
youth of all ages, they engaged our residents with a variety of feet
thomping dance steps, unique costumes, and traditional Irish music.
And our residents didn't hang back as they did some dance renditions
of their own. In the afternoon, two parties were held: one in our
newly renovated Country Store, and the other on the Spruce
neighborhood. Don Garcia provided live entertainment- an assortment
of rock n' roll, Irish tunes, and his signature vocal renditions. The
celebration was topped off by a variety of tasty treats, including
pastries, cookies, jello and whipped cream- all dyed green for the
occasion. Mmmmm.... delicious!

Believe in Yourself: April Events

April, the month where we play innocent pranks on April Fool’s Day; celebrate Springtime and Easter with egg hunts, brunches, and church; pay homage to mother earth on Earth Day; and welcome the return of America’s favorite pastime – Baseball. This month we embark on a new quarter in our Alive in All Seasons calendar where we celebrate Healthy Aging and will “Let Wellbeing Thrive”. Throughout April our focus is on the brain and honoring the theme “Believe in Yourself”. Did you know that activities that are good for your heart are also good for your brain? The American Heart Association tells us that protecting memory and brain health is a matter of keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy. Regular cardio exercise and a healthy diet not only keep your heart happy, but your brain too.

This month’s offerings include activities and events that will keep our bodies and brains healthy and renew our faith in ourselves. Educational opportunities will cover brain health topics such as brain booster activities and ways to keep fit. We will rejoice in our individuality and celebrate ourselves through life affirming reminiscent and creative activities while reminding each other to “Believe in Yourself”.

Please join us here at Juniper Village at the Spearly Center for our “Who Wants to be a Brainiac?” competition on April 8^th from 10:00 am to 11:00 am; our Spearly Open House on April 24^th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm; and our Believe in You Tips from the Experts presentation on April 29th from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm. See our newsletter calendar for a complete listing of events and come visit us during any that suit your fancy!

H'Art and Soul of Dining - New Menus with Delicious Recipes!

We are proud to announce that on April 5th our revitalized spring/summer menus will begin for our H’Art and Soul of Dining Signature Program at all of our communities.  This new signature program will help us improve quality of life and whole person wellness for the individuals that call Juniper Village home.  We are very excited this season since the offerings will feature a delicious 5-week entrée select option featuring fabulous new choices using some of the fresh products available through our food vendors. Also, on our updated menus, we have added many lighter alternatives as well as recipes specific to each community that take into account special diets, regional tastes, food committee requests and our resident’s special needs and personal requests.  These changes to our meal plans significantly increase the variety of selections provided for our residents while focusing upon scratch made offerings and heart-healthy meals.  Furthermore, in celebration of our AIAS spring quarter “Healthy Aging,” our Grill Menus will be re-vamped to highlight healthier offerings throughout the season. In addition we will be implementing an innovative hydration assurance program served from our “Oasis Carts,” featuring a variety of flavored waters using citrus or mint or cucumbers, fresh brewed iced tea, lemonade, punch, smoothies and juices as well as nutritious snacks.

Below are some of the recipes featured on our new menu:

Carrot-Currant Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour (to measure, spoon into a cup and level)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup carrot juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup dried currants
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk together butter, egg, milk, carrot juice and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and gently fold just until moistened. Fold carrots and dried currants into the mix. Scoop batter into the muffin pan and bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan (cool on a wire rack if you have one).

Yellow Squash Soup

Cooking Spray

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup diced zucchini

1 cup diced yellow squash

3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 (15 ounce) can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can diced no-salt-added tomatoes

Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 3 minutes. Add all other ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

The Eli Ripple Effect: Caring is What We at Juniper Village at the Spearly Center do Best!

The staff at the Spearly Center are a special bunch, and nowhere is that more evident than in our Environmental Services (ES) department.  No doubt the first image that comes to  mind when you think of  the Environmental Service staff of a nursing home is  men   laden down with tool belts filled with screwdrivers, hammers, flashlights and the like! But when I think about the ES staff at the Spearly Center, I think of three kindhearted individuals who view their jobs as more than just fixing a resident’s TV.  Rather, for them it means helping out each of our approximate 130 residents with compassion and care. 

