The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging HomeShare Program recently received recognition from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) with an Aging Innovations Award, the highest honor presented by n4a to member agencies. The HomeShare Program award was among the top local aging programs to receive honors. Additionally, the VCAAA was awarded an n4a Aging Achievement Award for the Fall Prevention Program during the n4a Annual Conference and Tradeshow held in July, in Philadelphia.

The prestigious n4a Aging Innovations Award ceremony recognized Area Agencies on Aging and Title VI Native American aging programs that implemented successful initiatives to support older adults, people with disabilities and their family caregivers. Honorees shared best practices with an audience of more than 900 Aging Network leaders who gathered at the four-day conference to engage in a dialogue about challenges facing older adults and solutions being developed by AAAs throughout the nation.

The VCAAA award-winning HomeShare Program helps seniors maintain their independence and remain in their homes by matching them with home-seekers who are willing to help with some combination of household tasks, transportation or financial support in exchange for affordable housing.

VCAAA Director, Victoria Jump, expressed her excitement about receiving the multiple awards.“Winning these prestigious national awards validates the hard work of the staff, the Advisory Council, the Fall Prevention Coalition and our volunteers and demonstrates VCAAA’s commitment to being an Agency that is innovative and responsive to the changing needs of the seniors in Ventura County,”

The VCAAA serves Ventura County’s 60-plus population and persons with disabilities and employs a person-centered approach in aiding them in living a life with dignity and maximum independence.  The VCAAA also provides leadership and advocacy in addressing critical issues that relate to seniors and directly operates a number of programs.  The VCAAA is funded by the Federal Older Americans Act, State of California Older Californians Act, County of Ventura and program donations.

To learn more about the VCAAA, find out how you can volunteer or to donate funds, please log on to www.ventura.org/vcaaa or call 477-7300.

“Step on it we don’t want to be late for the transportation forum”

The Ventura Council for Seniors (VCS) will host its second Senior Transportation Forum: Navigating the Medical Mobility Maze at The Salvation Army Silvercrest Senior Residence (750 S. Petit Ave) on Wednesday, September 16 from 9:30-11:30 AM, followed by a complimentary lunch. Local transportation agencies, mobility organizations, health care providers, non-profit groups and the public meet to discuss transportation opportunities and challenges facing seniors and caregivers in our community. The forum will be an opportunity to share thoughts and feedback on how to improve transportation options for seniors and the disabled.

Presenters/Panelists will include: A to B Transport, Caregivers, Community Memorial Hospital, GO Access, Gold Coast Health Care Plan and Kaiser Permanente.

Lunch served to those attendees who RSVP to 648-3035 by Sept. 11.

Free shuttle service will be provided to the forum from  Ventura Avenue Adult Center at 9:15 AM –  550 N. Ventura Avenue, limited seating (28) available RSVP to 648-3035

The VCS meets at the Ventura Avenue Adult Center (VAAC) on the third Wednesday of every month from 9:30-11:00 AM. This organization is designed to provide a forum to discuss issues and initiatives and to develop recommendations for City Council consideration. The VCS is designated by the Ventura City Council as the representative organization of all seniors in the City of Ventura. We meet monthly to consider and gather input on local issues important to all seniors. Please come to network and contribute valuable information with your peers.

The Ventura Avenue Adult Center is located at 550 N. Ventura Ave. Parking is available onsite.

“I don’t think that my joints need replacing yet but maybe I should attend just in case”
Scamp

As Ventura County’s only non-profit Home Health and Hospice provider, Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association supports the total well-being of our community.  As part of their services, they host free monthly education classes throughout the county which include the following:

Adult Bereavement Support Group Wednesdays, September 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, from 6:30-8:00pm.  These groups are open to individuals who have experienced loss and are free of charge. Call 642-0239 for more information or email [email protected].

Newly Bereaved Support Group Thursday, September 10th from 6-7:30pm.  This monthly group is designed for adults who have recently experienced the loss of a loved one and is free. Call 642-0239 for more information or email [email protected].  These groups meet every 2nd Thursday of each month.

Joint Replacement Classes. Thursday, September 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, September 14th for both English and Spanish speaking.  English 4:00-5:00pm and Spanish 5:30-6:30pm. 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 at Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association offices, in the Community Room at 1996 Eastman Avenue, Suite 109 in Ventura. For information or to RSVP call Dinah Davis at  642-0239 ext. 739.

