The Hunt Was on at Juniper Village at Chatham!

Although the sky was overcast and it was chilly, the kids had a great time at our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Plastic eggs with candy inside were scattered all over the great lawn, as well as in trees and bushes. To make it a lot more challenging for the older ones, the eggs were painted camouflaged, and that really kept them busy. Then we played games and prizes were given out. Happy Easter!

Spring Has Sprung in Branch Brook Park

Our timing was perfect this year for our annual trip to see the cherry blossoms in Branch Brook Park in Newark.  The park is 360 acres and is the largest public park in Newark.  It was created in 1895, and initially was only 60 acres, but grew in size in the 1920's through private donations from prominent Newark families.  The park has over 4,300 cherry trees, which is the largest grouping of cherry trees in the U.S.  Residents were thrilled to see the blossoms at their peak, and were eager to reminisce about the city of Newark and of memorable times spent there.

Passover Seder at Juniper Village at Chatham

This year’s Passover Seder was a huge success and very well attended.  Alice and Richard Barron led the group in prayer. Each resident received their own Seder plate and were given instructions when to taste each item and what it meant. Many of the participants were not of the Jewish faith but wanted to learn more about the Passover Holiday and why Matzah is eaten on this holiday.  The program was not only delicious but educational.

April 2017 Events in Chatham, NJ: Believe in Yourself

Each April we begin our Healthy Aging Series with a focus on brain health, and encourage you to Believe in Yourself. We know that believing in yourself has a positive effect on your mental health, but did you know that self-confidence influences your physical health as well? Recent studies show people who exhibit self-confidence are generally healthier and tend to live longer. That's because confidence is a positive emotion and positive emotions have countless health benefits for your mind, body and spirit. In nurturing wellbeing by encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit, Juniper is also building self-confidence. The link between health and confidence also may be related to the ability of positive emotions to boost our brain's power to hold attention, be aware and remember things. We are better able to learn, build new skills and relate with others when we are feeling optimistic. Also confident people are better able to handle chaotic situations in a positive manner. This helps to reduce or avoid excessive stress, high blood pressure, anger, confusion – all the negative side effects of feeling powerless, overwhelmed and out of control.

If you need to kick start your confidence, here are a few things to try: smile; count your blessings; surround yourself with confident people; learn how others have found their confidence and follow their lead; challenge negative or inaccurate thinking and replace with accurate, constructive thoughts; and encourage yourself. You can also plan to join us this month for uplifting discussions and a focus on brain health with offerings such as Daily Brain Builders, Wii games, and a Brain Healthy Luncheon.

Our fabulous April 2017 events in Chatham, NJ at Juniper Village at Chatham include our:

§  Feed Your Mind because you are what you eat, we join Dr. Jacinda Hover as she delves into the world of anti-inflammatory foods, and how what we eat affects so much more than our grumbling tummies, so come and bring a friend to what promises to be an insightful presentation on April 5^th at 4:00 pm.

§  Easter Egg Hunt so come and have some fun with us at this wonderful Juniper Village tradition, so invite the grandchildren and the great-grands for a terrific Easter Egg hunt with special prizes, and refreshments will be served April 15^th at 11:00 am.

§  Purple Picnic benefitting the Alzheimer’s Association, for a suggested $2 donation, we invite you to wear purple and come sip on a Brain Healthy Blueberry Smoothie, so enjoy other picnic refreshments and games while benefitting this important cause on April 27^th from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our April 2017 events in Chatham, NJ at Juniper Village at Chatham with you as you Believe in Yourself.

Connect4Life Leads to Better Outcomes for Residents

Integrated Care in Seniors Housing that Meets the Triple Aim from Cindy Longfellow

Data shows Connect4Life’s high-tech/high-touch integrated services lead to higher quality care and better outcomes for residents

Executive Summary: Integrated Care in Seniors Housing that Meets
the Triple Aim

By Anne Tumlinson, MMHS and Lynne Katzmann, PhD

According to the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, more than 190 million Americans, or about 59 percent of the population, are affected by one or more chronic illnesses. Over the next 15 years (between 2016 and 2030,) 80 percent of the United States population will experience one or more chronic conditions, costing more than $42 trillion in medical care spending and losses in employment productivity.

To address these challenges and enhance the resident experience, Juniper Communities, a Bloomfield, NJ-based national owner-operator of seniors housing, developed the Connect4Life model, which provides on-site comprehensive therapy, primary care, pharmacy and lab services, integrated with other services using a “high-tech/high-touch” communications protocol that transfers information through an Electronic Health Record (EHR) and coordinates care through a human navigator.

Juniper Communities retained Anne Tumlinson Innovations (ATI) to compare Connect4Life outcomes and utilization data with data on the broader Medicare population from the 2012 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). The findings suggest that the Connect4Life model contributes to lower hospital readmissions and the utilization of inpatient services among a high-need resident population. The results affirm the potential of integrating select clinical care and services in a seniors housing environment that provides supportive services to those who have chronic conditions, functional limitations, and complex social needs.

The results suggest an integrated program of services in seniors housing—like Juniper’s Connect4Life —can contribute to reducing the cost of care and services to Medicare beneficiaries residing in seniors housing. More importantly, the data points to the value of the Connect4Life model for managing population health because of its ability to efficiently target integrated care interventions in the high cost, high-need Medicare population.

Juniper Communities has been a thought leader in senior living care, developing nearly a dozen innovative service and delivery programs to enhance aging, lifestyle and resident health. Recognizing opportunities in to meet the triple aim of recent health policy changes in the United States – improved customer satisfaction, evidence-base quality and lower healthcare utilization, Juniper is pioneering Connect 4 Life – one of senior living’s first truly integrated care models of assisted living care and service.

Read more in the FREE White Paper!

Erin Go Bragh from Chatham!

Everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day, and we were no different at Juniper Village!!! Our celebration began with a terrific performance by the students of the Heritage Irish Dance company.  We learned about the origins of Irish dancing, as well as the significance of their beautiful costumes.  We later enjoyed a delicious luncheon with traditional Irish potato soup, soda bread, corned beef and cabbage.  Later in the afternoon we were treated to a performance by Paul and Pals, who sang a variety of songs:  Irish standards as well as requests from the audience.  Residents and staff alike turned the building into a sea of green.  It was a very high-spirited day!

Karaoke Party at Juniper Village at Chatham

The night of Thursday, March 9th, was a real hoot at Juniper as we turned up the tunes for our first Karaoke Party!  Held as a marketing event for some of our community liaisons, it was really quite fun to see people check their inhibitions at the door and grab the mike for some crooning.  Although this was geared toward a networking event, we can't wait to roll this out as an activity for our residents.  Who doesn't like a sing-a-long?