What can I do to prepare for my partner’s care if he/she suddenly becomes ill beyond my ability to care for by myself; how do I protect my partner’s wishes and our assets? What are the benefits of planning for the unexpected and “final care” now, what are the options in our area?

The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group will host Debra Mansfield, Owner of The Lynd Group at their meeting Wednesday, March 8 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at The Lexington Assisted Living, 5440 Ralston St. Public welcome, no admission fee.

The best time to talk and plan for long term and final care is before you need it. Over 70% of Americans over the age of 65 will need care beyond what family can provide and the average stay in a care facility is 3 years; will Medicare cover that cost and if not, what can one do to protect one’s finances?

Come find some answers about care giving choices, and alternatives at this meeting. Debra has recent personal experience with “the assisted living care system” and has the most recent developments in long term care to share with us. She and The Lynd Group have been helping the community plan for their financial futures since 2009. Debra also has a personal connection to Parkinson’s disease.

Please check in at the front desk for directions and sign-in. Extra parking is graciously available across the street from the Lexington in the Baptist Church parking lot. Call 766-6070 for further information. Reservations are not required.

Eating well is vital for everyone at all ages. Whatever your age, your daily food choices can make an important difference in your health and in how you look and feel.

Eating a well-planned, balanced mix of foods every day has many health benefits. For instance, eating well may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, bone loss, some kinds of cancer, and anemia. If you already have one or more of these chronic diseases, eating well, and being physically active may help you better manage them. Healthy eating may also help you reduce high blood pressure, lower high cholesterol, and manage diabetes. It can be a struggle eating healthy especially if you are stuck in a pattern, this is why you need to be consistent. Eating healthy at home and in the office can support you on your health journey and help others who want to do the same too. A corporate fruit delivery can help in this instance, fresh fruit delivered each week/2 weeks, etc. to your office, you’ll reach your fitness goals a lot faster.

Eating well gives you the nutrients needed to keep your muscles, bones, organs, and other parts of your body healthy throughout your life. These nutrients include vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats, and water.

Eating well helps keep up your energy level, too. By consuming enough calories — a way to measure the energy you get from food –you give your body the fuel it needs throughout the day. The number of calories needed depends on how old you are, whether you’re a man or woman, your height and weight, and how active you are.

Consuming the right number of calories for your level of physical activity helps you control your weight, too. Extra weight is a concern for older adults because it can increase the risk for diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease and can increase joint problems. Eating more calories than your body needs for your activity level will lead to extra pounds.

If you become less physically active as you age, you will probably need fewer calories to stay at the same weight. Choosing mostly nutrient-dense foods — foods which have a lot of nutrients but relatively few calories — can give you the nutrients you need while keeping down calorie intake.

Your food choices also affect your digestion. For instance, not getting enough fiber or fluids may cause constipation. Eating more whole-grain foods with fiber, fruits and vegetables or drinking more water may help with constipation.

Make One Change at a Time

Eating well isn’t just a “diet” or “program” that’s here today and gone tomorrow. It is part of a healthy lifestyle that you can adopt now and stay with in the years to come.

To eat healthier, you can begin by taking small steps, making one change at a time. For instance, you might take the salt shaker off your table. Decreasing your salt intake slowly will allow you to adjust.

switch to whole-grain bread, seafood, or more vegetables and fruits when you shop.

These changes may be easier than you think. They’re possible even if you need help with shopping or cooking, or if you have a limited budget.

Whatever your age, you can start making positive lifestyle changes today. Eating well can help you stay healthy and independent — and look and feel good — in the years to come.

Pelvic floor muscle exercises can help both men and women who leak urine by making the muscles that hold urine in the bladder stronger.

How To Do Pelvic Floor Muscle (Kegel) Exercises.

• Tighten the pelvic muscles that you use to prevent gas from escaping.
• Continue tightening the muscles going to the front of the pelvic area.
• Hold for 5 to 10 seconds before releasing. (If 5 seconds is too long, hold for as long as you can. Over time, try to hold longer until you reach 5 seconds.)
• Repeat 5 to 10 times. (If you can’t do 5 sets, start with 1 or 2. Over time, try to increase to 5.)
• Also practice contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles quickly for 10 seconds. (If 10 seconds is too long, start with less time.) Do this 5 to 10 times. (If you can’t make it to 5 sets, start with fewer sets.)

Try to do the exercises three times a day: in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night. If you can’t fit in the exercises three times each day, do as much as you can. Any amount of pelvic floor muscle exercises is better than none.

You can check to see if you are doing the pelvic floor muscle exercise correctly. When you are on the toilet, see if you can tighten the pelvic floor muscles to stop the flow of urine. These sorts of exercises are recommended by https://www.advancedurology.com to help you have a healthy bladder later in life!

For people who have trouble doing pelvic floor muscle exercises, biofeedback may help. Biofeedback uses sensors to take information about something going on in your body and share it with you in a way you can see, hear, or understand. For example, biofeedback can tell you when you flex your pelvic floor muscles. Since you cannot see your pelvic floor muscles, many people find that biofeedback helps them learn how to do pelvic floor muscle exercises. You can also purchase some tools to use at home which can help. Most kegel apparatus can be found in adult stops. There are opportunities to buy these tools online at an adult shop that accepts Afterpay too. You shouldn’t be ashamed about buying anything that’s going to improve your health.

