Holiday Party!

Our holiday party was wonderful! Spirits were high as families and friends gathered to enjoy great food and entertainment. Santa was there, as well as strolling carolers who looked and sang fabulously. It was a joyful evening for all.

Food Drive "Big Sucess"

The November Food Drive at Juniper Village was a huge success. Between Residents, Families and Staff we managed to collect almost 650 pounds of food!

We wish to thank all those who contributed to make the Holiday Season brighter for those who are less fortunate.

Tree Planting Memorial

Compassionate Care Hospice conducted a Memorial Tree Planting ceremony for our residents and staff who have had loved ones pass recently. The ceremony brought back many of our families to reminisce about their dear ones. Beautiful Poems were read and afterwords refreshments were served. It truly gave meaning to Thanksgiving.

Juniper Communities Appoints New Regional Director of Wellness and Wellbeing

Juniper Communities announces that Melissa “Missy” Ebner has joined Juniper as Regional Director of Wellness and Wellbeing. Missy brings a wealth of experience in nursing care, especially with seniors to her position. From a clinical perspective, her role will be to oversee the entire portfolio of clinical care and support for the residents, provide clinical oversight, and staff training. She is a licensed Registered Nurse (RN) in every state where Juniper currently has communities.

“We are very excited to have Missy join the Juniper family,” expressed Lynne Katzmann, CEO of Juniper Communities. “She comes to Juniper with a wonderful background and deep experience in the clinical complainants of senior living. She will be a great resource for our community wellness teams and to the home office team in this changing healthcare environment.”

Missy’s interest in working with senior living communities is that they offer residents more freedom than skilled nursing settings. “The seniors can be taken care of in a homelike environment and you can become a friend, not seen as a nurse or caregiver,” she explained. “Juniper’s staff is wonderful at treating the residents as a parent or grandparent, this doesn’t always happen in institutional settings.”

Juniper Communities owns and operates Personal Care, Assisted Living, Memory-Care, Skilled Nursing and Independent Living communities in NJ, FL, CO and PA.

“Nobody is as forward thinking as Juniper. They are far ahead of the curve in the industry and where healthcare is going. The staff I’ve observed go above and beyond, always doing more even though no one is looking,” Missy described of her building level observations.

Missy Ebner has worked in the healthcare industry since 1987. She received her LPN from the James Martin School of Nursing in 1987 and her RN from Excelsior College in 2005. She is a resident of Willow Grove, PA and born and raised in Pennsylvania. She has been married to Henry Ebner for 26 years and has three children, Corey, Shane and Cassidy.  Something her family and friends know about her is that she loves to shop the Outlets, and loves a good bargain!

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 Chatham Band Presents Seasonal Songs performance featuring our favorite holiday music on December 2^nd at 7:30 pm; our Holiday Bazaar offering locally produced hand-made arts and crafts gifts on December 6^th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm; our Juniper’s Holiday Party with a delicious holiday meal in a festive atmosphere on December 11^th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm; or our Walter Choroscewski presents “Jazz, Pop, and Rock” event including songs from across many different genres on December 18^th at 1:30 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!

Veterans Day Progam at Juniper

Both Monday and Tuesday Juniper Village of Chatham honored our Veterans. Monday we had a pinning of all of our residents who served in the Armed Forces. They received a certificate of thanks along with a pin. On Tuesday we had a special program presented by Paul White, "A Salute to our Veteran's. Both programs were heart-warming and inspirational. God Bless America!

Spooktacular Halloween

We had a spooktacular Halloween at Chatham!! The day began with a musical visit by some fabulously costumed 5th graders from the a nearby school, rewarded with cider and donuts. Later in the afternoon we had a rockin' party with over 74 residents and guests. Prizes were awarded to the top three residents, who, with the help of their "best friends" had the best decorated doors in the building. A prize was also awarded to the winner of the Guess the Candy Corn contest, as well as the three residents with the best costumes.

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 Interfaith Food Pantry and Food Bank of New Jersey anytime all month long (we donate to both places in recognition of the fact that many of our residents and families are from a different region than many of our employees); our Family Traditions program with Rabbi Newfield that will bring back memories of holidays past while discussing traditions and how they came to be on November 6^th at 2:00 pm; our Is it Really Dementia CEU Class covering the signs and symptoms of dementia and related disorders on November 13^th at 2:00 pm; our Pulmonary Connection CEU Class about breathing disorders and overall health on November 18^th at 2:00 pm; our Thanksgiving Day Celebration where we invite family and friends to share our traditional Thanksgiving Day Buffet on November 20^th at 5:00 pm; or our Ellis Island dramatic presentation by Mark Simmons depicting vignettes of some of the most memorable immigrants first arrival moments on November 22^nd at 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!

Oktoberfest!!!

October 16th was a special day as we celebrated Oktoberfest!!! Eric Kerssan entertained us (resplendant in lederhosen and alpine hat) with a variety of polkas and other tunes on the accordion. We had cider, beer, German sausages and pretzels, and the packed house was on their feet. Also, it was National Boss Day, and our ED Joann Malanga was honored by her management team. A great day for all!

Red Hats

Juniper's Red Hats were the guests for lunch at the Beacon Hill Club, courtesy of the daughter of one of our residents. It was a dreary day outside, but that didn't dampen our spirits! Conversation flowed, and when dessert time came, we all reminisced about our favorite strawberry shortcake recipes. However, everyone was in agreement that this one had the best presentation!

Juniper Supports Breast Cancer Awareness

Pictured here is our very own Hatcher Micone, a breast cancer survivor. We at Juniper feel it is imperative to join the battle and support Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Healthy Aging Resource Library

Juniper Village invites you to "Check Out" our new books recently purchased for our Healthy Aging Resource Library. These books are opening the possibilities of gaining new knowledge right at our finger tips. Please, come visit and learn.

Down the Shore

Sadly, we said farewell to end of summer with our last trip "down the shore".  We had a lovely lunch at McCloone's in Long Branch, then spent some time contemplating the ocean and one courageous surfer who just couldn't catch a wave.  We were blessed once again with perfect weather.  Hope fall doesn't disappoint!

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 Inspiring Athletes Lecture in which Paul White introduces us to 20 athletes who have overcome challenges and become role models for others on October 13^th at 6:30 pm; our Happy Birthday NJ Presentation featuring Emily Embler from Morris Museum with an exciting and informative program on the Birth of NJ on October 14^th at 2:00 pm; our Elopement Risk and Prevention CEU Class on October 16^th at 2:30 pm; our Oktoberfest Celebration with fun-filled accordion player, Eric Kersser, and beer sampling along with many other surprises on October 16^th at 3:00 pm; our Cardio Connection CEU Class on October 21^st at 2:00 pm; or our Sorcery in the Bible Discussion that looks at the Biblical prohibition of sorcery and its ramifications as well as a look at specific times that sorcery was performed in the Bible on October 29^th at 10:00 am!

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

Christine Bellofatto joins Kiwanis

We are pleased to announce that Christine Bellofatto is the newest member to join the Chatham/Madison chapter of Kiwanis. The celebration was held on September 16th at the Madison Hotel. At this occasion, the outgoing board of directors were recognized for serving and the new board was appointed.