by Carol Leish, MA

With the percentage of elderly people in Ventura County forecasted to grow to 30% of the population within the next several years, preserving the high quality of advocacy that the Ombudsman of Ventura County has been providing since 1981 is even more critical.  “We are very excited to have Keith Gosselin transition intro the position of Executive Director,” stated Sylvia Taylor-Stein, current Executive Director, who will transition into a new role and continue to serve the volunteers, long-term care residents, and the community that she loves.  She said that, “He has effectively expanded the capabilities of several nonprofit organizations during his professional career.

Gosselin, who has a BA in Management from Loyola Marymount University, in Los Angeles, and an MBA from the College of William & Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia, has been a tenured Associate Professor at Mount Saint Mary’s University, along with having been an adjunct faculty member at Cal State University, Northridge, California Lutheran University, and University of CA Los Angeles and UCLA.

During his 20+ years of college instruction, he taught mostly marketing classes, such as Principles of Marketing, Advertising Sales Management, Market Research, Social Media Marketing the Nonprofit, and International Marketing. And, with his MBA in Finance, along with a high-tech background, he taught Principles of Finance, along with Management of Information Systems at Mount Saint Mary’s University, every year.

Gosselin’s most recent position was as the Executive Director for His Hands on Africa, a nonprofit that provides free dental services in Rwanda.  He was tasked with increasing U.S. donations to finance expansive efforts, which he did by growing the annual fundraising from $350,000 to over $850,000 in just one year.  As a result, the number of Rwandans receiving free oral health care will continue to increase significantly over the next decade.

Long Term Care Services of Ventura County, Inc. is a 501c 3 nonprofit that advocates for the higher quality of life and care possible for all our disabled and elderly living in long term care facilities.  The Ombudsman staff & volunteers make unannounced and unscheduled visits to long term care facilities to help ensure the quality of care and the quality of life for the elderly and disabled residents.  Gosselin said, “I am honored to be a part of a best-in-class organization that represents the needs of two of the often-overlooked populations in our communities:  the elderly and the disabled.”

In terms of goals, Gosselin said, “My priority at Long Term Care is to retain the incredibly high level of quality of services that the program has provided the community for the last 25+ years (courtesy of Sylvia Taylor-Stein)), through our staff and incredible volunteers.  Secondarily, I plan on increasing and diversifying our funding to reduce our reliance on government grants and to expand upon our services into the areas of the community that we would like to better serve.

For more information about the Ombudsman of Ventura County program, please visit www.ombusmanventura.org.

Founded in 1984, CAREGIVERS serves hundreds of seniors throughout Ventura County — one of the largest aging populations in the nation. The local nonprofit, a public benefit organization, has a mission to promote the health, well-being, dignity, and independence of frail, homebound elders through one-on-one relationships with trusted volunteers. CAREGIVERS provides non-medical, in-home support services and transportation with a goal of preventing premature placement into board and care facilities and making it possible for elders to continue to live in the comfort and security of their own homes. Examples of assistance that volunteers may provide include cleaning up around the house, such as washing windows, vacuuming, dusting, mopping, yard maintenance, home organization, and much more.

CAREGIVERS programs are carried out by over 300 giving, caring volunteers who are recruited and trained from our local community. Kayla Meza, a student at California State University, Channel Islands, plans to go into the healthcare field and recently completed a semester with CAREGIVERS as part of her service-learning course. “Throughout the semester, I have had the privilege of assisting three seniors, one of whom I have built a great friendship with. One of my seniors has some health conditions that prevent her from doing everyday tasks such as sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, laundry, and cooking. The little help — an hour per week for each of them — that I provide goes a long way for my seniors, and they are always very appreciative of the time I dedicate to them.”

Currently, CAREGIVERS is in great need of additional volunteers. They make every effort to match a carefully screened and trained volunteer to a homebound elder who needs basic assistance and companionship in order to foster a long-term, one-on-one relationship between them. “The organization only asks about 1.5 hours of help per week,” explained Meza. “As of today, Ventura County CAREGIVERS really needs volunteers in Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, and Camarillo. They also have opportunities to serve as Team Leaders to high school volunteers throughout Ventura County. There are many homebound seniors who need assistance, and unfortunately, the number of volunteers cannot keep up with the number of seniors needing help. If you decide to volunteer for Ventura County CAREGIVERS, I promise you will not regret it.”

All Adult Volunteers and Youth Leaders must pass a LiveSCAN background check, which is paid for by CAREGIVERS. To learn more, visit www.vccaregivers.org, email [email protected], or call 805.658.8530.

The three most common places people at the end-of-life die are at home, in a hospital, or in a care facility. While not everyone has the chance to decide where they will die, people who know the end of life is approaching may be able to plan ahead. Several factors may help with this planning, including knowing the type of care you need and want, where you can receive this level of care, advance care directives, costs, and availability of family and friends to help.

It’s important for a caregiver or family member to work closely with the health care team to decide the type of comfort care needed at home in order to make the dying person as comfortable as possible. This type of care can often be provided by nursing assistants or family and friends without medical training. However, a doctor will continue to oversee the patient’s health care plan. Hospice care is frequently used at home.

Caring for someone who is at home at the end of life can be physically, emotionally, and financially demanding for the people providing the care. Extra support from paid caregivers or home service providers, also known as respite care, can help. If the person who is dying is returning home from the hospital, sometimes a hospital discharge planner, who is often a social worker, will be able to help with the logistics. Your local Area Agency on Aging might be able to recommend other sources of help.

In a hospital setting, you will have access to medical professionals who understand the needs of a dying person. This can be very reassuring to both the person and their family.

