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

by Tony Miller, President of Shop Ahoy

Every Tuesday morning around 9:00 am in Von’s at Victoria and Telegraph you’ll see the result of their calls. As many as 25 shopping carts filled with groceries lined up waiting to be delivered to seniors.

SHOP AHOY is a non-profit volunteer program in Ventura County which has one mission, the weekly shopping and delivery of groceries to home bound seniors. It’s a non-profit program whose members are all volunteers, each of whom gives their time to serving men and women who are home bound. The mission of SHOP AHOY is to assist its clients to remain in their homes independently.

The program serves five cities; Camarillo, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Ventura. Each week a volunteer calls his or her senior and records their order, and it’s not only groceries. Greeting cards, fresh flowers, stamps, deli and over the counter medicine regularly fill the carts.

“I gave up driving at age 90. Shop Ahoy makes a big difference in my life” says a 92 year old Ventura resident.

Cheryl Hollandsworth is the site leader of the Ventura group. She’s been serving the seniors for over 12 years. “Each person has different tastes and favorites and it’s rewarding to see the looks on their faces when they get their favorite ice cream or their special cookies. It’s a labor of love” says Cheryl.

Many volunteers take out the trash, take them to the doctors, sometimes help them clean house. Changing light bulbs, oiling door hinges and opening bottle caps are roles the volunteers fill. Many visit during the week just to talk; after all, it’s not uncommon that homebound people don’t get many visitors.

Volunteers wear different hats. Some are home bound themselves so they call their people each week. Others shop the orders and others make weekly deliveries, although most shop and deliver.

Age isn’t a criterion for volunteering. Several retired teachers enjoy the shopping and delivering to clients which creates special friendships that continue. Several high school students volunteer during the summer.

Seniors come to know SHOP AHOY by word-of-mouth referrals from other seniors and organizations.

“We also get a lot of referrals from visiting nurses. The more people hear about us the more people we can serve,” said Tony Miller, President of SHOP AHOY.

Members of the Board of Directors are also volunteers; they’re shoppers/delivers and they speak to other service organizations to get the word out.

Shop Ahoy depends almost solely on donations and grants although the economy has reduced grant availability. shopahoy.org

New cards will no longer contain Social Security numbers, to combat fraud and illegal use

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is readying a fraud prevention initiative that removes Social Security numbers from Medicare cards to help combat identity theft, and safeguard taxpayer dollars. The new cards will use a unique, randomly-assigned number called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), to replace the Social Security-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) currently used on the Medicare card. CMS will begin mailing new cards in April 2018 and will meet the congressional deadline for replacing all Medicare cards by April 2019. Today, CMS kicks-off a multi-faceted outreach campaign to help providers get ready for the new MBI.

“We’re taking this step to protect our seniors from fraudulent use of Social Security numbers which can lead to identity theft and illegal use of Medicare benefits,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “We want to be sure that Medicare beneficiaries and healthcare providers know about these changes well in advance and have the information they need to make a seamless transition.”

Providers and beneficiaries will both be able to use secure look up tools that will support quick access to MBIs when they need them. There will also be a 21-month transition period where providers will be able to use either the MBI or the HICN further easing the transition

CMS testified on Tuesday, May 23rd before the U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means Subcommittee on Social Security and U.S. House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform Subcommittee on Information Technology, addressing CMS’s comprehensive plan for the removal of Social Security numbers and transition to MBIs.

Personal identity theft affects a large and growing number of seniors. People age 65 or older are increasingly the victims of this type of crime. Incidents among seniors increased to 2.6 million from 2.1 million between 2012 and 2014, according to the most current statistics from the Department of Justice. Identity theft can take not only an emotional toll on those who experience it, but also a financial one: two-thirds of all identity theft victims reported a direct financial loss. It can also disrupt lives, damage credit ratings and result in inaccuracies in medical records and costly false claims.

Work on this important initiative began many years ago, and was accelerated following passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). CMS will assign all Medicare beneficiaries a new, unique MBI number which will contain a combination of numbers and uppercase letters. Beneficiaries will be instructed to safely and securely destroy their current Medicare cards and keep the new MBI confidential. Issuance of the new MBI will not change the benefits a Medicare beneficiary receives.

CMS is committed to a successful transition to the MBI for people with Medicare and for the health care provider community. CMS has a website dedicated to the Social Security Removal Initiative (SSNRI) where providers can find the latest information and sign-up for newsletters. CMS is also planning regular calls as a way to share updates and answer provider questions before and after new cards are mailed beginning in April 2018.

For more information, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/ssnri/index.html

by Lori Harasta

The focus of this year’s Pacific Coast Business Times’ Champions in Health Care was on aging and elder care. Among those recognized for excellence was Dr. Lanyard Dial, President/CEO and Medical Director for Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association, who was awarded Champion in Underserved Care.

Livingston is a critical safety net in Ventura County, serving 90% of the underinsured and indigent patients needing quality home health, compassionate hospice care, and essential personal care. It is a vital part of Livingston’s mission to ensure that everyone receives care, regardless of their financial situation. During 2016 Livingston provided subsidized care to 636 patients at a cost of $750,777.

