Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH) and the Ventura Council for Seniors (VCS) will present a panel discussion to be held on Thursday, September 28 at Ventura Adult and Continuing Education (VACE), 5200 Valentine Road. The program starts at 9:30 am and lunch will be provided afterward, compliments of the Downtown Ventura Rotary. The Forum will discuss prescription drug and aging issues as they relate to driver safety. VCBH in partnership with VCS and the California Office of Traffic Safety is bringing experts together with the community to talk about new issues facing older drivers. Older drivers already may be inhibited by slower reflexes so adding drugs into that mix can cause even more problems like crashes. If suspected, they may be required to have drug testing Philadelphia carried out or be sent to a facility to have one done to make sure the levels of a drug in their system was the reason.

“As Ventura’s most vulnerable and largest demographic population, we need to be acutely aware of our ability to drive,” Suz Montgomery detailed. “Many seniors have medical conditions that may warrant the need for taking prescription drugs; however we need to learn about how they may impair our ability to drive.”

With panelists from The Ventura County Health Care Agency, Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, and Ventura Police Department, a number of concerns and interests will be addressed.

“A narcotic in high doses, or a wrong mixture of prescription drugs could lead to driving mishaps,” stated Thomas Duncan, Chief of Staff/Trauma Medical Director at Ventura County Medical Center. “People should ask their health care provider about the potential effects of their medications on driving habits.”

In the most recent “National Roadside Study of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers” completed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one in five drivers age 65 and older tested positive for at least one or more of the 98 over-the-counter, prescription, and illegal substances in the road side survey, the largest survey of its kind in the United States.

To reduce diversions of drugs from home medicine cabinets to sewers, the Ventura Police Department will also offer a drug “take back” at the forum. Attendees are invited to bring old and unused prescription and OTC medications in order to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of them, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse and misuse of medications.

To RSVP for the forum, please contact David Tovar at 973-5376 or [email protected]. Funding for the grant is from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

by Lori Harasta

“I wish I had known about hospice sooner.” For those who have experienced it, this is probably the most common comment expressed. Too many people wait too long to discover what hospice is and what it can do for a patient and his/her loved ones.

Discover what it’s really all about at a seminar presented by Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association on Friday, September 29th from 10:00-11:00 am at The Lexington Assisted Living, 5440 Ralston St., Ventura.

In addition to gaining insight into what it is and the goals for hospice, find out about the difference between hospice and palliative care and learn how to plan for end-of-life care.

Dr. Lanyard Dial, President/CEO and Medical Director of Livingston will address these issues and answer your questions.

“Without guidance and support for patients and families approaching death, there may be unnecessary conflict, confusion, and trauma that linger long after the passing of a loved one.”

“I now urge friends and acquaintances to have conversations with their aging parents and within their families while their parents are still relatively healthy and of sound mind.”
―Lisa J. Shultz, Author: A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

“We thought hospice meant death, but as we watched you take care of her, we realized it really means celebrating life” –Mike M.

For more information and to RSVP, call Debra at The Lexington at 644-6710.

by Greg Dill- Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Territories

Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage have different benefits and costs that you should consider based on your personal needs. So grab a cool drink and I’ll go over some of the differences. Medicare open enrollment season runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and it’s a good idea to know how the two types of Medicare work before you select one. If you’re still in doubt then contact a specialist provider in your area like Jacksonville medicare to discuss the best option for your circumstances.

With Original Medicare, you can choose any doctor, hospital, or other healthcare provider you want, as long as they accept Medicare. When you receive medical services or goods, Medicare pays the provider directly. About 70 percent of all people with Medicare have Original Medicare.

The other way to get your benefits is Medicare Advantage, which is a form of managed care, like an HMO or PPO. Medicare Advantage is provided by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. If you’re in Medicare Advantage, you generally must go to doctors and other providers in the company’s network.

If you go outside the network, you may have to pay more.

On the other hand, Medicare Advantage plans may offer some services – such as dental, hearing, vision, and prescription drug coverage – that Original Medicare doesn’t. If you’d like to learn more about Medicare plans check out websites similar to boomerbenefits.com.

Most people with Original Medicare pay a monthly premium. If you’re in Medicare Advantage, you may pay an additional monthly premium to the private insurer that covers you.

With Original Medicare, you or your supplemental insurance must pay deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance.

To cover these “gaps” in Medicare, some people buy a type of supplemental insurance called Medigap. If you have a Medigap policy, Medicare pays its share of the covered costs, and then your Medigap policy pays its share. If you’re looking into this kind of supplemental insurance, be sure to stop by boomerbenefits.com online as part of your research into plans that work best for you.

Original Medicare doesn’t cover prescription drugs. If you want drug coverage, you can buy a Medicare Part D plan. Such plans are sold through private companies approved by Medicare. You have to pay an additional monthly premium for Part D.

Medicare Advantage companies must cover all of the services that Original Medicare covers. (However, Original Medicare covers hospice care, some new Medicare benefits, and some costs for clinical research studies, even if you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan.) In all types of Medicare Advantage plans, you’re always covered for emergency and urgent care.

You can join a Medicare Advantage plan even if you have a pre existing condition — except for End-Stage Renal Disease. People with ESRD usually are covered through Original Medicare.

Keep in mind that Medicare Advantage plans can charge different out-of-pocket amounts and have different rules for how you get service.

For example, you may need a referral to see a specialist. And you may need to stay in the plan’s provider network, unless you’re willing to pay more to go outside the network.

There’s a good comparison of Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage in the “Medicare & You” handbook. “Medicare & You” is mailed to all Medicare beneficiaries every fall. You can also find it online, at https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-and-you/medicare-and-you.html.

If you have any questions, call Medicare’s toll-free number, 1-800-MEDICARE.