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Are you ready for open enrollment?

by Bill Decker
American Legacy Solutions

As open enrollment approaches for Medicare recipients, here are a few ideas that may help you get the most from the options available to you this year.

As you know if you have been dealing with Medicare for any amount of time you are familiar with how Medicare has updates and even changes from year to year. Those changes can range from your premium for part B going up to the deductible for part A, B or D changing. So, let’s see if we can make this a bit easier for you this year.

As you probably already know the two ways to most people work with Medicare is to customize their coverage with supplement Plan (F, G, N or similar and a PDP plan for prescriptions). During this open enrollment period, you just need to check your prescriptions and your plans formulary to see if there are any changes for the upcoming year. What you are looking for is to see if your prescriptions are in the same tier as this year and if your co pays have gone up. It you don’t like your results you can shop your part D plan to find one that fits your needs better. Medicare.gov can be a big help with that or call your local independent insurance representative to help you find the best choice for your needs.

Now if you have chosen the Part C or the Advantage way of working Medicare you might have some more work to do however the extra effort that you put in could pay you dividends for the upcoming year.

Step 1 Make sure your favorite Doctors are staying in your plan. As the health care industry continues to evolve physicians are being forced to make hard decisions about the plans they accept. Have you ever had a doctor stop taking a certain plan? Usually they will let you know, however just to be on the safe side just confirm that you are good for the upcoming year.

Step 2 The prescription check, Over the last several years there seems to be more and more changes in this part of plans, confirm your formulary with next year’s plan and if you are a person that deals with the Donut hole (you know who you are) confirm what type of coverage you will have during that period so you can get an idea of what your cost are going to be.

Step 3 Since most advantage plans are managed care plans, companies are also trying to sweeten the deal to get you to come with them. This is where you might find the extra goodies like dental coverage, vision coverage, hearing aids, over the counter discounts and even gym memberships and transportation to doctor visits. Ask yourself what is important before you get to excited with all those freebies or extras because sometimes they tend to come at a cost. Please make sure to check the Star rating of a plan when you see all the extras. Star Ratings are updated every year and tend to show the satisfaction from other members to the specific plan. Lower star rating can mean lower reimbursement form Medicare and make approvals for service and referrals more difficult. Higher star ratings do tend to show overall member satisfaction in plans and now better reimbursement. Really what that means for you is referrals and services tend to be handled faster. if plans have higher star ratings and are offering some extra benefits you might have found something special.

So, to summarize and keep this simple check your Doctor is staying with your plan, confirm your prescription cost, see if there may be extra services from plans that meet step 1 and 2 to your satisfaction. Good luck

Pacifica Senior Living announces new Executive Director

Stacie Dawes has been working with seniors for over 18 years.

Pacifica Companies, a senior living operator with 70 communities throughout the United States, has announced a new Executive Director. The company named Stacie Dawes as Executive Director of its luxury Assisted Living and Memory Care community in Oxnard. Dawes, a licensed psychotherapist specializing in senior care for over 18 years, was the Community Relations Director for the Northridge, CA community prior. Pacifica Senior Living, Oxnard is currently under construction, is located at 2211 E. Gonzales Road, Oxnard.

Stacie has been working with seniors for over 18 years. She began her rewarding career as a licensed psychotherapist of her own private practice helping senior with aging challenges as well as guiding families transition their loved ones into assisted living and memory care communities. Stacie has worked with the Pacifica family since 2012 and loves working with seniors.

She states, “It’s a gift having the opportunity to meet and gain knowledge from listening to their history. I obtain simple words of wisdom through hearing their life stories.”

She is proud to offer families more senior living care options, and the peace of mind that comes with the high quality standards that sets Pacifica apart. Stacie and her husband Jeffrey have been married for 21 years and are the parents of two adult children who are both attending University of Oregon.

Pacifica Senior Living and Memory Care, a 74-unit community slated to open Late 2017 is now Pre-Leasing. Featuring a range of lifestyle options from luxury, resort-style living to personalized care when you need it, they will provide services for assisted living and memory care residents.