Aging. As you get older, the bladder changes. The elastic bladder tissue may toughen and become less stretchy. A less stretchy bladder cannot hold as much urine as before and might make you go to the bathroom more often. The bladder wall and pelvic floor muscles may weaken. Weak bladder wall muscles may make it hard to empty the bladder fully. Weak pelvic floor muscles may make it hard to hold urine in the bladder, which may cause urine to leak.

Some medicines may make it more likely for your bladder to leak urine. For example, medicines that calm your nerves so you can sleep or relax may dull the nerves in the bladder. If the nerves are dulled, they may not be able to tell the brain when the bladder is full and you may not feel the urge to go to the bathroom. Without this urge, you may not empty the bladder when needed and the bladder may overflow.

Caffeine can bother the bladder and change how your bladder tells you when you need to urinate.Some people with bladder problems find that some foods and drinks make the problem worse. People who have bladder problems may feel better when they don’t eat these foods and drinks. It may be helpful for people with bladder problems to try cutting out the following foods and drinks for a little while, to see if it makes the problem better.

• sodas
• artificial sweeteners
• spicy foods
• citrus fruits and juices, such as oranges and grapefruits
• tomato-based foods

The Senior Craft Shoppe of Ventura is now accepting new Crafters age 50 and up!  If you make crafts, knit, crochet, paint, quilt, make jewelry or any other items and would like more exposure to sell your items, This is the place! The Senior Craft Shoppe, located at 429 E. Main St, has been in operation for nearly 40 years and is a non-profit organization. All items are made by members. For more information call 643-3059 or come into the store and talk with them.

They have beautiful handmade gifts for any occasion! Quilts, beautiful baby blankets and other items for the new bundle of joy! New items come in every day and special orders are always welcome.

Hours 10 am-5 pm Tuesday -Thursday, 11am-7pm Friday-Sunday.

by Connie De La Rosa

The Family Caregiver Resource Center not only provides free services to family caregivers such as respite care, grab bars for showers, assistive devices, caregiver workshops and support groups but is also part of  the many other  services under Catholic  Charities of  Ventura County located at 303 N. Ventura Ave.

It also provides those in need with a food pantry on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s 9 a.m. – noon and 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Legal assistance for the homeless population is available on Friday’s  at 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on a first come, first serve basis.

Family caregivers and their elders are invited to attend the self –care training every second Tuesday of each month from noon – 1 p.m. free of charge at the Santa Paula Senior Center located at 530 W. Main St.

For more information on how we can help your  loved one living in Ventura County,  please call 420-9608.

Falls don’t “just happen,” and people don’t fall because they get older. Often, more than one underlying cause or risk factor is involved in a fall. A risk factor is something that increases a person’s risk or susceptibility to a medical problem or disease.

As the number of risk factors rises, so does the risk of falling. Many falls are linked to a person’s physical condition or a medical problem, such as a chronic disease. Other causes could be safety hazards in the person’s home or community environment.

Scientists have linked a number of personal risk factors to falling.

Muscle weakness, especially in the legs, is one of the most important risk factors. Older people with weak muscles are more likely to fall than are those who maintain their muscle strength, as well as their flexibility and endurance.

Your balance and your gait — how you walk — are other key factors. Older adults who have poor balance or difficulty walking are more likely than others to fall. These problems may be linked to a lack of exercise or to a neurological cause, arthritis, or other medical conditions and their treatments.

Blood pressure that drops too much when you get up from lying down or sitting can increase your chance of falling. This condition — called postural hypotension — might result from dehydration, or certain medications.

Some people with postural hypotension feel dizzy when their blood pressure drops. Other people don’t feel dizzy, even if their blood pressure drops a lot when they get up.

Your reflexes may also be slower than when you were younger. The increased amount of time it takes you to react may make it harder to catch your balance if you start to fall.

Sensory problems can cause falls, too. If your senses don’t work well, you might be less aware of your environment. For instance, having numbness in your feet may mean you don’t sense where you are stepping.

Not seeing well can also result in falls. One reason is that it may take a while for your eyes to adjust to see clearly when you move between darkness and light.

Confusion, even for a short while, can sometimes lead to falls. For example, if you wake up in an unfamiliar environment, you might feel unsure of where you are. If you feel confused, wait for your mind to clear or until someone comes to help you before trying to get up and walk around.

Some medications can increase a person’s risk of falling because they cause side effects like dizziness or confusion. The health problems for which the person takes the medications may also contribute to the risk of falls.

The more medications you take the more likely you are to fall. You should check with your doctor if you think your medications are causing dizziness or unsteadiness. Your doctor can tell you which drugs, including over-the-counter medicines, might cause problems. Do not change your medications on your own.

