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.

July 11 (2nd Tues. of each month), 1:30 – 4 p.m. July 25 (4th Tues. of each month), 1:30 – 4 p.m at SCAN Health and Wellness Center, 6633 Telephone Rd., Ste., 100, led by Marty Capsuto. Center is for those 55+ and guests, but 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. Contact Marty at 658-0365 or [email protected].

July 28 (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! Mike Wittlin 750-8281.

The Ventura Parkinson’s Support Group is delighted to be hosting Jocelyn Scherr, Associate Director, Advancement, of the Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson’s Research on Wednesday, July 12, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

Jocelyn will present an overview of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, an update on some promising Parkinson’s Disease Research in the pipeline, an update on the latest legislation passed that impacts the lives of people with Parkinson‘s Disease, priority areas for Parkinson’s policy work and information on how people can get involved through “Fox Trial Finder” and “Fox Insight”.

“The Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson’s Research is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today. Since its launch in 2000, The Michael J. Fox Foundation has funded more than $700 million to speed a cure for Parkinson’s disease. When we find a cure for Parkinson’s – and we will – it won’t be because of any single person. It will be because of all of us, working together. We won’t stop until a cure is found. We’re on it.” (michaeljfox.org)

Thanks to the generosity of the Lexington Assisted for donating space the Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group is able to have meetings every second Wednesday of each month from 1-3pm on the 3rd floor of the Lexington Assisted Living; 5440 Ralston St.

Please check in at the front desk for directions and sign-in at the meeting. 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. They are an independent and volunteer-organized group not affiliated with or a part of any other organization or group

Buying a gift card for a graduate in your life? Choose wisely. In the store, thieves can remove gift cards from racks, copy the codes, and then dial the number on the back of the card to learn when they were activated and their value for online spending or to clone cards for in-store use. Purchase gift cards directly from a store cashier, customer service counter or the company’s website. The cashier should scan and activate the card in your presence. And get a receipt in case there’s a problem.

Don’t let scammers ruin your summer vacation. One way thieves prey on travelers is through front-desk fraud. Hotel guests receive a call in the middle of the night, supposedly from the front desk. There’s a problem with your payment, the caller says, asking you to confirm your credit card number. Only it’s not hotel staff calling (they’d wait until morning); it’s a scammer using a lobby phone. Never give your account numbers in unsolicited calls; contact the front desk yourself.

Getting calls from debt collectors? They might be fake if the person is trying to collect on a loan you don’t recognize, asks you for sensitive information, or uses threats to try to scare you into paying. Tell the caller you won’t discuss the debt unless they provide a written notice that includes the debt amount, the name of the creditor, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collections Practices Act. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information unless you know who you’re talking to. If the debt is legitimate, but the collector may be a fake, contact your creditor about the calls.

Scammers are creating fake websites that look like known and trusted news sites to sell “brain booster” pills. They post bogus articles about the pills with endorsements from people like Stephen Hawking and Anderson Cooper (neither has endorsed any such product). The site then links you to the sales page for the pills where you can place an order with a credit or debit card. The scammers claim the pills will lead to an increase in concentration and memory recall, but there is no evidence to support these claims, according to the Federal Trade Commission. It’s always a good idea to consult with your doctor before purchasing health products.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. Contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork for more information on fraud prevention.

by Jayson Cohen, American Legacy Solutions

As our healthcare landscape continues to broaden and change so do the terms that services are referred to as. As we know that none of us were born speaking insurance, we have identified some main questions we have gotten over the years and included the definitions* for your benefit below.

Critical Access Hospital (CAH) – A small facility that provides outpatient services, as well as inpatient services on a limited basis, to people in rural areas.

Deductible – The amount you must pay for health care or prescriptions before Original Medicare, your prescription drug plan, or your other insurance begins to pay.

Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) – A type of Medicare health plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide you with all your Part A and Part B benefits. Medicare Advantage Plans include Health Maintenance Organizations, Preferred Provider Organizations, Private Fee-For-Service Plans, Special Needs Plans, and Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, most Medicare services are covered through the plan and aren’t paid for under Original Medicare. Most Medicare Advantage Plans offer Prescription Drug Coverage.

Medicare-approved amount – In Original Medicare, this is the amount a doctor or supplier that accepts assignment can be paid. It may be less than the actual amount a doctor or supplier charges. Medicare pays part of this amount and you’re responsible for the difference.

Medicare Summary Notice – A notice you get after the doctor, other health care provider, or supplier files a claim for Part A or Part B services in Original Medicare. It explains what the doctor, other health care provider, or supplier billed for, the Medicare-approved amount, how much Medicare paid, and what you must pay.