“This feels better than my chair getting a massage”

The SCAN Health & Wellness Center in Ventura is offering 15-minute chair massage for seniors 55 and older and their caregivers. Certified Massage Therapist Linda Mac Dougall has many years of experience in treating older adults with chronic and acute conditions with therapeutic massage. Schedule your appointment for a Wednesday in September (9/9, 9/16, 9/23 & 9/30) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The seated, fully-clothed neck, shoulder and back massages cost $15 per session, and can help you feel refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated. The SCAN Health & Wellness Center is located at 6633 Telephone Rd., Suite 100. To make an appointment 658-0365.

We would normally put this police report in our crime section but thought it important enough to include in our senior section as a warning and in case Saide Cruz may have worked for you.

On 8/13/15 at about 1700hrs, a patrol officer was dispatched to the 5000 Block of Hollings Street reference a late reported fraud. The victim 74-year old male) discovered fraudulent activity on his checking account dating back to the first part of July 2015. The fraudulent activity included several thousand dollars missing from the victim’s checking account and forged checks written out to Saide Cruz (24 from Oxnard). Cruz had been working as the victim’s care giver from April 2015, and was let go in July 2015.

Major Crime Detectives began investigating the case and discovered that over the past few years, Cruz has worked for several different privately owned businesses in Ventura County that provide care to the elderly.   Cruz was currently working for a care facility in the City of Oxnard.

On 8/27/15 at about 1300hrs, Detectives arrested Cruz without incident. A search of her residence revealed additional checks that did not belong to her. Cruz was booked at the Ventura County Jail for elder abuse, residential burglary and possession of stolen property.

This investigation is ongoing, any additional victims or anyone with information related to this incident is urged to call Det. Cpl. Hixson at (805) 339-4478.                  

For a variety of reasons, it becomes increasingly difficult for aging individuals to manage daily tasks, such as getting to the grocery store, cleaning house, and keeping up with paying the bills. Even more arduous to navigate are the arenas beyond the everyday, such as estate planning, identity theft protection, and healthcare.

Seniors constitute a significant portion of our community here in Ventura County. In fact, the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging reports residents over the age of 60 will constitute 24% of the county’s population by 2020. The vision to create a one-stop shop to assist seniors with finding help for any given issue is not only philanthropic, it is vital to the well-being of the seniors who live in this community.

All-Care Senior Support Center connects seniors to services in an interesting way. The founders of the organization have created a network of local senior-serving organizations that come to the center on a rotating basis to offer free consultations to seniors who are interested in a particular service, whether it be financial services, legal advice, or veterans services. The center posts an updated schedule each month indicating which businesses and agencies will be providing consultations at the center in the following weeks. Seniors can then make appointments to meet with a representative who can provide guidance for a particular issue.

The center also offers fun activities such as a matchmaking service, bingo, exercise training, and gardening.

All-Care Senior Center is the brainchild of three individuals who have worked in varying capacities to serve the senior population.

Rosa Gasparian always saw the need for a better solution when it came to quality senior care. Working at a medical supply retail store allowed Rosa to see how confused seniors were when it came to understanding their options for obtaining support for their everyday needs.

Connie De La Rosa is a former social worker for the County of Ventura. In recent years she has overseen A Tender Touch Senior Placement, where she works to place seniors in proper care facilities.

Brian Campbell is a former pharmaceutical sales representative who was looking for a new venture. Inspired by his friend, Rosa, and her work with the senior community.

Additionally, the center provides referral services to home health care and hospice care facilities that provide excellent quality of care.

These are only a portion of the services All-Care provides at no cost to seniors. Learn more about the center at www.all-careservice.com. They are located at 2991 Loma Vista.

The Ventura Council for Seniors (VCS) meets at the Ventura Avenue Adult Center (VAAC) on the third Wednesday of every month from 9:30-11am. This organization is designed to provide a forum to discuss issues and initiatives and to develop recommendations for City Council consideration. The VCS is designated by the Ventura City Council as the representative organization of all seniors in the City of Ventura. They meet monthly to consider and gather input on local issues important to all seniors. Please come to network and contribute valuable information with your peers.

The Ventura Avenue Adult Center is located at 550 N. Ventura Ave. Parking is available onsite.