November is National Family Caregivers Month

During National Family Caregivers Month, the Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group joins with the Caregiver Action Network and many local and national Caregiver Support organizations who recognize the challenges family caregivers face when their loved ones need Caregiving Around the Clock!

Everyone is welcome to join the Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group on Wednesday, November 8th from 1-3pm at the Lexington Assisted (5440 Ralston, Ventura) as we observe National Family Caregivers month. We hope to help raise awareness of family caregiver issues, celebrate the efforts of and educate family caregivers and also, hopefully increase support for family caregivers.

The value of the services family caregivers provide for “free,” when caring for older adults, is estimated to be as high as $375 billion a year. That is almost twice as much as is actually spent on homecare and nursing home services combined ($158 billion). Higher-hour caregivers are more likely to feel caregiving has had a negative impact on their health. (Stats from National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare. March 2009 & AARP 2015).

A large and growing body of evidence reveals that providing care for a chronically sick person can have harmful physical, mental, and emotional consequences for the caregiver. In 2006, hospitalization of an elderly spouse was found to be associated with an increased risk of caregiver death. Elderly spousal caregivers (aged 66-96) who experience caregiving-related stress have a 63% higher mortality rate than non-caregivers of the same age. (Stats from Family Caregiver Alliance; Schulz, R. & Beach, S. (1999). Caregiving as a risk factor for mortality: The Caregiver Health Effects Study, JAMA, 282: 2215-2219; Christakis, N.A. & Allison, P.D. (2006). Mortality after the hospitalization of a spouse. New England Journal of Medicine, 354: 719-730.)

All area Parkinson’s Support Group members and their Care-Partners/Caregivers and those who are in the Caregiving field who would like to add their information to the ‘resource table’ of handouts, are welcome to join the Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group to learn and discuss the challenges family caregivers face and how to manage them day and night.

Speakers will be Courtney M Darrough, Program Manager of “Caregivers – Volunteers Assisting the Elderly”; Katherine Lamb Mays, Manager, and John Macias, Director, of “Livingston CareGivers”; and Samantha Carnell, MSW Care Coordinator of “Wellness & Caregiver Center of Ventura County”.

Thanks to the generosity of the Lexington Assisted meetings are held every second Wednesday of the month (except December) .There is a drop-off/loading and unloading driveway in the front of the building. Extra parking is graciously available across the street from the Lexington in the Baptist Church parking lot.

Please check in at the front desk for directions to the 3rd floor and sign-in at the meeting. For more information please call Patty at 766-6070 They are an independent and volunteer-organized group not affiliated with or a part of any other organization or group.

Senior Song Circle

Nov. 14 (2nd Tues. of each month), 1:30 – 4 p.m.,and Nov. 28 (4th Tues. of each month), at SCAN Health and Wellness Center, 6633 Telephone Rd., Ste., 100, led by Marty Capsuto. Center is for those 55+ and guests, so Marty will guest sponsor all Songmakers under 55. Located three blocks east of Ventura County Gov’t Center, corner of Partridge & Telephone. Plenty of parking behind building. For more information , contact Marty at 658-0365 or [email protected]

Ventura County Bell Arts Song Circle- Nov. 24 (4th Friday of each month), 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. Like to play acoustic music? Songmakers.org welcomes all lovers of acoustic music—instrumentalists, singers, and singer/songwriters of all levels—to join in a free song circle at the Bell Arts Factory Community Room, 432 N. Ventura Ave. Listeners welcome! Information: Mike Wittlin, 750-8281

Wilhelm Furtwängler was Hitler’s favorite conductor

When the Nazis came into power in 1933, Furtwängler strongly and publicly opposed the Nazi agenda.

The year is 1946, Hitler has been defeated and the Third Reich has fallen. In the American Zone of occupied Berlin, Major Steve Arnold (Patrick Vest) interviews Wilhelm Furtwängler (Peter Van Norden), a conductor at the pinnacle of his career, (and Hitler’s favorite conductor) in preparation for his de-Nazification tribunal. Furtwängler had become increasingly controversial when he chose to remain in Germany while many of his colleagues had fled out of protest or persecution. Did he naively believe that art was above politics? Did he allow himself to be manipulated by the Nazi propaganda machine? Or was he, in fact, a collaborator?

