Category Archives: Senior Living

Community Memorial Health System helping the health of all

Women of all ages are invited to attend a free Aging for Women Symposium on Saturday, June 18, designed to be an educational resource for women, families, caregivers and those with concerns about aging women’s health. The event is part of the Community Memorial Health System 2016 Speaker Series, and provides a range of physician and leading expert presenters specializing in women’s healthcare.

The Aging for Women’s Health Symposium will be held at the Ventura Beach Marriott, 2055 E. Harbor Blvd. beginning at 7:30 AM with a light breakfast and exhibitors and presentations begin at 8 AM until 12 noon. Dr. Charles Pankratz specializing in Internal Medicine will moderate and present opening remarks at the event, along with a variety of presenters providing information on the latest research, procedures, treatment and support available to aging women:

Registered attendees will also be able to visit information exhibit tables at 7:30 AM and again at the break, providing information on elder care living, senior services and programs from local organizations.

Space is limited and reservations are required. For more information and to make a reservations visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets 800-838-3006.

Find out if you are at risk of a stroke by attending a free Mini Stroke Screening first Fridays each month from 11am-1pm, by appointment only. For stroke survivors, family and caregivers a Stroke Support Group meets second Wednesdays each month 2-3:15 pm. To take a Stroke Risk Assessment visit www.cmhshealth.org/myhealth or call CMHS’s HealthAware office 667-2818.

Cypress Place awards scholarships

Ventura High School students Daniela Aranda and Sierra Conboy were each awarded a $2500 Cypress Place Senior Living “Senior to Senior Legacy Scholarship award. Photo courtesy of Cypress

When the owners of Cypress Place Senior Living in Ventura decided to create a scholarship fund for local high school students wanting to pursue a college degree, the Cypress Place Senior Living “Senior to Senior” Legacy Scholarship was created.

Cypress Place Senior Living is an independent, assisted, and memory care community for seniors. By awarding two $2500 scholarships to local high school seniors, residents at Cypress Place are attempting to pass on opportunities for young people in the community, according to Steve Spira, executive director at Cypress Place.

Applicants needed to have a verified 3.2 or higher GPA and to have applied for fall 2016 admission to a college or university with the intention of obtaining a degree. Applicants were also asked to submit an essay about their reason for pursuing higher education along with a personal account of how a senior or seniors has affected their life, including specific examples of intergenerational experiences of the applicant.

The members of the Resident Scholarship Committee at Cypress Place read the essays, then held oral interviews with the semi-finalists to determine the two award winners.

On May 26 the awards were presented to Daniela Aranda and Sierra Conboy, both from Ventura High School. Aranda plans on studying economics at Brigham Young University, while Conboy plans on attending Gettysburg College and would like to become an international lawyer.

Ventura High Principal, Carlos Cohen , and VHS Career Center Counselor, Phyllis Dilly, were in attendance, along with family members of the recipients, and many seniors from Cypress Place. The senior citizens were beaming just as brightly as the recipients during the awards ceremony.

“Tonight we watched two wonderful girls go confidently in the direction of their dreams,” said Irv Wasserberg, a resident at Cypress Place, and the Scholarship Committee Chair. “This was the 4th year the Cypress Place owners granted this scholarship to our local Ventura students, and it is a highlight for all of us to be a part of it.”

As the scholarship awards evening wound down, Aranda and Conboy both expressed their appreciation for their awards once again. They both hope to be able to present awards to future Cypress Place Senior Living “Senior to Senior” Legacy Scholarship recipients when they themselves have graduated from college.

HICAP presentations through-out Ventura County.

Thursday, June 9, 2016 – 10:00 am to 11:00 am – Topic: What is the Economic Solution Program to Your Medicare Savings? – at Palm Vista Senior Center, 801 South C St., Oxnard.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016 – 10:30 am to 11:30 pm – Topic: – Spring Into Summer by Protecting Yourself from Maladies, Fraud and Most of all Saving Money by Protecting Yourself! – at Pleasant Valley Senior Center, 1605 Burnley St., Camarillo

Wednesday, June 15, 2016 – 11:00 am to 12:00 pm –Topic: Spring Into Summer by Protecting Yourself from Maladies, Fraud and Most of all Saving Money by Protecting Yourself! – at Port Hueneme Community Center, 550 Park Avenue

