Rocking Around The Christmas Tree

As December comes to an end we find ourselves reflecting on the past year. However, here in Williamstown we still find ourselves  celebrating. We had our yummy cookie exchange with many participants and all kinds of delicious sweets. Our residents sang many carols around the tree complete with eggnog!

Wishing everyone a Happy 2017! May it be filled with Peace, Joy, Health and Happiness!

Spreading Cheer This Holiday Season

As the holiday season is upon us the residents at Juniper Village Williamstown have been enjoying the tastes and sounds and spirit of the season. We started off with a Tropical Holiday Extravaganza complete with Santa!. Residents , families and friends showed the true meaning of giving by helping us fill our toy box with gifts for children from The Robins' Nest Organization dedicated to solutions for children and their families. The Robins' Nest really felt the love . Towards the middle of the month we found ourselves on a Holiday light tour with dinner at The Smithville Inn. With the month not nearly over we invite you to stop by and join us for much more holiday fun!

December 2016 Events in Williamstown, NJ: Celebrate Little Things

Juniper Village nurtures wellbeing by encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit. This month this custom is more evident than ever as we share our celebratory spirit - mind, body and soul. December is a month filled with holidays and celebrations, but at Juniper we like to kick it up a notch! All around the community all of your senses will be stimulated as you see traditional holiday décor, hear joyous laughter and singing, smell heavenly treats baking and taste them as well. We will celebrate all the joyous little things that make this time of year so special. Traditions both old and new will be honored. And through sharing our numerous cultures and traditions with each other we will learn more about each other, opening the door to deeper understanding.

This month take a moment to reflect on the little things that bring joy to your life. Reminisce about the traditions from your past and the new traditions you have started with your family. Celebrate the holiday season with us as we share a bit of ourselves with our annual cookie exchange and ethnic holiday celebrations. December is always an eventful month and we look forward to sharing it with you.

Our fabulous December 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown include our:

§  Christmas Around The Tree Cookies And Egg Nog Event as we continue to celebrate Traditions, we are happy to host another joyous social event and invite you to join us as we sing Christmas Carols around the Christmas Tree, and honor the traditions of Christmas, with Christmas Cookies and Egg Nog, and the great Traditions of Hanukkah and Kwanza as well, so join us as we enjoy family, friends, colleagues, and co-workers for a beautiful time of holiday festivity on December 16^th at 10:00 am.

§  Traditions of Fitness by Genesis/Theralink Team because while we are busy celebrating family, friends and so many wonderful Holiday Traditions, we may also overindulge in the holiday foods, desserts, beverages and more, and with that may come an increased waistline, much to our dismay, so let’s be ahead of the game this year, and let our Genesis/Theralink Team help with a great presentation on the all the great Traditions of Fitness where we will learn all we can this year to implement fitness in the midst of all our celebrating so we stay fit and trim all through the holidays and begin 2017 in vibrant health, so join us on December 19^th at 1:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our December 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown with you as you Celebrate Little Things.

HCANJ Winners for Art Contest 2016 - Two Winners From Williamstown

Photos of the art work submissions and contest winners for the HCANJ 2016 Art Contest.

Village Bldg: Edith Mack with art work  “Autumn Trails” painted here at Juniper Village at 94 yrs. Old. Edith was a registered Nurse; she moved into Juniper Village in June of 2015. Edith had always enjoyed art, and took our Art Without Boundaries class and painted Autumn Trails. We entered it in the contest and she won! Edith now resides in the Wellspring Bldg.

Wellspring Bldg: Dorothy McCutchin  with art work “A Tree In The Country” painted here at 84 yrs of age. While taking our Art Without Boundaries class here in our Wellspring Bldg. Dorothy was a resident of The Village and then moved into our Award Winning Memory Care Bldg, where she painted her winning art work.

Cherishing the Journey at Juniper of Williamstown

This month we are so excited as we celebrate these beautiful fall days and cherish our journey of life with family, friends and all those who are near and dear to our hearts.