Taking Sides asks complicated questions about personal and artistic responsibility in the face of unspeakable horror. Furtwängler recognized that the Nazis needed him, and by many accounts often used this to effect good, flouting Nazi authority where he thought he could, helping some Jewish musicians escape, and even arguing with Josef Goebbels in the newspaper. When it became clear that Germany had lost the war, he became a Nazi target and escaped to Switzerland. But as Nazi crimes came to light during the trials at Nuremberg, and the Allied de-Nazification Tribunals took place, answers were relentlessly pursued. Where other artists who had been members of the Nazi party were allowed to quickly return to work, Furtwängler’s case dragged on.

Get tickets now for this timely and riveting production that will leave you wondering who and what is right or wrong.

Previews: Oct. 25 @ 7 p.m., Oct. 26 and 27 @ 8 p.m.

Opening Night: Saturday, Oct. 28 (curtain at 7 p.m.). Includes a pre-show champagne and chocolate reception in the lobby and an after-party at Rhumb Line in Ventura Harbor!

Performances through Nov. 12

Purchase tickets before Nov. 3 and save $5! Use code: 9916

Call the box office at 667.2900 or online at rubicontheatre.org.

Treacy Villa to hold 30th Anniversary Open House

Treacy Villa has been serving Ventura County families since 1987.

Treacy Villa Residential Care Facility will hold an open house in celebration of the memory care facility’s thirtieth anniversary and to honor its founder, Mr. Patrick Treacy, who will be the Guest of Honor at the three-hour long party. Free to local community members, medical providers and business people, the open house will take place on Friday, November 3, from 3:00p.m. to 6:00p.m. at Treacy Villa, which is located at 3282 Loma Vista Road and Mills Road.

A food buffet will offer plenty to eat plus live entertainment and special guests. Parking will be behind Treacy Villa with easy access from Mills Road.

Treacy Villa Residential Care Facility has been serving Ventura County families since 1987 when Patrick Treacy first opened the doors to his 49-bed home. Treacy Villa has provided a secure environment for its special memory care residents for the entire thirty years of its operation. In addition to memory care Treacy Villa also provides respite care, transitional care, and hospice care. Visit their web site for more information at www.TreacyVilla.com, or phone 644-1292.

Breast cancer survivor tells her story

Ellen Johnson (lower right) is joined in solidarity with colleagues Stephanie Montenegro, Marc Wilde, Lynda Frank, and Katie Furlong.

by Lori Harasta

Asked how Ellen Johnson felt when she first found out she had breast cancer, she said, “Numb. Later that night, I asked my husband, ‘Did he say I have cancer?!’”

It started with a lump she found about three years ago. Biopsies in three areas of the tumor were negative, but it is the protocol of Kaiser Permanente to do surgery to remove tumors, whether or not they test positive for cancer, so Ellen complied. The next time she spoke with the doctor, she got the awful news. It was Stage 3 of an aggressive strain of cancer. The doctor was unable to get all of the cancerous tissue. Further tests showed that the lymph nodes on that side were all affected. She was going to have to have a mastectomy.

Ellen resisted at first. But reality set in when the doctor told her, “I’m trying to save your life!” She left the doctor’s office, went back to her car and cried.

First, there was chemotherapy, which made her tired. A dear friend, Suzette, accompanied her to every chemotherapy treatment. Except for the side effects, Ellen actually enjoyed the sessions. “It was an odd sense of community, all of us there sharing the experience of having cancer. The nurses were amazing! There was no sense of talking down to any of us. I enjoyed hearing their banter and teasing one another. They were upbeat, sensitive, and genuine.” The chemotherapy was followed by surgery and then radiation.

Ellen retired recently from her position as Grants Manager for Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association. One of the things that made it easier for her to get through the treatments was strong support from her co-workers and the ability to work a flexible schedule. “My co-workers picked up the slack for me. Having their support made it so much easier to make it through.”

Her hair fell out and as a way of educating others about breast cancer, Ellen chose to wear scarves or hats instead of a wig. Indeed, conversations were opened up. She was surprised at the warm encouragement of fellow survivors she encountered who asked how she was doing and shared their own cancer experiences.