Our department is headed by Mike “Tiny” Ladner.  Standing 6’6’’ inches tall and sporting a long beard, Tiny is anything but imposing.  Rather, he has the look of a large teddy bear, the inside of which houses a big heart.  You’d never know from the way Tiny walks the halls of our building, always stopping to say hello to a resident or spending five minutes talking to them, that he is always in demand, going from room to room fixing everything from a broken faucet to a malfunctioning light switch.    The residents, in turn, get a big kick out of calling him “Tiny, ”  as they thank him for all that  he does.    Always making sure those residents needs have been taken care of before he leaves for the day, Tiny roams the halls at eight most nights  to check one last time that nothing else needs to be fixed before he heads home.   “Aren’t you going home, Tiny?”  chimes in Robert, one of our residents.  To which he  replies, “Just checking to make sure you’re happy before I head out.”   

 

Tiny is assisted by Anthony and Josias.  All of them have a heartbeat on the special population that we serve.  “What we think of as little things aren’t little to our residents,” Anthony told me, referring to a time when he saw a dust ball in the corner of a resident’s room.  “I knew this little piece of dust could spur some scary images for individuals with mental health issues,” prompting him to sweep the room as quickly as possible.   And for all of them, they treat the residents as family.  As Anthony told me:  “Every time I get a room ready for a new resident, I always ask myself if I would feel comfortable putting my parents or grandparents in this room, for only then do I know the room is ready.” 

All three of them spoke of the appreciation they feel from residents, reminding them everyday that they are helping those in need.  Whether it is a relieved face that comes from reassuring a resident not to worry that his wheelchair accidentally hit the wall, or the outpouring of appreciation they receive when a resident tells them they made his day by the simple act of fixing his chair, they know the impact they have on residents is tremendous.  And when it comes to the resident’s appreciation for these three “cool and nice” men, one resident summed up the feelings of many here at the Spearly Center when she said, “This place wouldn’t be very good without the Environmental Service staff.”   

Tiny shared with me that the intrinsic satisfaction and joy he receives from connecting and helping the residents transcends the daily stress of his job. “It’s very heartwarming working with these residents, and something you can’t get at another job.”  So the next time you come visit us and see Tiny and his staff scurrying  from one job to another, please be sure and look beyond the tool belt, as you will see three very special compassionate team members. 

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 the Spearly Center filled with creativity, great experiences and memorable performances! You are cordially invited to attend our “Mardi Gras Masquerade on Bead Street on March 4^th at 2:30 pm, our Heritage Irish Step Dancers performance on March 17^th at 10:00 am, our St. Patty’s Day “Pot of Gold Party” on March 17^th at 2:30 pm, our Coffee Hour with Entertainment by Gary on March 27^th at 2:30 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”.

Read All About It!

On December 15, 2013, Spearly had a ribbon cutting ceremony to
celebrate the grand opening of the new Resident Emporium. Located
between the Pinon and Juniper neighborhoods, the Emporium provides a
shopping, socialization and life skills opportunity for our
residents, especially for those who rarely leave the facility.

The store, which is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-2 pm,
sells clothing, blankets, books, CDs, DVDs, jewelry, wall hangings,
picture frames, toiletries, stationary, sunglasses, and much, much
more! Kenya bought himself a couple of shirts and a DVD set, while
Robert bought a silver bracelet for his friend Helen as an early
Valentine gift. For both of them, who don't go out much, the store
provided an opportunity to do something they have sorely missed since
living independently in the community.

The Emporium relies, in part, on donations from staff and community
members. All proceeds from sales are used to buy new store items, so
the inventory is replenished weekly. In the future, we hope to sell
bigger ticket items such as radios and TVs. Stay tuned!