Of course this month we began by remembering all of our special loved ones who have departed to Glory in 2016 with our Annual Candle Light Vigil.  It was a beautiful evening with heartfelt inspirational poetry and visits with families and friends to remember the beautiful journeys we have all shared with their loved ones!

In addition, we celebrated welcoming new residents to our community as well as new team members!  We welcome them all with open arms and hearts of gratitude to share their journey with us.  In addition the residents have been enjoying all the joys of this season especially sharing time painting pumpkins and playing games with our beloved Rowan students.

We will continue on with wonderful celebrations this month and we hope to see you here!

November 2016 Events in Williamstown, NJ: Cherish the Journey

Each November we turn our attention to Family with our Alive In All Seasons Theme: Cherish the Journey. We have always enjoyed helping our residents chronical their individual life journeys through journaling. In addition to keeping track of the daily happenings in our lives, journaling has surprising health benefits as well. University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker contends that regular journaling strengthens immune cells, called T-lymphocytes. He also believes that writing about stressful events helps you come to terms with them, thus reducing the impact of stress on your health. Other research indicates that journaling decreases the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Scientific evidence also shows that writing your thoughts down can help clarify your thoughts and feelings, help you to know yourself better, reduce stress, and problem solve more effectively. An additional benefit of journaling is that you are leaving a legacy for future generations. Review your journal together! Reminiscing about the events in one’s life is a way to affirm who they are, what they’ve accomplished in life and relive happy times. So, pick up a pen and Cherish the Journey, the benefits are endless!

Join our journey through November as we honor and celebrate family and the journey of life with our autobiographical journaling. Help us support our greater community with our annual Food Drive and our on-site support groups. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Our fabulous November 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown include our:

§  Bountiful Abundance Community Event as we celebrate the beauty and bounty this season has to offer, and focus on gratitude for all of the joy this year has given to us and celebrate our “Alive in All Seasons” theme of Family “Cherish The Journey” so bring the family and enjoy an afternoon filled with great music, dancing and the delicious refreshments from the bountiful abundance here in our local area, so join us as we give thanks for the bountiful abundant lives we live on November 9^th at 3:00 pm.

§  The Journey To Health by Genesis/Theralink Team as we enjoy the festive foods of the season and take time out to learn the best techniques in implementing moderation and balance enabling our continuation of the Journey to Health while enjoying life, and remember our goal is to live long and strong, so join us as we “Cherish the Journey of Life” while achieving the best of health on November 21^st at 1:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our November 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown with you as you Cherish the Journey.

Radiant Colors of Life in Williamstown!

As the beautiful October season is in full swing, residents at Juniper Village of Williamstown have been enjoying the Radiant Colors of Life in Williamstown, NJ!  Residents have enjoyed many outdoor offerings, such as a wonderful day at one of our local farms for a Harvest Festival Day. Everyone had a blast, as we played bean bag with many school children and families in the community, as well as enjoyed walking through the pumpkin patch and the corn maze! It was a vibrant and wonderful day filled with joy!

In addition, we have had time to play with children and remember what it is to celebrate simple joys and just play!  We also have welcomed new team members to our Juniper Community and even celebrated boss's day (a few days early) for our own Executive Director, MaryJane Eicke! We did it early so we could take her by surprise, though that was hard to pull off! It was great fun, and we finally were able to surprise our great leader!

Wishing everyone the joy of Harvest and it is our hope that you will take time to enjoy the "Radiant Colors of Life" as we are!

Juniper Village at Williamstown Receives Second Excellence in Action Award

Juniper Communities is proud to announce that Juniper Village at Williamstown has received the Excellence in Action award from My InnerView by the National Research Corporation.  This is the second time the community has been acknowledged. The award recognizes skilled nursing homes, assisted living, and independent living communities that achieve outstanding resident and/or employee satisfaction ratings.