Cancer has changed Ellen’s outlook. “Anytime we face the possibility of our own mortality, it changes our priorities. I have been given the gift of seeing things more realistically. It has been a real wake-up call.”

Locals speak out on pot laws – Part 2 of 2

by Paul Peterson

Ventura citizens filled the Community Meeting Room in City Hall on September 28 to express their views on the pending cannabis regulations.

The unity in the room was palpable as numerous personal stories were presented in favor of the need for easier access to medical cannabis, delivery services, convenient storefronts and growing pot, indoors and out. Responsible suggestions and positions in favor of these issues were offered. Several seriously ill patients expressed the difficulty of traveling outside the county to get medication such as cbd honey sticks due to our local restrictions. The overall message to the council was clear, that citizens want and expect our city to respond to the will of the people. It seemed the questions waiting for the council’s answers at the October 9th meeting was not if but when and how fast to move.

“I’m glad we had the opportunity to hear from the community regarding the City’s policy on marijuana/cannabis. We will be providing the City Council their options and recommendation at the October 9th City Council meeting”, reported Jeffrey Lambert, Community Development Director.

It is expected that the recommendation will only include medical marijuana deliveries within the city and nothing for recreational access.

There is a great potential income to the city coffers, in addition to making sure citizens have safe access to what they have voted for, which includes the right to own and cultivate small amounts of marijuana. There are also jobs at stake. There have been a number of high profile conventions in the LA area catering to various elements of this budding new industry.

The Emerald Exchange, held in Thousand Oaks in August was a Renaissance Faire-like presentation of growers, collectives and new cannabis related products that have sprouted up around them. “We had over 1,000 attendees and over 50 brands represented”, reported event organizer Michael Katz (emeraldexchange.com). It was the ancillary products that carried the day. Offerings of new derivatives from the cannabis plant including extracts, such as venom shatter used as medicine, tinctures and infusion into foods were dominant. There were seminars on the use of cannabis for treatment of PTSD, seizures and chronic pain. Celebrity stoner Tommy Chong of the comedy duo Cheech & Chong was on hand to represent his latest line of pipes. But the main focus was on multi-course meals specially prepared with varying levels of cannabis infused. Other companies offered baked goods from cookies to brownies but now extending to juices, teas, coffees, soda, beer, sweet leaf concentrates, chocolates and desserts. The future of the pot industry seems to not only be healthy and smell good, but taste good too. Which is fantastic news again, perhaps eventually the rest of the world will slowly follow suit, for now the UK only has CBD legalized, Visit HerbMighty for the best CBD oils in UK if you’d like to start medicating.

Those interested in investing in this blossoming industry gathered at the MJAC Conference September 1 and 2 in downtown LA to bring cannabis product entrepreneurs together with investors. It was a Shark Tank for pot related products and services. A panel of judges awarded cash on the spot to lucky entrepreneurs. Among those were CBD pills that extract only pot’s pain relieving qualities, not the psychoactive qualities and could soon be available as a supplement over the counter. There was a stylish, odorless humidifier for home pot storage and a line of luxury aroma free purses and handbags to carry your stash to the girl’s night out. “We aren’t guilty teenagers anymore, it’s a new cannabis culture” declared the creator.

Business was also brisk at the Cannabis World Conference at the LA Convention Center September 13-15. The Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a spirited keynote address calling for legalization with diversity and fairness in the new industry. “This can’t be an industry where blacks go to jail and whites go to the bank”, he stated. Opportunity for all was the message. The presence of larger manufacturing companies bringing their expertise to the business was also apparent as the level of industry acumen rises to meet the massive pending demand. Those looking to start large or small grow farms, collectives, pot shops and related items found everything they needed to open their storefronts from products to packaging to promotion to navigating the legal hurdles. It is those legal ground rules that are the most complex, depending on where you are in the state.

That brings us back to the Ventura City Council and how they will rule and what guidelines will be set after considering their citizen’s input.

Editor: We would love to hear your thoughts on this very important issue. [email protected]

Ventura Breeze celebrates 10 years providing hometown news

• WOW, WOW and WOW! Pinch me – it can’t be true that we just completed our tenth year of publication. Our first issue, on Oct.24, 2007, is shown on this cover.