Thursday, June 16, 2016 – 11:30 am to 12:30 pm – Topics: How Do Free Medicare Preventive Services Help Me? Update on Medicare Fraud—, Fillmore Active Adult Community Center, 533 Santa Clara Ave,

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 – 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm –Topic: How Do Free Medicare Preventive Services Help Me! Update on Medicare Fraud—, Ventura Avenue Adult Center, 550 North Ventura Ave, Ventura

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 – 11:30 am to 12:30 pm –Topic: Spring Into Summer by Protecting Yourself from Maladies, Fraud and Most of all Saving Money by Protecting Yourself! – Santa Paula Senior Center, 530 W. Main Street

Friday, June 24, 2016 – 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm – Topic: Let’s Learn Colors! There are grey, tan, purple, blue, green orange and additional colors! How those Colored Letters will save you money! Camarillo Healthcare District, 3639 E. Las Posas Road, Camarillo

Senior song circle 2nd Tuesday each month at SCAN

On June 14 (2nd Tues. of each month), 3 – 5:30 p.m., at SCAN Health and Wellness Center, 6633 Telephone Rd., Ste., 100, a Song Circle is led by Marty Capsuto. The Center is for those 55 and their guests, so Marty will guest sponsor all song makers that are under 55. Plenty of parking behind building. For more information contact Marty at 658-0365 or [email protected].

Seniors Craft Shoppe in Ventura seeking new members

Seniors Craft Shoppe in Ventura is seeking new members. Any creative Ventura County senior over 50 years of age–man or woman–is eligible to apply. It’s a great place to make new friends as well as an outlet for selling handcrafted items.

Applications are available in the shop, located at 429 East Main Street in downtown Ventura. Shop hours are 10:00 am to 5:00 PM Tuesday through Saturday, and 11:00 am to 4:00 PM Sunday and Monday.

Please come in or call 643-3059 for more information.

Senior Spring Prom at the Palms at Bonaventure

senior bonaventure — Photo by Michael Gordon

The Senior Spring Prom at the Palms at Bonaventure this year was held on Friday, May 20. The theme was Tale as Old as Time. Residents, families and friends from the community enjoyed the live music and dancing with delicious chef-prepared hors d’oeuvres. The dessert table was overflowing with peanut butter chocolate cookies, chocolate cup custard, fruits, and Arnold Palmer iced tea.

Everyone was dressing up to look gorgeous for the special event. The dining room turn into Cinderella’s Ball Room with the Cinderella Carriage photo booth. Sumi and Hank were the prom Queen and King this year. Hank was the King for the second consecutive year. They danced the whole afternoon until the music stopped. Residents and visitors had a great afternoon of dancing, live music and socialization at the Palms.

What is on your Bucket List?

Fred Nagelschmidt and advisor Leon Roullard falling from 10,000 feet.

by Phil Chandler, Owner of Right at Home of Ventura County, Home Care Agency

In the first of an occasional series, the Breeze interviews local residents about their bucket lists – or “what we wish to accomplish before we are shuffled off this mortal coil”.

You may remember the movie “The Bucket List” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It was an engaging story about two men facing a terminal illness. They were able to leave their shared hospital room and accomplish some amazing feats, and have a lot of fun and laughs along the way.

Creating your bucket list will help you to remember what you enjoy in life, and can cheer you up. It is energizing, and just talking about what is on your list can motivate you to get it done. There is no right or wrong activity; it is completely up to you. You can write your list any time of your life and describe any activities you dream of. It will remind you of what you enjoy in life, suited to your physical ability and risk tolerance.

One local Ventura resident, Fred Nagelschmidt, has always wanted to skydive. For his 92^nd birthday, he called up Skydive Coastal California at the Camarillo Airport and booked a flight. Fred has always been an adventurous soul. An avid runner, he has run marathons (26.2 miles), and five ultra-marathons, which are 50 to 100 miles. He would train by running from Ventura to Santa Barbara and back. The last marathon he ran was 12 years ago, when he was 80 years old. Even at 92, Fred is in great shape.