“The staff worked really hard to achieve this award and it was a total team effort,” stated Mary Jane Eicke, Executive Director upon hearing about the award notification.

 “We are proud to recognize these long term care and senior living organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to quality excellence. These organizations listened to the true voices of residents, families, and employees and successfully enhanced their experiences,” said a statement from My InnerView. “The My InnerView database is the largest warehouse of long-term and senior living satisfaction metrics in the U.S. and these organizations have achieved the highest satisfaction scores, landing in the top 10 percent of all qualifying facilities.”

To qualify for the Excellence in Action award, client facilities must have:

·     completed a customer (Resident & Family Experience) or workforce (Employee Engagement) satisfaction survey during calendar year 2015, using standard facility instruments (may or may not include custom questions).

·     scored in the top 10% of qualifying facilities on the question "What is your recommendation of this facility to others?" in terms of percentage of respondents rating the facility as "excellent" (customer satisfaction award).

·     scored in the top 10% of qualifying facilities on the question "What is your recommendation of this facility as a place to work?" in terms of percentage of respondents rating the facility as "excellent" (workforce satisfaction award).

All standard data for calendar year 2015 were combined into one sample, regardless of method or date of administration. The term “customer" combines resident and family experience data. No workforce satisfaction award is available for independent living communities. 

Show Your Colors

As we kick off our "Alive in All Seasons" theme: Sports: "Show Your Colors," we are cannot wait to invite you to enjoy the festive offerings and events for the month of October! It is such a beautiful season and we anticipate the radiant colors and golden sunsets on the patio!

As we begin this month, we have welcomed new residents to our community with a joyful greeting from the juniper team and our Juniper Resident Ambassadors! We also welcomed new care associates joining our team as they enjoyed their orientation, a special lunch by our Dining Services Director, Ray Richardson as well as mentorship with our Mentors and of course all led by our Business Office Manger, Ellen! In addition, we  have even welcomed "Rosebud" the Therapy Chicken to our community! "Rosebud" made her debut as she arrived to our community with her trainer, Gwen; and brought so much joy and wonder to our residents! She even had a pedicure before coming! That's some kind of chicken! She had to hurry offsite though, as Ray was eyeing her up!

Join us for our many upcoming events this month, as our Fall Harvest Event, Our Fall Wine Tasting Event, and of course lots of fun and sports. Go Eagles!

October 2016 Events in Williamstown, NJ: Show Your Colors

As we say good bye to Indian summer, we welcome the cooler air and slower pace of the autumn season. From warm apple cider, everything pumpkin and end of season hiking trips, there are so many reasons to enjoy autumn. William Cullen Bryant says it best, “Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.” With the seasonal changes now in full swing we see fall flowers appearing where summer blooms once stood and leaves changing into vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red. The evening air has a slight chill and carries the scent of campfires, leaves and cinnamon spice. Our activities turn from swimming and baseball to raking leaves and football. Not only is Mother Nature showing her colors, but we begin to show our team colors with a focus on sports! Join us throughout the month as we bond over sporting events while cheering on our favorite teams, complete with tailgate parties and snacks.

Throughout October we will show our colors as we sponsor and support local sports teams. We will honor our associates who show their colors by “nurturing the spirit of life” with The Juniper Spirit awards. Alas, October would not be complete without celebrating the season with our annual Halloween Costume Party, which is open to ghosts and goblins of all ages. Join us this month and Show Your Colors!

Our fabulous October 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown include our:

§  Community Fall Harvest Event as we kick off this beautiful fall season with a fun, festive time, and we will celebrate with radiant color, the beautiful fall foliage, great music, dancing and of course the most delicious of fall harvest seasonal refreshments, so join us as we kick off this season with a joyous, fun, festive event on October 4^th at 3:00 pm.

§  Bringing The Fun Into Fitness by the Genesis/Theralink Team as we celebrate our theme of Sports this month as we are happy to host a presentation by our Genesis/Theralink Team to find ways to incorporate more fun into fitness by adding sports, games, socials and dance, as long as we’re moving and grooving, we are keeping our bodies fit, so let’s add more fun into fitness this year on October 17^th at 1:30 pm.

