Connect 4 Life - Integrated Care in Seniors Housing

In March the Directors of Wellness met to discuss the Importance of Integrated Care, which is the main stay of Juniper Communities' Connect4Life.  Statistics show when a Community provides three key components; onsite delivery of primary care, a "high-tech" foundation of shared data and a "high-touch" coordinator that facilitates a seamless provision of services, the customer truly benefits.  Juniper Communities study compared the population of customers residing in managed care communities and similar frail Medicare recipients.  The key results show hospitalizations were reduced by 50%, re-hospitalizations were reduced by over 80%.  Further study needs to be done, but these results suggest these positive outcomes are a result of a foundation of excellence and consistent quality of integrated care.

Pictured on top from left to right are some of our fabulous Directors of Community Relation: Kathryn Bainbridge, Brookline Senior Living; Katie Kensinger, Brookline Wellspring Memory Care; Brenda Dahlberg, Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care; Christine Heibel, Lebanon; and Bonnie Prisk, Forest Hills. Pictured on bottom from left to right are some of our wonderful Directors of Wellness: Susan Deitzler, Lebanon; Missy Ebner, Home Office; Katie Castro, Brookline Senior Living; Veronica Graham, Mount Joy; Muriel Myers, Forest Hills; and Dana Theis, Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care.

Read more in the FREE White Paper!

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!

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!  And the Irish eyes were smiling at Juniper Village at Forest Hills' Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Friday, March 17th.  Families, residents and friends turned out in their Irish colors for an afternoon of Irish food and traditional music as performed by local Fiddlers from the Musicians With A Mission musical group.

Women in Business Networking Meeting

This photo was taken at the Women in Business Networking meeting held last evening at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. Seated on the left is Michele Conti from Conti Law Firm and Connie Bettis from the Brown Agency of Financial Planning. Standing from left to right are Suzy Whelan of Point Pleasant Retirement Community, Wendy Long of Solutions for Independence and Janet Wangler of Junioer Village at Forest Hills. The evening was filled with many speakers sharing ways in which women can support each other through direct referral marketing. The Pittsburgh Chapter of WBN is one of the largest and most successful in Allegheny County, PA.

Juniper Village at Forest Hills Donates to Twilight Wish Foundation

Juniper Village at Forest Hills is pleased to announce that their aging resident van has been donated to the Twilight Wish Foundation!  The vehicle was donated through the Charitable Adult Rides program.  A national vehicle donation organization that picks up unwanted vehicles, then sells them at local auction sites.  Once auctioned, 80% of the profits will be donated to the Allegheny County Chapter of the Twilight Wish Foundation.  The Twilight Wish Foundation is a national wish granting organization that grants wishes for deserving seniors.  And with the funds being donated to the Allegheny County Chapter, the dollars generated from Juniper Village’s donation will be used to grant wishes for seniors in our local Pittsburgh area.   A great way to turn an unneeded vehicle into something needed!

Inter-generational Games

On Thursday, March 9,  fifteen members from St. Maurice Church’s Youth Group and the East Catholic School in Forest Hills visited Juniper Village for an afternoon of crafts, games and musical fun.  The event was organized by Rosemarie Malanoski, Juniper Village’s Connections Director, and volunteers from the  Ladies of St. Maurice Church;  as a way for the teen aged members from the group to learn lifetime skills for working and communicating with older adults.  As you can see, the event was a lot of fun and a great inter-generational program for everyone involved!

PALA Workshop: The Aging Brain

Tuesday, March 7th, was the Pennsylvania Assisted Living Association Spring Workshop on The Aging Brain held at UPMC Cumberland Woods Village. The PALA specializes in Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences serving the seniors of Pennsylvania. The workshop focused on The Brain As You Age: You Can Make a Difference!  The information presented was of findings from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Aging through clinical trials about how healthy lifestyle choices may help maintain a healthy body and brain. 

From left to right in the accompanying photo are: Suzy Whelan from Point Pleasant; Betty Robinson, MSN, RN-BC, workshop presenter and Gerontology Educator from The Aging Institute at UPMC; Julie Alakson, Director of Marketing for UPMC; and Janet Wangler from Juniper Village at Forest Hills.
PALA specializes in Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences serving the seniors of Pennsylvania

Mardi Gras New Orleans Style

Although we are not in New Orleans, Juniper Village at Forest Hills celebrated Mardi Gras in true New Orleans style!  Residents, family members and guests all dressed for the occasion, and enjoyed a delicious Cajun-style lunch complete with a King Cake for dessert!  A king and a queen were also crowned.  As you can see, everyone had a great time celebrating Fat Tuesday!!

March 2017 Events in Pittsburgh, PA: Your Treasure is Within

Theatrical readings, colorful costumed dancers and spectacular vocal performances bring to a close our creative expression quarterly theme with a focus on performance and honoring our inner treasure – our self-worth. With so many demands on our time these days, it’s easy to always put others first and forget to care of ourselves. Also as we get older, retire from work and in some cases caretaking, we may forget our sense of value – our self-worth. A large part of nurturing the spirit of life is providing opportunities for purpose.

This month we will put an even greater focus on identifying our continued purpose and self-worth by performing purposeful activities, reminiscing and creating opportunities to treasure ourselves. Motivational speaker Anne Naylor offers these tips to help you treasure yourself: Treasure your thoughts with kindness – nurture your thoughts of gratitude and appreciation. Treasure your feelings and emotions – observe and use them as your guide. Treasure your body – treat it well with exercise, nourishment, rest, joy and laughter. Treasure your spirit – breathe, meditate and enjoy the goodness in your life. We hope you all enjoy the treasure of your wonderful self.

Please join us as we dramatically embrace performance throughout March with our weekly drama club, outings to live theatrical performances and our Oscar-themed party. Celebrate the Irish culture in grand style with our Saint Patrick’s Day event filled with food, fun and, of course, dancing! Honor yourself and recognize Your Treasure is Within this month at Juniper Village!

Our fabulous March 2017 events in Pittsburgh, PA at Juniper Village at Forest Hills include our:

§  Caregiver Support Group Meeting approved by the Greater PA Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and are affiliated with the National Alzheimer’s Association as this month we will discuss ways to help you treasure the moments with your loved one on March 4^th at 10:30 am. (RSVPs encouraged but not required.)

§  Trash or Treasure Antique Appraisal to discover if your antique items are trash or treasure bring your treasures in for a free appraisal by local Pittsburgh area antique shop owner and appraiser, Ernest Grindle; free Appraisals are limited to 2 items per guest and due to the complexity, we will not be appraising military items, stamps or jewelry on March 11^th at 10:00 am. (Space is limited and RSVPs are required at 412-244-9901.)

§  Wearin’ of the Green because everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, and what better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than to fiddle away the afternoon with an Irish musical presentation by members of the Musicians with A Mission musical group on March 17^th at 2:00 pm. (Free for residents and guests, however RSVPs are required at 412-244-9901.)

§  Sip & Paint to unleash your hidden artistic talents as residents, family members and guests are invited to join us for an evening of wine, fun, food and art with a cost of just $10.00 for guests, and all proceeds being donated to the Alzheimer’s Association on March 20^th at 6:00 pm. (Space is limited and RSVPs are required at 412-244-9901.)

We look forward to sharing our March 2017 events in Pittsburgh, PA at Juniper Village at Forest Hills with you as Your Treasure is Within.