In 2017, Livingston expects to deliver subsidized care, services and programs to 300 unduplicated seniors through Home Health, Hospice programs and Care Giver programs. An estimated total of 2,600 seniors will be served.

Since 2014, Livingston has provided nurses for a program serving the underserved called COPD Access to Community Health (CATCH) Program. In its last few months of funding, CATCH is a free-of-charge program designed to improve health outcomes for people with respiratory disease. As a result of the program, according to Ventura County Health Care Agency data, there has been a 36% reduction in COPD-related emergency room visits over baseline.

In addition to these programs, Livingston is partnering with Ventura County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in a program intended to prevent unnecessary transport of hospice patients to a hospital emergency room; instead treating them in their homes, according to their wishes. Livingston has participated by training first responders to assess patients, talk with family members, and determine whether the patient needs a hospital visit or if the emergency can be managed in the comfort of one’s home. This has reduced the rates of ambulance transports from 80% to just 36% of hospice patients (August 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016).

These are just a few ways Livingston, under the leadership of Dr. Dial, has been serving the underserved in Ventura County for the past 31 years. This year, Livingston celebrates 70 years of service in Ventura County.

As part of their services, they host free monthly education classes throughout the county which include the following in Ventura:

Adult Bereavement Support Group Wednesdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, from 6:30-8:00 pm. These groups are open to individuals who have experienced loss and are free of charge.

Newly Bereaved Support Group Thursday, August 10th from 6-7:30 PM. This monthly group is designed for adults who have recently experienced the loss of a loved one and is free. These groups meet every 2nd Thursday of each month.

Diabetes Classes Tuesday, August 1st from 1-2:30pm. These meetings are held on 1st Tuesday of each month. General information is provided about Type 2 Diabetes including prediabetes, with emphasis on meal planning, medication, exercise, blood sugar monitoring, and new developments in diabetes.

Joint Replacement Classes Thursday, August 3rd from 1:00-2:00pm. You will learn what to expect before, during and after knee or hip replacement surgery and how to be an active participant in your care. These meetings are 1st Thursday of each month.

Monday, August 14th for both English and Spanish speaking. English 4:00-5:00 pm and Spanish 5:30-6:30 pm. You will learn what to expect before, during and after knee or hip replacement surgery and how to be an active participant in your care.

All classes at Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association office, 1996 Eastman Ave., Suite 109. Call 642-0239 for more information.

The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging (VCAAA) and Oxnard RSVP are partnering to offer volunteer training for individuals interested in teaching courses in Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance. No experience is needed. A six-month commitment to teaching the program is requested of volunteers.

Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance follows curriculum developed to improve strength, balance, increase mobility, and reduce incidents of falls among seniors 55 and older who participated in the classes. Nationally recognized research shows that one in three adults over the age of 65, and half of the population over the age of 75, fall each year. Of those individuals, half will die within a year from complications and injuries sustained from the fall.

The 12-week program consists of a core eight-form routine of Yang-style Tai Chi with built-in exercise variations. It teaches participants balance skills and proper body alignment by using coordinated and flowing movements. The classes are intended for adults age 55 and older who can walk easily with or without assistive devices.

There is currently a need for volunteers to lead classes in Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo, and Port Hueneme. A two-day training with a master trainer will be followed by at least 30 hours of practice with other trained volunteers before individuals can be certified to lead a class. Attendance at quarterly in-services will also be required.

Training will be held from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 28, and Saturday, July 29, in Ventura. Attendance at both training days is required.

To volunteer as an instructor, please call Oxnard RSVP at 385-8023. To register for a Fall Prevention class, including Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance, please call the VCAAA at 477-7347.

RSVP is a volunteer recruitment and placement program, helping individuals 55 and older find volunteer positions that match their interests and talent. Oxnard RSVP has nearly 600 members, and is sponsored by the City of Oxnard.

The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, an agency of the County of Ventura, is the principal agency in Ventura County charged with the responsibility to promote the development and implementation of a comprehensive coordinated system of care that enables older individuals and their caregivers to live in a community-based setting and to advocate for the needs of those 60 years of age and older in the county, providing leadership and promoting citizen involvement in the planning process as well as in the delivery of services.

Many older people worry about their memory and other thinking abilities. For example, they might be concerned about taking longer than before to learn new things, or they might sometimes forget to pay a bill. These changes are usually signs of mild forgetfulness—often a normal part of aging—not serious memory problems.

Talk with your doctor to determine if memory and other thinking problems are normal or not, and what is causing them.

What’s Normal and What’s Not?

What’s the difference between normal, age-related forgetfulness and a serious memory problem? Serious memory problems make it hard to do everyday things like driving and shopping. Signs may include:

• asking the same questions over and over again
• getting lost in familiar places
• not being able to follow instructions
• becoming confused about time, people, and places
• Mild Cognitive Impairment

Some older adults have a condition called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, in which they have more memory or other thinking problems than other people their age. People with MCI can take care of themselves and do their normal activities. MCI may be an early sign of Alzheimer’s, but not everyone with MCI will develop Alzheimer’s disease.