§  Annual Community Wide Halloween Event as we continue to celebrate this season, bring the family and join us for this fun, festive event, including a safe trick or treat, music, dancing, balloon art and more, but beware of the ghouls and goblins that may be lurking around, and most of all don’t forget to wear your favorite costumes and masks as you join us for this fun joy-filled event on October 31^st at 2:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our October 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown with you as you Show Your Colors.

September 2016 Events in Williamstown, NJ: Spread Your Joy

As the air begins to cool and summer wanes, Juniper Village ends our “Stay Connected” series by recognizing Friendship and Joy. What is it that brings you joy? Is it the wet nose of a newborn pup? The smile of your first grandchild? The taste of a triple chocolate ice cream cone? Whatever it is we invite you to share that joy with others at Juniper Village this month.

Much attention has been paid to studies regarding the effects of stress on your health, but what about the effects of joy? The landmark “Nun Study,” as it's often known, revealed that positive emotion is correlated with longevity: 90% of the most cheerful quarter of nuns was alive at the age of eighty-five, whereas only 34% of the least cheerful quarter lived to that age. Similarly, 54% of the most cheerful fourth was alive at age ninety-four, versus 11% of the least cheerful. Of the 678 sisters in the original study about four dozen are still living. So go ahead, grab that triple chocolate cone it might just extend your life!

Join us this month as we celebrate friendship and staying connected with calendar events such as our annual daffodil planting and our home warming, birthday party and Best Friend initiatives.

Our fabulous September 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown include our:

§  Labor Day Patriotic Tribute Event as it is our honor at Juniper Village at Williamstown to celebrate our great nation’s military and all those who labor to keep America great, so join us as we gather together with friends and family to celebrate this day in joy and respect for all those that have labored before us and for the great nation we are privileged to reside in on September 5^th at 2:00 pm.

§  The Joy of Fitness with Friends by our Genesis Team because as we all know, fitness and movement are critical to optimum health, and as we are living longer, we want to increase the quality of our lives which will require adding fitness as a regular, daily practice, but sometimes doing it alone can be a challenge, so our Genesis team is going to enlighten us on new and creative ways to enjoy fitness with friends, thereby making it a lot more fun, so join us as we increase fitness and nurture friendships at the same time on September 19^th at 1:15 pm.

We look forward to sharing our September 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown with you as you Spread Your Joy.

The Sweet Breath of Life at Juniper of Williamstown

As The month of August comes to a close, we remember all of the joys and wonderful outdoor moments and memories we have created this summer! We enjoyed many opportunities to be out in the beautiful environment, enjoying the Sweet Breath of Life, right here at Juniper Village at Williamstown!

We enjoyed wonderful walks in nature, sweet tea on the patios, watching the hummingbirds as they nurture at the hibiscus flowers and so much more.  We celebrated with fun outdoor parties, and enjoyed our Annual Free Community Wide Shredding Event, where everyone took advantage of clearing out the old to make room for the new, but the most adorable moment of that event was when one of our precious residents saw the donation table and ran over and said, "I would love to make a donation to the Alzheimer's Association!"  That truly was the most touching moment to behold!  Residents also enjoyed going out with their friends and enjoying nature at its best!

In addition, our entire Juniper staff was celebrated with a great BBQ celebration prepared by Ray, our Dining Director and his wonderful team to extend gratitude for our staff receiving our AFA Certification for our Memory Care Program, for Outstanding Care as well as our Advanced Standing Certification for both the Village and Memory Care! In addition a wonderful My Interview Award that we received this month as well.  We are so thankful to our Entire Juniper Team for their Excellence and their achievements!

We also were excited to create a new and beautiful sensory snoozy in room in our Memory Care Building and the residents and families are already expressing how relaxed they feel in this sensory environment!

