Family Caregiver Resource Center
Catholic Charities-OASIS
by Connie De La Rosa

Many family caregivers are overwhelmed by the medical attention or physical care required by their loved ones in addition to family members who are unfamiliar with the type of care required. This may cause quite a bit of stress along with some anger and frustration due to the demands and time constraints in care.

Below are some useful tips in managing difficult feelings:

Self – Care It is necessary to put yourself first sometimes. Proper rest, healthy food and exercise are basic needs for every person. If caring for a loved one is causing you to burn the candle at both ends, it may be time to ask for help and accept it.

Be Realistic-If your loved one is seriously impaired by an illness and cannot safely care for themselves, you might not be qualified to care for them so it may be time to talk to your loved one’s primary physician and family regarding your choices in maintaining or improving their care.

Don’t expect praise or thanks from your loved one-They might feel incredibly grateful, but the illness or their own feelings of guilt and inadequacy might make it too difficult to express their feelings.

If you are caring for a family member and need resources, support group or to find out about our trainings at no cost to you, please call the Family Caregiver Resource Center at 420-9608.

Camarillo Hospice is pleased to announce their Fall 2017 hospice volunteer. Hospice volunteer support is sought to serve cities throughout Ventura County including Ventura. Reservations currently are being accepted for the class, which will meet eight consecutive Tuesday mornings from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm starting September 12th through October 31st.

Participants will:

• become familiar with common elements of family dynamics
• acquire communication skills for supportive interactions with patients and families
• learn about and discuss end-of-life care choices

Camarillo Hospice volunteers can provide respite care for caregivers, friendly visits, and practical assistance to patients and families such as running errands, simple meal preparation, etc. Opportunities for volunteers may include conducting “Life Story” interviews, providing pet and music therapy, and sitting at a dying patient’s bedside at St. John’s Hospitals in Oxnard and Camarillo.

For more information, please contact Sandi Biggs, Coordinator of Volunteer Services, at 389-6870 ext.453 or [email protected] before September 2nd, as space is limited.

by Jayson Cohen, American Legacy Solutions

At the core of Life insurance, the most basic feature is to pay a death Benefit: they lump sum payment your beneficiaries would receive if you were to die. It’s the Core reason to own life insurance – but not the only one. Some types of life insurance offer riders or other built in features that can play an important role in your financial strategy, such as the ability to accumulate cash value that grows over time.

Term insurance as most of us know it, provides life insurance protection for a specific period of time – the “term” – and is designed for temporary circumstances. It makes the most sense when your need for coverage will disappear at some point, such as when your children graduate from college or when debt (such as mortgage) is paid off. The most common term provide coverage for 20 years, but they can run the gamut from one-year policies to 30 years or even longer. In some cases, a term policy can even be converted to a permanent policy. Typically, term insurance offers the greatest amount of coverage for the lowest initial premium and is good for people on tight budgets.

Let’s take a look at what the difference is between the “OLD term and NEW term”. Simply put, Old Term will pay out a death Benefit if you pass during the specific time period chosen and premiums have been paid. Some of these polices may include a Terminal Illness rider that will allow you access to a portion of the Death benefit while you are living if you are diagnosed with a Terminal illness and have less than six to twelve months to live. Any money taken will reduce the death benefit to the family upon your passing.

“New Term” on the other hand have the same features of its predecessor, with some additional benefits. It will still provide a death benefit during the time period chosen as long as premiums have been paid. It will still include the terminal illness benefits mentioned under old term, but may include two additional features that old term does not. Most will include a critical Illness rider, this rider will allow you access to your death benefit if you have a major illness such as, a Heart Attack, Stoke, TIA, Cancer, and some other depending of the company and benefits of the policy. They may also include a Chronic Illness rider that will allow access to your Death Benefit if you need help with two activities of daily living, which consist of Bathing, Continence, Dressing, Eating, Toileting, and Transferring. It may also start to pay if you get diagnosed with a cognitive impairment such Alzheimer’s or Dementia.

As you compare new coverage or do reviews of existing coverage make sure that you take into account some of the new options that you have available to you in the market place. Since not all companies are offering “New Term” or as sometimes referred to “Life insurance for the Living” make sure that you sit with an agent that represents multiple companies and works for your benefit.

by Patty Jenkins

There are many nuances and varying symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease which make it one of the most challenging diseases not only to live with, but also for doctors to diagnose early and treat properly. That is why it is vitally important to learn what those early symptoms are and to find the right specialist as soon as possible to diagnose and treat this most frustrating and often very debilitating disease.

The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group is pleased to bring one of southern California’s top Movement Disorder Specialists & Neurologist, Dr. Robert Hutchman, to our meeting on Wednesday, August 9 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at The Lexington Assisted Living, 5440 Ralston St, Ventura.

Dr. Hutchman will present an overview of the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, both motor and non-motor, and the management of this progressive disease. He will address medication issues and why “one size does not fit all”, complementary therapies, give updates on new research and talk about “wellness” specifically for people with Parkinson’s Disease.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc, is co-hosting Dr. Hutchman at this August 9th meeting. Dr. Hutchman will also speak about the newest PD drug, Nuplazid, which is the first drug designed specifically for people who have Parkinson’s Disease and may have developed challenging cognitive changes.

Dr. Robert Hutchman is a Mayo Clinic-trained neurologist and subspecialist in Parkinson’s disease, movement disorders, and all forms of dementia, especially Parkinson’s-associated. His undergraduate medical training was completed at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI. Since completing his training he has served as Sub-Investigator on approximately 10 Phase 2 thru 4 clinical drug trials, with Dr. Peter LeWitt of the Parkinson’s Study Group at the Clinical Neurosciences Center in Southfield, Michigan. Following that incredible opportunity to develop clinical research and deep brain stimulation surgery management skills, Dr. Hutchman entered private practice in Southern California. Since arriving in California, he has founded a private practice exclusively serving a unique patient population composed of neurodegenerative disorders. As the founder and Medical Director of Neurosearch, Dr. Hutchman has successfully administered 10 additional clinical trials as the Principal Investigator, directing the efforts of an accomplished support staff.

Please check in at the front desk for directions to the meeting room. Extra parking is graciously available across the street from the Lexington in the Baptist Church parking lot. Call Patty at 766-6070 for further information. Reservations are not required. The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group is an independent and volunteer-organized group not affiliated with or a part of any other organization or group.

Aug. 8 (2nd Tues. of each month), 1:30 – 4 p.m. Aug. 22 (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. . Plenty of parking behind building. For more information, contact Marty at 658-0365 or [email protected]

Aug. 25 (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.

The City of Ventura Parks and Recreation is offering a Zumba Gold series at the Ventura Avenue Adult Center from 12:00-1:00pm every Monday and Wednesday through September 13.

Zumba Gold is perfect for all active adults, 50+, looking for a Zumba class at a lower-intensity level. This easy to follow class focuses on heart rate, balance, range of motion, and coordination. Come ready to sweat, leave feeling empowered, strong. Regain flexibility and strength while having fun learning a dance step or two! Having two left feet is no problem.

Participants should wear workout shoes, comfortable clothing and bring water to keep hydrated.

For more information call (818) 515-8590. Sign up at 658-4726 and requesting Zumba Gold-8840