Besides not knowing anything about the newspaper business when Staci Brown and I launched the Ventura Breeze, we didn’t know if Venturans would accept a very local newspaper, or if Ventura even needed one. It turns out both of these things turned out to be true. Ventura has embraced the Breeze and has come to love it. What I hear most from readers is, “We love reading the Breeze.”

There are so many people to thank, so I’m sure I will overlook some very deserving people. I want to thank our dedicated readers, our fabulous advertisers who keep us in business, our unbelievable dedicated staff, and our writers, photographers and distributors.

All of the “Breezers” deserve a hearty thank you.

A few of these people have been with us since the beginning:

  • Staci Brown – who is now the Publisher Emeritus
  • Professor Scamp – who almost made it to our 10th year issue
  • Rebecca Wicks
  • Suz Montgomery
  • Studio Nothing (Alfred J. Lewis)
  • Bill Green

A special thanks needs to go out to these people as well:

Alfred J. Lewis of Studio Nothing who does a great job laying out the paper and who also acts as my personal therapist by always telling me, “Don’t worry we will get the issue out, have we ever missed one?”

And a very sincere thank you to Senior Account Executive Breezy Gledhill whose perseverance in selling ads keeps us afloat. Without her, there wouldn’t be the Ventura Breeze for you to read. And, the best part, is that she loves doing it and our advertisers love her too.

Thanks also to Cindy Summers for making our website, and Facebook pages look outstanding, along with writing some of our articles.

And to Jaime and Ana Baker for going way beyond with their great support of the Breeze – from delivering papers, to writing articles and creating great caricatures, to setting-up our (actually their) Ventura Breeze booth at all of the events we attend.

Last, but not least, I want to give a special shout-out to my wife, Diane, who no longer says to me, “Are you nuts getting up to write at 3am, and is this still costing us money?” And, who puts up with me every day (well, some days maybe not so much).

Here are a few lows that we saw during our ten years.

We lost a few wonderful contributors and friends:

The passing of Jim Spencer, who, with wife Shirley, wrote our theater reviews. Wonderful Shirley is carrying on with their family tradition.

Nanci Cohen, a friend and contributing writer.

Professor Scamp, my buddy, who I miss dearly every day.

Lance Cole, who always had a joke to tell.

Alfred Lewis’ wonderful wife Cathi who kept Alfred focused and out of trouble (not an easy task) so he could work on the Breeze.

We also lost several Face of Ventura portrait sitters painted by Johanna Spinks. Not contributors, but they became a special part of the Breeze through their portraits and stories.

There have been many highlights, of course. Here are just a few:

Alfred, lying in a hospital bed at CMH, working on an issue on his large computer screen.

The Face of Ventura portrait series by Johanna Spinks, and the amazing party that we had at the Museum of Ventura County to celebrate it.

Winning several awards (I’m sure I’m missing some) including:

Turning Point Foundation’s Champions of Mental Health

Ventura County Area on Aging Optimal Aging Champion Award Age-Friendly Media Award

Ventura Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year

Sponsoring many non-profits and great events including Pier Under the Stars, CARL (Canine Adoption & Rescue League), and the City’s Music Under the Stars.

Appearing on radio station KVTA and CAPSTV and now having a weekly radio show on KPPQLP (that I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t publish the Breeze).

Getting into trouble with our April Fools’ Day issues –

Sharing just this one. We published a story about the City Council approving an absurd Walmart concept that included golf courses, ponds and bowling alleys. A gentleman who was shocked that the Council had approved this project appeared at a City Council meeting. After assuring him that it was a joke, ex-Councilmember Carl Morehouse looked at the CAP’S camera and said, “Sheldon, we love ya, but don’t do that again.” Just the incentive that I need!

The paper going to all color and increasing in size.

And, personally, just being a big part of our glorious city. The many people who come up to me (from 13 to 93 and above) to tell me how important the Breeze is to them, and to Ventura. This alone makes it all worthwhile, and rewarding. I thank you all again for supporting us.

Here’s to the next 10!