Join us for September for all of our upcoming events and remember to Breath in Life as you enjoy the last weeks of summer!

Breathe In Life With Joy!

As we cruise to the last month of summer, we decided to celebrate in true summer style!  We will enjoy all that the environment and nature have to share with us in this summer season for as long as we can here at Juniper of Williamstown!

As we focus on our "Alive in All Seasons" theme of the "Environment": "Breathe in Life", we are taking full advantage of being outdoors!  We enjoyed the beauty of visiting a butterfly sanctuary, enjoying bird watching, hikes in the park and more!

We also enjoyed our Annual Back To School Out Reach Event, which donated new bookbags and school supplies for the children going back to school in September.  We celebrated with a full outdoor beach party with live music, refreshments, outdoor arts and of course great summer refreshments with ice cream!  This year the bookbags were donated to Williamstown Middle School and the School Represenative, Maureen was shocked when she and her team saw the generosity and the number of bookbags filled with school supplies they received this year!  It was a summer blast and residents enjoyed a beautiful day outdoors with family and friends!

We will continue on in this month with our Annual Community Wide Free Shredder Event which literally stops traffic in Williamstown!  We have received calls for this event since January 2016!  We look forward to enjoying the rest of this summer in style and we hope you will join us for all of our upcoming events!

Remember to "Breathe In Life In Joy" and take time to enjoy the environment and beauty that surrounds you!

August 2016 Events in Williamstown, NJ: Breathe in Life

Each August we turn our focus to the environment by offering social events and educational opportunities on living a more environmentally sustainable life. By making caring choices and creating helpful habits we can all make a difference to our planet.

Did you know that an aluminum can may remain in its current condition in a landfill for up to 500 years? That same can, when recycled, can end up back on your grocer’s shelf in as little as two months. Recycling that aluminum can also saves energy. Enough energy, in fact, to power your television for three hours! Aluminum can be recycled over, and over and over again – without limit. Americans will use about 2.5 million plastic bottles every thirty minutes. If that bottle is not recycled it can spend the next 450 years or more in a landfill. A modern glass bottle will take about 4,000 years to biodegrade. Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled again, and again and again. So, the next time you are enjoying a delicious beverage, be conscious of the packaging and make the choice to recycle.

Join us this month as we promote the environment with a focus on our recycling programs – from annual rummage sales to shredding and more; our educational offerings will help you to support our environment and Breathe in Life!

Our fabulous August 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown include our:

§  Annual Back To School Community Outreach Event as it is our great joy to have an opportunity to give back to our community throughout the year, and this event is one of our favorites, so please join us for a wonderful fun event with great music, summer refreshments and more, where the ticket in the door is a brand new book bag filled with paper pads, color markers, and pencils, so we can send children back to school with the tools they need to begin their new school year with confidence on August 4^th at 2:00 pm.

§  Movement & Breath Technique by Genesis Team as it is our joy to celebrate our “Alive in All Seasons” theme of the Environment this month, and in keeping with this theme, we are pleased to have our Genesis Team give this educational presentation because as we all know movement is vital for everyone to remain mobile and keep our joints flexible, and as we engage in movement of our bodies it is critical to learn proper breathing techniques while engaged in movement, so our Genesis team will demonstrate the best way to create proper oxygen flow as we move through our daily routines as well as fitness, so join us as we learn together on August 15^th at 1:15 pm.

§  Annual Community Free Shredder Event as every year this event has been one of our most successful events, and we have chosen to provide this free service to our area community to assist in providing a safe and secure place to have your personal paperwork and documents shredded, so join us as we enjoy music, refreshments and free shredding, and let’s clean up our homes and community and together keep our environment refreshed on August 18^th at 10:00 am.

We look forward to sharing our August 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown with you as you Breathe in Life.