• Signs of MCI include:
• losing things often
• forgetting to go to important events and appointments
• having more trouble coming up with desired words than other people of the same age

If you have MCI, visit your doctor every 6 to 12 months to see if you have any changes in memory or thinking skills over time. There may be things you can do to maintain your memory and mental skills. No medications have been approved to treat MCI.

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, learning and reasoning—and behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with daily life and activities. Memory loss, though common, is not the only sign. A person may also have problems with language skills, visual perception, or paying attention. Some people have personality changes. Dementia is not a normal part of aging.

There are different forms of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form in people over age 65.

by Marie Villeza

Sometimes the hardest things to talk about with your loved ones are the most important, and when it comes to their end-of-life wishes, this certainly holds true. There are many reasons why this conversation is difficult. For one, you don’t want to think about your parents dying. Your parents may also be reticent, making it a painful process to attempt to draw out their true feelings. Difficult as it may be, there comes a time where looking into arrangements such as funeral order of service templates or life insurance policies must be something you discuss. Speaking about it earlier on is better than leaving it too late, as you never know what will happen.

it must be done. There are few things worse than not knowing your parents’ true wishes for their end of life care and what should happen after their death, and being blindsided by it all. Here are some tips to help.

Emotions can run high when you get in the moment, so like most things where this is the case, you should go into the end-of-life conversation with a plan – and some practice. Ask your friends about conversations they’ve had with their parents. What worked? What didn’t work? What were some of the things that caught them off guard? Do they have any advice? Once you figure out how you’re going to approach the conversation, practice with someone. If you need help knowing where to begin, The Conversation Project has a handy template and guide.

So hey mom, what do you want us to do if you’re dying? may not be the best way to ease into the conversation. As Daughterhood.org points out, having a “prop” story can help get the conversation started. It doesn’t even have to be a true story, but it may help if it is and your parents know the people involved. You can say something like I heard about Jane Doe and her family, and how their mom didn’t have end-of-life plans. Do you have those?

It may help to make it about you, your siblings, and the grandkids. We don’t want to have to go through that with you – it would be too painful. We need to get this figured out.

It’s a good idea to plan a time to begin the conversation that meets some criteria – first, it’s in a comfortable, non-threatening location. Next, you may want to make sure that you are not alone. If you have brothers and sisters, involve them in the process. You want to keep the participants small – the conversation can be tricky and you don’t want it to feel like some sort of ambush. But the core members of the family can help instill a sense of the gravity of the situation in your parents.

There’s more to the end-of-life conversation than simply asking what your parents want as funeral arrangements of what they want to happen if they end up on life support. There are many different aspects to the end of life process (legally and financially), and you’ll want to cover them all. You may not want to try to do it all at once, however. The conversation is actually not just the conversation. It’s a series of conversations.

In the end, talking to your parents about the end of their lives is your duty as a child. They may be hesitant to discuss it, or you may feel to awkward to broach the topic, but it has to be done. When it is done, both you and the rest of your family will feel a great sense of relief. Death is a part of life, and you must be prepared for it as you would for anything else.

Many older people worry about their memory and other thinking abilities. For example, they might be concerned about taking longer than before to learn new things, or they might sometimes forget to pay a bill. These changes are usually signs of mild forgetfulness—often a normal part of aging—not serious memory problems.

Talk with your doctor to determine if memory and other thinking problems are normal or not, and what is causing them.

What’s Normal and What’s Not?

What’s the difference between normal, age-related forgetfulness and a serious memory problem? Serious memory problems make it hard to do everyday things like driving and shopping. Signs may include:

• asking the same questions over and over again
• getting lost in familiar places
• not being able to follow instructions
• becoming confused about time, people, and places
• Mild Cognitive Impairment

Some older adults have a condition called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, in which they have more memory or other thinking problems than other people their age. People with MCI can take care of themselves and do their normal activities. MCI may be an early sign of Alzheimer’s, but not everyone with MCI will develop Alzheimer’s disease.

• Signs of MCI include:
• losing things often
• forgetting to go to important events and appointments
• having more trouble coming up with desired words than other people of the same age

If you have MCI, visit your doctor every 6 to 12 months to see if you have any changes in memory or thinking skills over time. There may be things you can do to maintain your memory and mental skills. No medications have been approved to treat MCI.

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, learning and reasoning—and behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with daily life and activities. Memory loss, though common, is not the only sign. A person may also have problems with language skills, visual perception, or paying attention. Some people have personality changes. Dementia is not a normal part of aging.

There are different forms of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form in people over age 65.

After receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, the cost of future care may not immediately come to mind. Financial planning often gets pushed aside because of the stress and fear the topic evokes. Legal planning is especially vital for a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. The sooner planning begins, the more likely it is that the person with the disease will be able to participate. Plan ahead to reduce stress and know you are following the wishes of those involved.

Tuesday, August 8th from 10 a.m. to noon for a free presentation by Attorney Craig Ploss at SCAN Health and Wellness located at 6633 Telephone Road. RSVP to 658.0365.