Summertime!

Summertime is the perfect time for entertaining and what better way to adorn your summer picnics and parties than with beautifully carved fruit!  On June 11 and June 18, Juniper Village at Forest Hill's Dietary Manager, Ken Miller shared his knowledge, skills and expertise on how to turn ordinary pieces of fruit into artistic masterpieces!!  As you can see, all of those attending learned how to create their own beautiful works of art.

Father's Day

This year Juniper Village at Forest Hills celebrated Father's Day all day long!!  The fun started early with an All You Can Eat Breakfast at 9 am in the morning where our Dietary Department filled everyone's bellies with delicious pancakes, waffles, eggs and a variety of breakfast treats; just like dad used to make.  The fun continued into the afternoon with desserts and a special summertime musical performance by one of our favorite performers and entertainers, Trina.  Dads are special at Juniper Village at Forest Hills!!

Juniper Village Welcomes Genesis Therapy & OmniCare Pharmacy Services

This spring Juniper Village at Forest Hills welcomed two new partners in care: Genesis Therapy Services and Omnicare Pharmacy.  Although the residents and family members were aware of these changes since January, an official meet & greet was held to answer questions and introduce everyone to the new staff. As you can see everyone was happy to welcome these new providers to our community!!

The Sandwich Woman: The Heart of the Sandwich Generation

Based on their experience as caregivers for their loved ones, two sisters (family members of residents at Juniper Village at Forest Hills in Pittsburgh, PA) have created a website and social media platforms based upon their experience as caregivers.  We support their work with other caregivers and encourage you to learn more. 

Sisters Carole Brecht and Jan Steinle, née Reisman from Pittsburgh, Pa, have been collaborating on their social media focused on the Sandwich Generation, including Instagram, a facebook community page, and their website featuring weekly blogs. The Sandwich Woman: The Heart of the Sandwich Generation is serving a Global Community of boomers.  In the USA alone, it is estimated that over 60,000,000 people now assist the loved ones in their life, both young and old, be it financially, emotionally, physically or all of the above.  Within just a few months, they’ve reached over 1,200 Likes on facebook from 20+ countries, including Spain, South Africa, Singapore, Taiwan & Switzerland.

Both Carole and Jan feature their Zentangle® Inspired Art (ZIA) on all their media.  Zentangle® is an easy-to-learn, relaxing and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns.  The sisters both graduated from the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh, Pa.  Jan is a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) now teaching in the Pittsburgh area.  Carole and Jan believe this art form serves as a perfect metaphor for the complex and multi-layered Sandwich Woman of today. 

Like millions of others who begin by simply “helping out”, the sisters, who have seven children between them, found themselves in the role of Caregiver for their parents, which continues to this day.  Carole and Jan’s collaboration is a tribute to their Father & Mother.  The Sandwich Woman, The Heart Of The Sandwich Generation was created to support boomers who are going through the same emotional journey.  We need to “Nurture the Nurturers”, and remind people how important it is to take care of themselves.   Jan and Carole’s parents are residents at Juniper Village at Forest Hills personal care community. Their mother passed away this past fall and their father still resides at the community. Through the many phases of care needed for their mother, Jan and Carole have gained experience as a “Sandwich Generation” care provider, along with a tremendous amount of knowledge and compassion for families experiencing these same type of situations.

Carole and Jan see this as a Community where people can come together for support, to be inspired, find helpful resources and to learn and share. A place to visit daily while helping the loved ones in their life, where “Words Soothe and Ideas & Art Delight.”

Carole is currently writing a book about The Sandwich Woman: The Heart of the Sandwich Generation, which she hopes to publish by the end of this year. Currently the “Sandwich Woman” facebook page has received over 1200 likes and is now in 20 countries!  Family members, residents and friends are encouraged to visit the Sandwich Woman’s website and facebook page at www.thesandwichwoman.com or facebook.com/thesandwichwoman. You can also find Carole on Instagram at: carole_brecht. For more information you can contact Jan Steinle at janbee.steinle@gmail.com or Carole Brecht at cbrecht4@gmail.com.

June 2015 Events in Pittsburgh, PA: Live in Wellness

We close this quarter’s theme of Healthy Aging: “Let Wellbeing Thrive” with a focus on Food, as we Live in Wellness through our June 2015 events in Pittsburgh, PA at Juniper Village at Forest Hills. Hippocrates advises, “Let food be thy medicine”. Research shows that eating a well-planned, balanced mix of foods every day has many health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, bone loss, some kinds of cancer, and anemia. But, food has other benefits. There are also emotional needs that are satisfied by food. Most of us have fond memories of food from days gone by. Whether it was our mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies, a hotdog from a street vendor or our wedding cake, food has a way of transporting us back to the past. It is in that spirit that Juniper’s dining program is called the H’art and Soul of Dining. The philosophy is that we impart spirited service, companionship and nourishment through the sharing of good food. In addition to meeting our resident’s unique nutritional needs, we also meet their emotional and social needs as well.

Join us for our June 2015 events in Pittsburgh, PA at Juniper Village at Forest Hills to share in our hydration program, complete with healthy snacks and learn more about healthy food and wellness with our dietitian presentations as we continue to Live in Wellness.

Our fabulous June 2015 events in Pittsburgh, PA at Juniper Village at Forest Hills include our:

§  Caregiver Support Group Meeting approved by the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and are affiliated with the National Alzheimer’s Association as this month we will discuss how appetites and eating abilities change as the illness progresses on June 10^th at 1:30 pm.

§  Summer Fruit Carving Class because summer is the perfect time for entertaining, and what better way to adorn your summer picnics and parties than with beautifully carved fruit, so come learn the simple techniques used by the experts as taught by Juniper Village at Forest Hill’s Dietary Manager, Ken Miller, at this event that is only $16.00 and includes your own set of carving knives on June 11^th and 18^th at 6:00 pm. (RSVP to 412-244-9901 since class size is limited.)

§  Father’s Day All You Can Eat Breakfast to enjoy a variety of breakfast favorites, just like dad used to make, free for residents and just $5.00 for guests with all proceeds benefiting the American Disabled Vets on June 14^th at 9:00 am. (RSVP to 412-244-9901 by June 10^th as tickets are required and limited.)

§  Father’s Day Desserts and Entertainment featuring tasty treats and music by local singer, Trina, free for residents and guests on June 14^th at 3:00 pm.

§  Seniors for Safe Driving Refresher Course will improve your abilities and lower your insurance premiums through this 1/2 day seminar designed for drivers over the age of 55 who have already taken the initial Seniors For Safe Driving course that is only $16.00 on June 23^rd at 9:00 am. (For more information or to RSVP contact Seniors for Safe Driving at 1-800-559-4880.)

§  Diabetes Support Group Meeting as this month we discuss how making the right food choices can help you control and live with your illness on June 23^rd at 1:30 pm.

We hope to see you at one or more of our June 2015 events in Pittsburgh, PA at Juniper Village at Forest Hills!