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Seminar on Brain Health & Wellness: Caregiver Resources

by Carol Leish, MA

On August 18, 2022, Ventura County’s Area Agency on Aging hosted one of their monthly seminars through Zoom reflecting upon Brain Health & Wellness. Today’s seminar, Caregiver Resources, focused on what is offered within Ventura County to assist caregivers.

Moderator, Maureen Hodge, LCSW, High Risk Program Manager for Care Connections (Community Memorial Health System), said that, “Caregivers are the backbone of our community.”

Blair Barker, Care Services Director at the Camarillo Health Care District said that, “Over 20% of the population here in Ventura County are caregivers. Most are women. And, many are caregivers for older adults. 36% of caregivers within the county say that being a caregiver is at least slightly stressful for them.”

“Senior Concerns in Thousand Oaks offers many services for caregivers,” according to Martha Shapiro, Director of Programs. “Our caregiver support groups help caregivers to get rid of their feeling of being alone. With others they realize that tears are permitted and humor is encouraged.

“Besides offering support groups,” Shapiro said, “we also offer legal and financial aid for free. We have an Adult Day Care Center on site. We mainly serve the east county: Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, and Westlake. We are here to help people throughout Ventura County.” For further information from Senior Concerns, contact Martha Shapiro at: (805) 497-0189 or, [email protected].

“The Camarillo Health Care District serves Camarillo, unincorporated Camarillo, and Somis, along with other cities within Ventura County that request help,” according to, Barker. “We also offer support groups for caregivers. We have a resource library to help out people. The legal and financial aid that we offer helps caregivers with assistance of doing a Durable Power of Attorney; Advanced Health Care Directive, and Estate Planning. We also offer screening of caregivers for depression & caregivers well-being.” For further information from the Camarillo Health Care District, contact Blair Barker at: (805) 388-1952 or, [email protected].

“The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging (VC AAA) offers, TCARE (Tailored Caregiver Assistance & Referral),” according to, Haleh Hashemzadeh, Clinical Program Operations Manager. “We also offer a variety of support for caregivers who are helping people who are older or who are disabled. Assessing the caregivers’ needs enables us to better assist them” For more information from the VC AAA, contact Haleh Hashemzadeh at: (805) 477-7300 or, [email protected].

Dementia Friendly Ventura County will be presenting: ‘Living Well, Caring Well’ on September 7th, 2022 from 10am-12pm at the Camarillo Healthcare District which is located at 3639 E. Las Posas Rd. in Camarillo. The event, which will be a one-stop shop for people living with dementia-related disease and their caregivers will be in back of building F. Important local resources will be displayed, along with the opportunity to speak to industry professionals in person. You’ll be able to learn about services provided at various places: Adult Day Centers; Adult Protective Services; Alzheimer’s Association; Financial Resources; Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy; Legal/Advanced Planning; Long Term Care Ombudsman; and, Public Benefit Programs (Medi-CAL & Cal Fresh).

For more information about the upcoming Living Well, Caring Well event, call: (800) 272-3900 or look at the Dementia Friendly Ventura County website at: vcaaa.org/dfvc.

Life In Paradise at Cypress Place Senior Living

A festive Tiki Party complete with Hawaiian music and dancers.

Cypress Place Senior Living in Ventura served up a taste of paradise on Wednesday August 17, 2022 when the senior community hosted a festive Tiki Party complete with Hawaiian music and dancers, Tiki bar, and appetizers.  Residents, families, and friends of the community were in attendance at this free event that was open to the public.

“I love the events that we have here at Cypress Place,” gushed resident Pat Eichenhofer.  “This one had music and performers, and they even had dance lessons for anyone who wanted to try it.”  When asked if she took part in the dance lesson, Eichenhofer said no, but that she enjoyed watching those who did.

Festivities took place from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the courtyard turned tropical paradise at Cypress Place.  Attendees came decked out in festive tropical shirts and dresses and were provided with complimentary leis.

One of those who did take part in the dance lesson was Cypress Place executive director Gina Salman.  “That was so much fun,” she exuded.  “I love seeing our residents and members of the community enjoy themselves at these events.  Everyone is having a ball.”

Glancing over to the dance floor, she smiled as several gentlemen participated in the dance lesson, shaking their hips along with the performers in grass skirts.  The crowd loved it.  Paradise indeed.

Cypress Place Senior Living is located at 1200/1220 Cypress Point Lane in Ventura.  For more information or to RSVP, please call 805-650-8000.

To learn more about Cypress Place Senior Living of Ventura, visit www.cypressplaceseniorliving.com.