Be sure to talk with your doctor if you fall, as well. A fall could be a sign of a new medical problem that needs attention, such as an infection or a cardiovascular disorder. It could also suggest that a treatment for a chronic ailment, such as Parkinson’s disease or dementia, needs to be changed.

In what has become an annual event celebrating Valentine’s Day, a performance of “Love Letters” comes to Ventura senior nursing facilities for the residents to enjoy, despite the inevitable tears at the end.

Performed to packed houses for the last seven years by married couple Suz Montgomery and John Hankins, this year’s events were at Coastal View Healthcare Center and Aegis of Ventura. Montgomery also teaches at both facilities.

The play, by A.R. Gurney, is a favorite of famous actors and couples since it was written in 1988, partly because they don’t have to memorize anything, just act as they read. The letters occur over a 50-year time span from childhood to old age.

“We love to perform this for the seniors,” Montgomery said, “because a lot of them aren’t able to go out and see plays, but more important, the play strikes a chord and brings out memories of a time when love and affection was often conveyed in letters.”

“An email or tweet just doesn’t have the same impact,” Hankins added, quoting his character, Andy Ladd, who wrote: “This letter … is a present of myself to you … and you can tear me up and throw me out, or keep me, and read me today, tomorrow, any time you want until you die.”

The characters’ letters discuss their hopes, dreams, disappointments, victories and defeats that they experience throughout their separate lives. Even when they are married to others, they stay pen pals for life.

When the reading finished at both facilities, there were tears by both men and women for its poignant and heartfelt ending, but also smiles at sharing a long life with all its wonder. It also started to rain, inspiring one attendee to quip, “you made the sky cry!”

by Essie L. Landry Public Affairs Specialist Social Security Administration Sierra West Area

Social Security is constantly evolving to make our beneficiaries lives easier. If a person is currently receiving benefits from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and are reapplying for benefits, or are assisting someone with their application, a trip to the Social Security office is probably not necessary even if verification of Social Security benefits is needed.

When is a Good Time to Start Receiving Social Security Benefits? – Enjoying a comfortable retirement is everyone’s dream. For over 80 years, Social Security has been helping people realize those dreams, assisting people through life’s journey with a variety of benefits. It’s up to each individual when he or she can start retirement benefits. A person could start them a little earlier or wait until his or her “full retirement age.” There are benefits to either decision, pun intended.

Planning Will Help You See Green in Retirement – Social Security has been a cornerstone of financial security for over 80 years. As you might already know, a lifetime of measured discipline can ensure a comfortable retirement. Social Security can help individuals plan, save, and see plenty of green in their golden years.

You, Women’s History, and their Power of Social Security – March is Women’s History Month — a time to focus not just on the past, but on the challenges women continue to face. Nearly 60 percent of the people receiving Social Security benefits are women, and in the 21st century, more women work, pay Social Security taxes, and earn credit toward monthly retirement income than at any other time in our nation’s history. Knowing this, a woman can be the author of her own rich and independent history, with a little preparation.

Your Contributions Make Our Nation Stronger – At first, an individual seeing taxes taken out of his or her paycheck can be a little disappointing. However, the individual can take pride in knowing he or she is making an important impact each week when he or she contribute to Social Security. Understanding how important his or her contribution is takes some of the sting away because his or her taxes are helping millions of Americans — and protecting the individual and his or her family for life — as well as wounded warriors, the chronically ill, and disabled.

by Essie L. Landry Public Affairs Specialist Social Security Administration Sierra West Area

Social Security is constantly evolving to make our beneficiaries lives easier. If a person is currently receiving benefits from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and are reapplying for benefits, or are assisting someone with their application, a trip to the Social Security office is probably not necessary even if verification of Social Security benefits is needed.

When is a Good Time to Start Receiving Social Security Benefits? – Enjoying a comfortable retirement is everyone’s dream. For over 80 years, Social Security has been helping people realize those dreams, assisting people through life’s journey with a variety of benefits. It’s up to each individual when he or she can start retirement benefits. A person could start them a little earlier or wait until his or her “full retirement age.” There are benefits to either decision, pun intended.

Planning Will Help You See Green in Retirement – Social Security has been a cornerstone of financial security for over 80 years. As you might already know, a lifetime of measured discipline can ensure a comfortable retirement. Social Security can help individuals plan, save, and see plenty of green in their golden years.

You, Women’s History, and their Power of Social Security – March is Women’s History Month — a time to focus not just on the past, but on the challenges women continue to face. Nearly 60 percent of the people receiving Social Security benefits are women, and in the 21st century, more women work, pay Social Security taxes, and earn credit toward monthly retirement income than at any other time in our nation’s history. Knowing this, a woman can be the author of her own rich and independent history, with a little preparation.

Your Contributions Make Our Nation Stronger – At first, an individual seeing taxes taken out of his or her paycheck can be a little disappointing. However, the individual can take pride in knowing he or she is making an important impact each week when he or she contribute to Social Security. Understanding how important his or her contribution is takes some of the sting away because his or her taxes are helping millions of Americans — and protecting the individual and his or her family for life — as well as wounded warriors, the chronically ill, and disabled.