On the big day, Fred was suited up for a tandem skydive with Leon Roullard , the Drop Zone Manager and USPA Safety and Training Advisor. Leon has been skydiving since 1997 and makes about 500 jumps per year. After a short class on what to expect and some do’s and don’ts, they left the ground in a Cessna 172. Fred’s wife Mona, left the airfield with their son Chris and drove over to the drop zone a few miles away. After climbing to about 10,000 feet, it was time to go. They were freefalling for about 40 seconds, reaching 120 miles per hour. When Leon pulled the chute at 5,000 feet, they floated the rest of the way to the drop zone for about seven minutes. After the hurricane strength wind of the freefall, the float was calm, quiet, and peaceful. Fred was able enjoy the view of Catalina and the Channel Islands all the way to downtown Los Angeles. Leon let Fred steer the square canopy until they were ready to land, then Leon took over. Lean had several cameras capturing different angles to memorialize the event. Fred enjoyed it so much he wants to do it again in August.

For more information, call Bucket List Skydiving at 322-4763 or visit www.skydivecoastalcalifornia.com .

If you have an interesting bucket list story to share, call Phil Chandler at 389-5320.

Healthwise Home Care Solutions

by Mira Reverente

As a family physician for the past two decades, Dr. Suzanne Fussell understands the importance of compassionate care and top-quality service. She built a business based on these two basic tenets.

Dr. Fussell founded Healthwise Home Care Solutions, a home health agency in 2003. Its services are very similar to those of the Home Health Care Consultants and offer to care for patients from the comfort of their own home. Based in Oxnard, the agency provides recuperating patients with one-on-one health care in the privacy and comfort of their homes, from Ventura to Westlake Village.

“We go to the patient,” says Dr. Fussell, whose staff is composed of skilled and licensed medical providers such as nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers and health aides, available 24 hours a days, seven days a week.

“We fill the gap between the hospitals and physicians,” says Dr. Fussell, noting studies have shown patients recovering at home have reported a faster speed of recovery.

Many procedures such as lab work, wound care and intravenous therapy (IV) can be safely done at home, in the presence of a skilled medical professional. Says Dr. Fussell, “We bring the hospital without walls to them.”

Upon discharge, a patient is referred to a home health agency like Healthwise, for continued care. It could be a diabetic needing help dressing his wounds and being shown which Medical tape for dressing they should use for differing injuries, or other aid such as providing help in setting up his medications. It could also be a patient recovering from knee or hip replacement surgery and needs physical therapy at home due to driving limitations.

Healthwise also provides health education training and gets the family of the patient involved. Diet and nutrition counseling also comes into play with several of the cases they handle, along with emotional support and understanding.

“We know we have done our job if we can reduce the patient’s need to go back for another hospital stay,” says Dr. Fussell, noting lower re-admission rates due to the increasing availability of home health care services.

The company logo is an owl, a favorite of Dr. Fussell’s due to its legendary wisdom. The company tag line is equally fitting – “Be home, Be wise.”

As Healthwise looks to expand beyond Ventura County in the coming years, Dr. Fussell talks about what makes her business stand out in a highly competitive and crowded industry. She says, “We stand out from the competition because we provide excellent and personalized care.”

For more information visit www.healthwisehcsi.com.

Dr. James P. Sutton to speak at Parkinson’s Support Group

The Ventura Parkinson’s Support Group is pleased to be hosting Dr. James P. Sutton, on Wednesday June 8, from 1PM to 2:30 PM. Dr. Sutton is the Medical Director of Pacific Neuroscience and he is a Board Certified and trained Neurologist specializing in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. Dr. Sutton will be presenting an overview of Parkinson’s Disease, the services and staff available from Pacific Neuroscience, and the latest updates in clinical trials.

The meeting will be held at The Lexington Assisted Living at 5440 Ralston Street in Ventura on the second floor in the Bijou Theatre. 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 Patty at 766-6070 for further information.

The Californian’s Senior “Victory Garden” reopened

The grand reopening on May 18 of The Californian’s Senior “Victory Garden” was gleefully celebrated by the residents who anxiously await the harvest at the nursing facility, located at 4020 Loma Vista Rd. Thanks go to the donations and maintenance now in the hands of the San Buenaventura Garden Club. Some of those members shown are Jane Metzler, Norma Garsha, Anita Hughes, Nelly Bordbar and Angel Golesorlski.

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