Ventura County Fusion defeat Long Island Rough Riders to win USL League 2 National Final 

Spectacular second-half goals gave the Ventura County Fusion their victory.

Spectacular second-half goals by Nathaniel Opoku and Marley Edwards gave the Ventura County Fusion a 2-1 victory Saturday night over the Long Island Rough Riders in the USL League Two national championship game in front of a packed house at Ventura College Stadium. It was the Fusion’s second national championship, the other coming in 2009.

The Fusion entered the 32-team tournament as the 5th seed in the Western Conference, after finishing second in the Southwest Division with an 8-2-2 record. The team, however, entered the title game having won eight straight games dating back to July 1. In the playoffs, the Fusion took out some of the best teams in the country including the Flatirons Rush, Southern California Seahorses,  Ballard FC and Flint City Bucks.  The Rough Riders, featuring east coast college players, advanced to the title game after winning the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-1-2.

After a scoreless first half, the Rough Riders tallied the first goal of the game at the 54-minute mark in the second. After dispossessing Fusion midfielder Bastien Oberli just past midfield, Justin Weiss took a through ball from Roc Carles Puig and slammed it past Fusion goal Tetsuya Kadono to give the Roughriders a 1-0 lead.

The lead did not last long. Five minutes later 16-year-old Fusion academy product Sergio Villapando drove down the right side of the field to the touchline before dumping a pass to Opoku directly to the right of the goal.  Opoku, with his back to goal, controlled the pass and floated a deftly weighted bicycle kick over goalie Wessel Speel’s head and into the Roughrider goal.

Marley Edwards doubled the Fusion lead in the 83d minute, firing a screamer into the bottom corner of the net to give the Fusion the lead and ultimately the championship.

“This has been a great journey,” said Fusion head coach Mike Elias after the game. “We shared it with a great group of boys, and this is the ultimate. I said to them the first day that we were in the training room that I wanted to win everything this year. Guess what, we won everything this year.  It’s absolutely superb. They surprised me, they stepped up to the challenge and they are just a fantastic group of boys.”

More at the Fair than Rides and Food – Keeping things Hyper Local

San Buenaventura Women’s Club members Shirley Lorraine (wearing a Breeze visor of curse), Anita Hensley and Janet Flickinger at their fair booth. The Disabled American Veterans of Ventura County has a plethora of information available to help veterans.

by Shirley Lorraine

Many changes have taken place as Fair management copes with the losses incurred from no fair for the last two years. This year involvement is light and there seems to be fewer entries, vendors and familiar touches overall. Nonetheless, it is good to be back at the Country Fair with Ocean Air.

Along the Garden Street entry, there are a series of tents. These tents contain volunteers from non-profit groups eager to catch people’s interest and disseminate information about their objectives and offerings.

Edward and Laura Balderas were the
first in line to enter the Fair. Photo by
Patricia Schallert.

This year, fairgoers are enthusiastically greeted by volunteers in bright blue shirts from the San Buenaventura Women’s Club. Members provide information to educate and entice interest in the philanthropic and social club that raises funds to give back to the community annually. The club offers a variety of social activities, including an evening section for those who are unable to attend day meetings The club supports arts and music programs in the high schools, law enforcement canines, provides veterans support and serves other local needs such as advocacy for children, domestic violence awareness and much more, for over 90 years. Ventura County also has Federated Women’s Clubs in Ojai, Oak View, Somis, Moorpark and Simi Valley. Anyone over 18 can join.

Across the way, there is a booth distributing information on N.A. – Narcotics Anonymous. Valuable information is available without charge. This year, for the first time, materials are available in both English and Spanish. Additional information can be found at naventuraCounty.com, or 1-888-817-7425.

Disabled American Veterans of Ventura County, a volunteer run organization, has a plethora of information available to help veterans and their families navigate the quagmire of paperwork needed to explore and gain benefits. Their national website is DAV.org. Search for the Ventura County chapter for information about local resources. Volunteers will chat, answer questions and gladly show memorabilia.

Offering a safe, calm and spiritually renewing experience is the Calvary Chapel of Ojai. They are featuring Prayer at the Fair, opportunities to share prayers with those who need some help from above for themselves or others. Pastor Dan Nelson is the coordinator for the effort, inviting all of similar faith to participate. There is no charge. Periodic prayer circles are offered as well. More information can be located at www.calgaryojai.org.