Patriotic Celebrations

What a beautiful month it has been at Juniper Village of Williamstown. Celebrating of Course with all of our wonderful Patriotic Celebrations for July 4th!  Residents sang out with gusto as we sang our National Anthem and other favorite Patriotic Songs that have always been near and dear in our hearts but now are even more dear and filled with emotion!

We also enjoyed many great celebrations, trips and events honoring our great Nation, Volunteers, and All Who Serve our Nation and Communities every day without expecting anything in return!  It is our great honor to extend our gratitude and demonstrate our appreciation to all of them. Everyone also enjoyed our Annual Community Wide Volunteer Luncheon in which we get to give back to all of these wonderful volunteers by providing a beautiful luncheon with music & so much more!  Everyone had a beautiful time & it was a joyous celebration for all!

We look forward to seeing you next month for our wonderful August Events!

God Bless All of You & God Bless America!

We Love The U.S.A.

This month, as we kicked off our Alive in All Seasons Theme: Volunteerism-"Standing In Integrity", we were proud to host a Patriotic Celebration!  Residents enjoyed great music celebrating the history of our nation, the summer sounds of Neil Diamond, along with dancing, singing, Mr. Softee on site at Juniper, and our wonderful balloon artist Jack!

It was a truly great party, and residents are still smiling and talking about the great day they had!  It was our  honor to kick off the 4th of July Weekend here at Juniper Village of Williamstown, which remembers what a great honor we have to live in FREEDOM in this great nation! We honor all of our Military & those who have served us and sacrificed for us to pay for this great freedom. To you we owe a debt we can never repay!

Join us this month for more great celebrations as we honor our great U.S.A. and all those who serve our nation, as well as our great volunteers who serve all over the world!

July 2016 Events in Williamstown, NJ: Live in Wellness

Ah...the good old summer time filled with lazy, sunny days, ice cold treats, Independence Day celebrations, and get-togethers at the beach. Another sure indication of summer is our Alive in All Seasons theme of Volunteerism.

July is the perfect month to honor all of the many volunteers who contribute thousands of hours of time in service to our communities. From our four-legged volunteers to those of the two legged variety we are proud to say we receive more than 10,000 hours of precious time each year. We simply could not do it without all of your help, and this month we honor you. We will also be promoting the spirit of volunteerism by volunteering our time to help others. If you have some spare time on your hands consider joining us for a volunteer activity or better yet volunteer your time with us, we’d love to have you. What qualities make a good volunteer? Energy, passion, flexibility, creativity, reliability, commitment and perhaps most important of all – integrity.

Volunteerism benefits all parties involved. In addition to making new friends, volunteering also helps increase your self-confidence, provides a sense of purpose, combats depression and helps you stay physically healthy. Helping others also kindles happiness, as the London School of Economics found the more people volunteered, the happier they were.

In addition to volunteering opportunities, plan to join us during July for our summer celebrations and share our thanks as we honor those who Stand In Integrity with us.

Our fabulous July 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown include our:

§  Patriotic Tribute Event featuring great Patriotic music, summer refreshments, dancing, and more as we enjoy this kick off to summer with a joyous event and begin the summer living well with family and friends, we will also remember and salute our very brave men and women of our Military across our Nation, and celebrate the sacrificial gift they have given to us of FREEDOM on July 1^st at 2:00 pm.

§  Annual Community Wide Volunteer Luncheon as we celebrate our “Alive in All Seasons” theme of: Volunteerism: “Stand In Integrity”, it is a small way in which we can show our great appreciation and gratitude for all they do throughout the year, giving of themselves so freely to our community and others, so join us as we celebrate and honor these great men and women who stand in integrity daily on July 14^th at 1:30 pm.

§  “Stand In Integrity” Presentation by Genesis Team as this month the Genesis team will teach us how to stand, bend, and move with proper balance engaging our joints, because learning proper positioning and movement of our joints increases good balance and posture, thereby creating better overall health and quality of life on July 18^th at 1:15 pm. 

We look forward to sharing our July 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown with you as you Live in Wellness.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend At Juniper Village of Williamstown!