Original Medicare – Original Medicare is a fee-for-service health plan that has two parts: Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance). After you pay a deductible, Medicare pays its share of the Medicare-approved amount, and you pay your share (coinsurance and deductibles).

As we know there are many terms used on a regular basis that were not covered in this article please feel free to email us and let us know what other terms or questions that are needed to be addressed. Please check back regularly as we will be addressing different questions and concerns in this section.

*All definitions are taken from CMS product number 11021, revised march 2016

by Connie De La Rosa

Does it seem that your loved one’s home is not quite as organized as it used to be? Does it seem like the home needs more maintenance than usual? Offering to help with whatever needs to be done around the house will give you a pretty good idea of things that are not getting done from minor to major repairs. Many times, it may be a simple item dropping to the floor such as a hair brush and the aging person may not be able to bend and pick it up due to pain or being at risk of falling.

Appearance of parents – Does it seem like your parents have lost weight or appear to look frail? Are they showering, grooming or changing clothes regularly if not, what are the reasons? Depression? Inability to lift arms due to pain?

Hearing – If your parents are giving you answers to your questions that don’t make sense, were they able to hear you? Can they hear doorbell, phone or if driving, cars honking and ambulances?

Paying bills – Are your parents paying bills on time? Are there unopened envelopes that require payment or other important information?

If you are a family caregiver, and need resources or information on programs that may be able to assist in these area, please call 420-0608.

by Tammy [email protected]

A senior citizen falls every 13 seconds in this country. And each year, more than one million elderly people go to the ER with injuries. Local families scramble to keep their elderly loved ones safe, but often don’t know how.

For Older Americans Month, which was in in May, we have a compelling visual story for you to demonstrate Senior Life-Saving Hacks — simple techniques families can use to keep seniors safe. Local senior care experts will show how to prevent injuries with things around the house, like curlers, pantyhose, and soap.

Eighty percent of senior falls happen in the bathroom. Slippery surfaces are hazardous and usually to blame. Place a bar of soap in the leg of pantyhose. Tie the open end to a towel bar in the shower or the shower head. Seniors can still use the soap through the stocking. Best of all — no dropping the soap, or slipping and falling trying to pick it up.

Staircases and stairway accidents are the second leading cause of accidental injuries — second only to motor vehicle accidents. Each year 12,000 people die from stairway accidental deaths — many of them seniors.

Place a strip of colorful duct tape on the edges of stair steps to make it easier to judge the depth and distance to keep from tripping and falling. Place strips of puffy plastic shelf liner on stair handrails to increase grip and reduce slip risk.

46% of persons aged 65 and older are dealing with some form of arthritis. Arthritis is a leading cause of disability in the U.S.

Get a Grip – Arthritis and other conditions can impact how well a senior can grip, hold, or open items. A poor grip can lead to injury while using simple items around the house.

Slip a foam hair roller over the end of silverware to improve hold — especially with knives.

Wrap rubber bands around a glass to prevent it from slipping out of hands and breaking. This hack reduces the risk of cuts.

Use rubber coated gardening gloves to help open jars or bottles. Puffy plastic shelf liner works, too!

Make doorknobs easier to grip by placing a foam roller over the end.

But wait, there’s more. Here are some other helpful hacks for seniors.

Zip It – Attach round key rings or bobby pins to zipper pulls to make getting dressed easier.

Canned Do – Use canned goods as weights during exercise. Grab those peas and get pumping!

Recipe Rescue – Attach a cookbook or recipe page to a pants hanger and hang from a kitchen cabinet door knob for hands-free recipe reading.

Ice, Ice Baby – Use an upside-down ice cube tray to hold playing cards.

Have a Ball – Push a writing utensil or paint brush through a tennis ball to get a better handle on things.

A variety of medical issues affecting aging women – from breast cancer to osteoarthritis – will be discussed when Community Memorial Health System holds its Women’s Health Symposium on Saturday, June 24.

Women of all ages are invited to the Aging for Women Symposium that begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Ventura Beach Marriott, 2055 E. Harbor Blvd. Local experts will be on hand to discuss the latest research, procedures, treatment and support available for women’s health. They include:

• Rita Krane, M.D., breast mammography: TOMO and whole breast ultrasound
• Omid Fatemi, M.D., women’s heart health
• Kameron Poole, M.D., hormone replacement
• Miki Takase-Sanchez, M.D., pelvic prolapse
• Michelle Manalo, specialty R.N., mindfulness
• Bob Bernstein, M.D., lung cancer
• Susan Slater, osteoarthritis

Doctors Slater and Takase-Sanchez also will serve as panel moderators. The symposium will have exhibit tables and a continental breakfast will be served.

Registration is free but reservations are required. To secure reservations visit cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, along with the Centers for Family Health serving various communities within and located in Ventura County, California.