Also on scene is a booth for S.T.E.S.A., which stands for Service, Therapy & Emotional Support Animals. This organization provides advocacy and resources within Ventura County for those who need such animals. Founded by Pastor Nelson, this chapter is free to join while at the Fair, and free to renew annually. Services are currently within Ventura County only. This organization works closely with county and state level partners to maintain up to date resources and information. Their website, STESA.org, is currently being updated to include interactive capabilities.

The Garden Street entrance is across the way from Floriculture, and just before the livestock area. Come and visit.

It’s a Tiki Party at Cypress Place Senior Living

A Polynesian dancer performs at a past event at Cypress Place Senior Living. Courtesy photo 

Cypress Place Senior Living will host a festive Tiki Party complete with Hawaiian music and dancers, Tiki bar, and appetizers. Residents, families, and friends of the community are welcome to attend. The event is free to the public.

Festivities take place from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday August 17, 2022. Space is limited and an RSVP is required to attend.

Come in your favorite tropical shirts and dresses and meet the residents and other local community members while enjoying the tropical paradise of Cypress Place Senior Living.

Cypress Place Senior Living is a premiere senior community in Ventura County. The beautiful senior living campus features an Active Senior Living community and adjacent Assisted Living and Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care community connected by a lushly landscaped courtyard.

This safe, loving environment offers residents a continuum of care through life’s transitions. Amenities include three meals daily, weekly housekeeping, transportation, activities, utilities, as well as personal caregivers and laundry service in the Assisted Living and Memory Care communities.

Cypress Place Senior Living is located at 1200/1220 Cypress Point Lane in Ventura. For more information or to RSVP, please call 805-650-8000.

To learn more about Cypress Place Senior Living of Ventura, visit their web site at www.cypressplaceseniorliving.com.

Person To Person

Community Memorial Hospital’s CCU/ICU Nurse’s Reunion
by Jennifer Tipton

On Saturday, July 30th a group of old CMH nurses (not that any of us are old) gathered at the very lovely home of one of our own, Andrea Ricketts. Many hadn’t seen each other for years, so it was indeed a celebration! I am honored to have worked with these outstanding nurses, and when asked to share the event with the Ventura Breeze readers, I thought—let’s do it Person to Person style!

I asked six of the best CCU/ICU nurses:
“What’s your fondest memory of working in the unit at CMH?”

Andrea Ricketts
1986-2002 / returning 2008-present
“Caring for a young woman with Guillain-Barre syndrome; the young woman was the mother of two and ended up needing a ventilator to breathe. Because she couldn’t move her extremities, I laid the babies on their mother’s chest and picked up her arms to wrap around them. There were tears coming down her face and I knew how much it meant to her to hold them.”
(Author’s note: Guillain-Barre is a rare but serious autoimmune disorder with a rapid-onset of muscle weakness. It damages the peripheral nervous system, beginning in the extremities and progresses until it eventually affects the patient’s ability to breathe.)

Sonia Rieder
1996-present
“My favorite memory is when I met and married Randy, a physical therapist. He was working with my patient in ICU bed 8 and the patient had multiple IV lines. He asked me to help because he didn’t want to mess up my lines. Most PTs just go in and mess up everybody’s lines, but he was so thoughtful!”

Shirley Barela
1980-present (Forty-two years in the unit and still going!)
“Taking care of a young guy with a heart valve repair. The surgery started at 7:30 a.m. and didn’t end until midnight. He was on a ventricular assist device when I got him at midnight, it was 1982. I found out later that he died in that same room after his last surgery. He was waiting for a heart transplant.”

Merci Buhain
1982-2018
“Taking care of a patient that was over 400 pounds in ICU bed 7 (you know-the one that’s haunted). I had to use a footstool to stand on and needed help turning him. He was also on isolation, so we had to gown up every time we went in the room. I had him two nights in a row for continuity of care, and I remember crying at the end of my shift both times. He recovered and got discharged.”
(Author’s note: Didn’t I say fondest memory? But hey, at least this one retired and now happily takes care of her grandkids!)

Carolyn Estrada
1977-2008
“My favorite memory is when the nightshift nurses advocated for a twenty-five-year-old woman with cardiomyopathy. Her heart was so weak that the physicians said there was nothing they could do—she was done. But the nurses said no! We’ve got to save her! Because the nurses insisted, they put her on a ventricular assist device and sent her to UCLA. She came back several months later and said that she didn’t remember any of us, but thanked us for saving her life. She had fully recovered without needing a heart transplant. Even the physician had tears in his eyes. I am so thankful to have worked with so many nurses that truly cared about their patients, it can be a life changing event.”