As we closed out the month of May here at Juniper Village of Williamstown, it was our distinct honor to celebrate all of the vets that have served this great nation! It was our privilege to honor all of you! We thank you for sacrificing everything for our safety and freedom! Let us never forget, we owe a debt to all of you, we can never repay.......but we can always remember to honor all you have done for us!

In addition to saluting all military, we closed out the month by celebrating family, and cherished traditions, as well as celebrating the welcome of new residents to our community with new friends! We also said farewell to wonderful team members as they try to retire after serving our community for a very long time! We are still keeping them (on the on call status) even though they think they are fully retired! Ha ha. We also celebrated our Route 66 Fitness Challenge with great prizes and parties but remember everyone who participated is a winner, because they achieved better health.

Join us in celebrating life and kicking off this summer in style!  Happy Memorial Day To All!


Thank you to all of our Military, Police, Fire and First Responders who protect, serve, and keep us safe to enjoy life!

June 2016 Events in Williamstown, NJ: Live in Wellness

What is wellness? The National Wellness Institute defines wellness as "a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential." At Juniper we believe in fostering this definition of wellness everyday by offering programs and services that help our residents achieve their full potential. As we wind down our Healthy Aging series, this month we focus on Food by highlighting our H’Art and Soul of Dining Signature Program.

Throughout our lives the most important discussions, revelations, decisions and announcements have transpired around the dinner table. When company came over we caught up on the latest gossip over coffee and fresh baked goods. If you needed advice from your parents, it was often given while enjoying Mom’s delicious pot roast on a Sunday evening. Why should that be any different when you enter your retirement years in one of our communities?

With the kitchen often being the heart of the home, we have developed H’Art and Soul of Dining with this in mind. This program strives to impart spirited service, companionship and nourishment through sharing the joy of good food – just like home! Our dining program is designed to not only meet resident’s physical needs, but their emotional and social needs as well. We believe this program provides a perfect balance of nutritious and delicious food choices, comfortable atmosphere and ambiance, social interaction, cleanliness and a spirit of service.

Indulge with us this month as we focus on the “heart” of the home with program offerings centered on food and nutrition such as our hydration program with healthy snacks and juices and educational presentations by a dietitian. Join us in June as we Live in Wellness.

Our fabulous June 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown include our:

§  Island Tropics Experience in Williamstown if you are in need of a vacation but can’t get away, this is the perfect event for you, so join us for a day of chilling back Island Tropic Style, as we will celebrate with the cool refreshing punch of the Islands, experience the professional, traditional island dance and music, while enjoying tropical refreshments, so give yourself an afternoon getaway with an Island Tropic Experience right here with us at Juniper Village of Williamstown, and be sure to wear your latest in Island trends on June 1st at 2:00 pm.

§  Nutritional Wellness For Vibrant Health Presentation by Mary Lou Bialon to provide the most up to date information on the nutrition with the goal of obtaining Nutritional Wellness for Vibrant Health, because as we all know, there is a lot of information circulating out there about health and nutrition and many contradict each other, so it can be very confusing and that’s why we hope you will join us as we clear up some myths and provide you with trusted information on best nutrition strategies on June 10th at 3:00 pm.

§  Whole Body Wellness Presentation by Genesis Team as we have heard so many times that moderation is the key to happiness and wellness, and it turns out to be more fact than fiction as recent discoveries point to balance as a key component to Whole Body Wellness, so join us as our Genesis Team encourages us to find balance in the best in healthy nutrition, physical fitness, and movement as well as finding time for pleasure in every day to become our Best Version of ourselves on June 13th at 1:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our June 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown with you as you Live in Wellness.

Theralink Days with Vitality Checks

We kicked off our "Theralink Days with Vitality Checks” with a fun, energetic celebration and the Juniper/Genesis team provided screenings of residents, testing for mobility, balance, walking ability, falls risk, aerobic endurance, leg strength and endurance, as well as overall safety of equipment!  The team does monthly assessments and Vitality Checks on these principals and communicates them to our Juniper Nursing Team thereby providing quick interventions for ongoing and changing needs of all residents!

