Honoring and Remembering our Veterans

November 11^th- a day set aside to Honor and Remember those men and women who have bravely fought for our Freedom. Juniper Village at Naples was privileged to honor 17 Veteran residents this November – with 6 residents serving in WWII. A proud moment as one of our own family members Veteran Ray O’Keefe respectfully honored his elder Veterans with a very heartfelt speech. At Juniper Village at Naples, we honor our Veterans not only on Veteran’s Day, but every day of the year, nurturing their Spirit of Life in all Seasons.  

Juniper Giraffes enjoy Elephant Fest at the Naples Zoo

Residents, staff and families of Juniper Village at Naples took a trip to the Naples Zoo hosted by the Alzheimer’s Support Network at the annual Elephant Fest. Lions, tigers and of course giraffe’s were just some of the wonderful animals that were seen along the beautiful walking paths within the zoo. What a wonderful sight to see so many Memory Care communities coming together to support such a worthy group and cause.  Juniper Village at Naples is proud to partner with the Alzheimer’s Support Network in support of our residents and families.

November 2016 Events in Naples, FL: 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 Naples, FL at Juniper Village at Naples include our:

§  Veteran’s Day Ceremony as we honor all who fought for our freedom and our rights, so please join us and Vitas Healthcare for this very special celebration to honor our brave and bold Juniper Village Veterans on November 10^th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. (RSVP by November 7^th to 239-598-1368.)

§  Navigate the Memories Family Luncheon as we celebrate our Families from our family to yours, and cherish the journey that brought us together, so join us for a Thanksgiving feast, and please bring in a non-perishable food item to donate to our annual food drive on November 16^th from noon to 2:00 pm. (RSVP early and no later than November 9^th to 239-598-1368.)

§  Dietary and Lifestyle Intervention Strategies to Address Cognitive Decline because we should all cherish a healthy body as you journey into the world of nutrition with author and dietician, John Fitzsimmons, who will guide us through the strategies of healthy eating and lifestyle choices for mind, body and soul on November 16^th at 3:00 pm. (RSVP by November 10^th to 239-598-1368.)

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

October 2016 Events in Naples, FL: 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 Naples, FL at Juniper Village at Naples include our:

§  As We Enter the Holiday Season…. some very important questions may come to mind: what to give my loved one with Dementia, how to handle visiting with many out of town guests and family, et cetera, and Debbie Fulton with the Alzheimer’s Support Network will be here to answer your questions, so come and bring your questions and concerns to this very informative discussion on October 11^th at 2:30 pm. (RSVP to by October 4^th to 239-598-1368.)

§  Team Spirit Family Luncheon to wear your favorite team jersey or hat and show your colors while you enjoy all your favorite stadium foods at our Juniper Village tailgating luncheon, so get your hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn and Cracker Jack here on October 19^th from noon to 1:00 pm. (RSVP to by October 12^th to 239-598-1368.)

§  Please Speak Up with Dr. Ann Rasmussen, Au.D.CCC-A from Doctors Hearing who is coming to Juniper Village for a house call, so if you or a loved one have ringing in the ears or maybe difficulty understanding what others are saying, Dr. Rasmussen will address these issues and the correlation between Dementia and hearing loss, you’ll want to hear this very informative information on October 25^th at 3:00 pm. (RSVP to by October 18^th to 239-598-1368.)

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

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle

During the entire month of August, Juniper Village at Naples celebrated the environment, by offering free shredding to the community, friends, family and professionals. Shredding and recycling is one thing we can do to preserve our precious environment. Juniper accepted many newspapers, old files and magazines. Basically any recyclable paper product was accepted. This is Juniper Village’s way of giving back to the community and showing our support of Going Green!

September 2016 Events in Naples, FL: 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 Naples, FL at Juniper Village at Naples include our:

§  The Benefits of Exercise and Endorphins with Jonah Frost of our onsite therapy service Genesis who will present why the endorphins that are generated during exercise make us feel happy on September 12^th from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. (Please RSVP by September 5^th to Dinelle at 239-598-1368.)

§  Nurturing your Spirit with a Joyful Family Luncheon because it’s picnic time - rain or shine, so enjoy fried chicken, potato salad and baked beans with your loved ones and friends at this lovely gathering on September 14^th from noon to 1:00 pm. (Please RSVP by September 7^th to Dinelle at 239-598-1368.)

§  Breakfast at “Kittenys” as we’re getting together to help our four-legged furry friends, so join us for delicious, creative treats prepared by our own “Chef Steven” and bring in your donation to help the many homeless, rescued cats of Collier County as donations will be given to the Naples Cat Alliance on September 29^th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. (Please RSVP by September 15^th to Dinelle at 239-598-1368.)

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

BACK TO SCHOOL ALREADY?

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic! The summer flew by and it is time for the kids to go back to school! Juniper Village at Naples sponsored a wonderful Back to School supply event to help the children of our future in Collier County. Our generous guests donated back packs, glue, pencils, and markers- just to  name a few of the items. Supplies can be quite a financial burden on many families- so every little bit can help! The supplies will be donated to Corkscrew Middle School. Of course no event would be complete without some delicious appetizers! Mini hamburgers, hot dogs and pizzas and finishing off with milk and cookies! Thank you to all families and friends that so generously donated.