Sue Kulpaca
1986-2005 / returning 2017-present
“I cared for the first HIV patient we had. He was in ICU bed 6 and because the rooms for bed 6 and bed 7 were connected, we used the room for bed 7 to change. We had to gown up for the HIV isolation room, with shoe covers and the whole bit. I took care of him every time I was on because no one wanted to. The curtain to the room was always wide open and it was like a fishbowl. When the patient’s partner came to visit, they had no privacy, so I finally closed the curtain to let them have some time together. Tearful. Close to my heart with a gay brother. So sad the way we treat some…”

I had a similar experience. In those days we knew so little about HIV/AIDS that many of us were frightened by it. You can read about it in my upcoming book:

“Off The Chart – A Nurse’s Journey of Heart and Humor.”

NAWBO celebrating members

Seana-Marie Sesma

The Ventura County Chapter of The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-VC) is celebrating Seana-Marie Sesma, founder of Your PR Girls and Mary Jane Services Network, who was recently named the 2022 California Woman Business Owner of the Year by NAWBO California (NAWBO-CA) at its annual Propel conference in Sacramento.

“NAWBO California’s annual women business owner of the year award recognizes a woman business owner who has demonstrated excellent leadership skills and business acumen,” says Amber Wallace, NAWBO-CA Immediate Past President. “It is an honor to recognize Seana-Marie Sesma for this award. Through multiple businesses and extensive community involvement, Seana-Marie is an accomplished entrepreneur and community leader. She is an inspiration to our NAWBO community.”

This year’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, Seana-Marie Sesma recognized a need in 2017 within the newly legalized cannabis industry and founded Mary Jane Services Network to support cannabis businesses in achieving and maintaining local and state licensure. Processes for applying for commercial licenses are arduous and complex. Mary Jane Services Network offers critical business resources and support to manage local and state application processes for all license types, and for maintaining compliance to ensure annual renewals. To date, every single Mary Jane Services Network client has achieved their local and state licenses and renewals.

As for her other business, Sesma founded Your PR Girls with her mother, Juanita over 24 years ago. Your PR Girls specializes in eco-friendly promotional products and marketing services for corporations and nonprofits throughout the United States. A consummate volunteer, Sesma is known for creating unique events, including a playful art installation immersive experience at Santa Paula Art Museum.

The Ventura County chapter has had two other members recognized with this award in the past six years – land use expert Dawn Dyer of Dyer Sheehan Group won in 2018 and Karen Bain and Lisa Kudirka founders of Shave It, a shave ice retailer were recognized in 2015.

“Together as leaders in business, it is imperative that we take a stand for what is right and supportive for all women,” commented Sesma. She has also won Green Business Awards from Ventura Chamber and City of Ventura.

NAWBO also installed new member to National Board of Directors

Dr. Janis Shinkawa

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) installed Dr. Janis Shinkawa Co- founder and Medical Director of Ohana Pet Hospital and member of the NAWBO Ventura County chapter to the 2022- 2023 National Board of Directors. The NAWBO National Board is a group of women from across America who support NAWBO’s mission to empower women entrepreneurs, regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability. To help women reach spheres of power and grow their businesses.

Ventura Police and Fire Departments hosting community block party

Ventura residents are invited to join the Ventura Police and Fire Departments for a free, community block party from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 20, 2022. This family-friendly event will be hosted at the Police and Fire Headquarters, located at 1425 Dowell Drive in Ventura.

Activities at the public safety event will feature multiple K9 demonstrations, a Jaws of Life vehicle extrication demo, fire extinguisher game, a hands-on CSI experience, a kid’s firefighter challenge course, child fingerprinting, station tours, coloring contests, trivia, and more.

“We are opening our doors and exteriors gates and welcoming our community into our headquarters,” said Police Chief Darin Schindler. “This is an opportunity to engage in relationship building with local police officers, firefighters, dispatchers, and elected officials and have fun learning about crime prevention and fire safety.”

Residents and children will have the opportunity to see patrol cars, motorcycles, fire engines, the SWAT rescue vehicle, a police helicopter, K9s, and various emergency response vehicles. Participants will also learn about a wide variety of safety topics and experience interactive games and demonstrations.

Snacks will be provided. Food trucks will also be on site with meals for purchase.

“Community engagement is more critical than ever,” said Fire Chief David Endaya. “We want to connect with our residents and businesses to continue strengthening local relationships so residents know our team and so we can better communicate fire prevention and safety information.”

To learn more about the public safety block party, visit www.CityofVentura.ca.gov/BlockParty.

This event is funded by the Ventura Police Community Foundation. Learn more about the local nonprofit at www.VenturaPoliceFoundation.org.