It is our joy to Connect4Life with Genesis in our ""Theralink Days with Vitality Checks”, and increase overall fitness, well-being and the highest quality of life!  We also kicked off our Route 66 Walking Fitness Challenge and will celebrate the gift of Walking for Fitness as we enjoy the beauty of the Spring Season with Friends!

Join us this month as we Connect4Life in "Theralink Days with Vitality Checks” on our journey to Destination Wellness!

May 2016 Events in Williamstown, NJ: Grow Strong Daily

We all know that regular physical activity is great for overall health. But do we all understand the dangers in being inactive? Studies indicate that sedentary lifestyles are risky. For the most part, when older people lose their ability to do things on their own, it doesn't happen just because they've aged. It's usually because they're not active. Lack of physical activity also can lead to more visits to the doctor, more hospitalizations, and more use of medicines for a variety of illnesses. In recognition of those facts, Juniper nurtures wellbeing by encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit through our innovative Signature Programs such as Connect4Life, Connections and H’Art and Soul of Dining.

We continue our Healthy Aging Series with a focus on Fitness. In the wise words of J.R.R., Tolkien, "All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost." This month we will Grow Strong Daily so as to not wither, but to thrive as we develop strength in bodies, minds and spirits.

This month we invite you to join us as we Grow Strong Daily with activities such as our Daily Brain Builders, Wii, and our Brain Healthy Luncheon. We also invite you to expand your knowledge in our Healthy Aging Library.

Our fabulous May 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown include our:

§  Cinco De Mayo Community Event a joyful afternoon celebrating the beauty of this very rich and vibrant culture along with family and friends throughout the community featuring a vibrant display of Mexican Cultural Colors, the Joyous Dance and Music of Mexico along with delightful Mexican seasonal refreshments on May 5^th at 2:00 pm.

§  Mother’s Day Celebration Event as we honor all those who enjoy the privilege of being Mothers, and we hope that on this day we ensure that every mom in our midst feels special and greatly appreciated, so join us as we celebrate the gift of our own Mothers as well as all other Mothers on this special day while we will share an afternoon of beautiful music, delicious seasonal refreshments, and all the joy of this special day on May 8^th at 2:00 pm.

§  Vibrant & Strong Bodies Presentation by Genesis/Theralink Team as they present the latest in fitness techniques and as we work together to continue our quest for better fitness as we age in place, which creates an better quality of life for all, so celebrate fitness with us and get moving on May 16^th on 1:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our May 2016 events in Williamstown, NJ at Juniper Village at Williamstown with you as you Grow Strong Daily.

Celebrating our Assoicates

This month is a special month at Juniper Village of Williamstown. As we celebrated our "Alive In All Seasons" theme: of The Brain: "Believe In Yourself" we were excited to kick off our April Events and Offerings with our Annual Juniper Associate Appreciation Week!  Residents, families, and all of the Juniper Teams enjoyed a week-long celebration of events in recognition of the Juniper Associates!  We celebrated with many wonderful gifts, raffles, music, dancing, thank you notes from leadership to their teams.  Everyone enjoyed special luncheons, new
summer t-shirts, and so much more!

Of course it wouldn't be the same without the President of Juniper Communities, Lynne Katzmann, personally taking time out of her very busy schedule to join our Executive Director, MaryJane Eicke, in spending a day here at our community in Williamstown, personally presenting the Juniper Spirit Awards and Giraffe Awards to our special recipients!

She also graciously bestowed a special honor and award to the sister of one of our beloved team members, Ronnie Seidenberg, who recently passed away earlier in this season!

Residents also celebrated with a social and presentation of new books for our Healthy Resource Library!

Join us as we celebrate the Brain: "Believe In Yourself" and continue to increase the power of positivism in ourselves, communities, and the world!