In addition to the regular care team, some hospitals have palliative and hospice care teams that can assist with managing uncomfortable symptoms at the end of life, such as digestive issues or pain. These teams can also help with making medical decisions for patients or families.

No matter which end-of-life care setting you choose, it’s important to make plans for this care in advance. Having these documents in place helps medical staff provide the care that you wish to receive at the end of life and helps family members avoid having to make difficult decisions about your care without your input. Learn more about advance care planning.

Many people are in care facilities, such as nursing homes, at the end of life. In a nursing home, nursing staff are always present. Unlike a hospital, a doctor is not in the facility at all times but is available when needed.

Some people are discharged from a hospital to a care facility, while others may already be living in one. If you have lived in a nursing home or long-term care facility for a while, you may choose to stay and receive end-of-life care there. You and your family may already have a relationship with staff who work there, which can help make the care feel more personalized than in a hospital.

This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is accurate and up to date.

Free tutor training for adults (18 and over) to tutor adults who want to learn or improve their English and learn about American culture.
When: Saturday, May 4, 2024 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.
Where: 1500 Palma Drive, Ventura CA 93003.

Make a difference in one person’s life. Become a tutor.  Laubach Literacy of Ventura County provides free tutoring and tutor training to adults for English as a second language. No prior teaching experience is required. You don’t have to speak a foreign language to be a tutor. We provide all materials for free to both the tutor and the adult learners.  We will train you on cultural awareness and tutoring techniques for all levels of ability. Our adult learners want to speak, understand, read, and write English and learn American culture. Laubach Literacy has been teaching English for free for over 40 years in Ventura County. Registration is required for the training.

Register for the May 4 workshop by emailing your name, city, phone, and email address to [email protected]. You will receive a return email confirming your successful registration.
Price: Free
For More Information: Contact Laubach Literacy of Ventura County. Phone: (805) 385-9584, please leave a message and we will call you back. Website: [email protected].

The three most common places people at the end-of-life die are at home, in a hospital, or in a care facility. While not everyone has the chance to decide where they will die, people who know the end of life is approaching may be able to plan ahead. Several factors may help with this planning, including knowing the type of care you need and want, where you can receive this level of care, advance care directives, costs, and availability of family and friends to help.

It’s important for a caregiver or family member to work closely with the health care team to decide the type of comfort care needed at home in order to make the dying person as comfortable as possible. This type of care can often be provided by nursing assistants or family and friends without medical training. However, a doctor will continue to oversee the patient’s health care plan. Hospice care is frequently used at home.

Caring for someone who is at home at the end of life can be physically, emotionally, and financially demanding for the people providing the care. Extra support from paid caregivers or home service providers, also known as respite care, can help. If the person who is dying is returning home from the hospital, sometimes a hospital discharge planner, who is often a social worker, will be able to help with the logistics. Your local Area Agency on Aging might be able to recommend other sources of help.

In a hospital setting, you will have access to medical professionals who understand the needs of a dying person. This can be very reassuring to both the person and their family.

In addition to the regular care team, some hospitals have palliative and hospice care teams that can assist with managing uncomfortable symptoms at the end of life, such as digestive issues or pain. These teams can also help with making medical decisions for patients or families.

No matter which end-of-life care setting you choose, it’s important to make plans for this care in advance. Having these documents in place helps medical staff provide the care that you wish to receive at the end of life and helps family members avoid having to make difficult decisions about your care without your input. Learn more about advance care planning.

Many people are in care facilities, such as nursing homes, at the end of life. In a nursing home, nursing staff are always present. Unlike a hospital, a doctor is not in the facility at all times but is available when needed.

Some people are discharged from a hospital to a care facility, while others may already be living in one. If you have lived in a nursing home or long-term care facility for a while, you may choose to stay and receive end-of-life care there. You and your family may already have a relationship with staff who work there, which can help make the care feel more personalized than in a hospital.

This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is accurate and up to date.

1. Plan for your estate and finances. Depending on your situation, you may choose to prepare different types of legal documents to outline how your estate and finances will be handled in the future. Common documents include a will, durable power of attorney for finances, and a living trust.

A will specifies how your estate — your property, money, and other assets — will be distributed and managed when you die. A will can also address care for children under age 18, adult dependents, and pets, as well as gifts and end-of-life arrangements, such as a funeral or memorial service and burial or cremation. If you do not have a will, your estate will be distributed according to the laws in your state.

A durable power of attorney for finances names someone who will make financial decisions for you when you are unable to.

A living trust names and instructs a person, called the trustee, to hold and distribute property and funds on your behalf when you are no longer able to manage your affairs.

2. Plan for your future health care. Many people choose to prepare advance directives, which are legal documents that provide instructions for medical care and only go into effect if you cannot communicate your own wishes due to disease or severe injury. The most common advance directives include a living will and a durable power of attorney for health care.

A living will tells doctors how you want to be treated if you cannot make your own decisions about emergency treatment. You can say which common medical treatments or care you would want, which ones you would want to avoid, and under which conditions each of your choices applies. Learn how to prepare a living will.

A durable power of attorney for health care names your health care proxy, a person who can make health care decisions for you if you are unable to communicate these yourself. Your proxy — also known as a representative, surrogate, or agent — should be familiar with your values and wishes. A proxy can be chosen in addition to or instead of a living will. Having a health care proxy helps you plan for situations that cannot be foreseen, such as a serious auto accident or stroke. Learn how to choose a health care proxy.

These documents are part of advance care planning, which involves preparing for future decisions about your medical care and discussing your wishes with your loved ones.

3. Put your important papers and copies of legal documents in one place. You can set up a file, put everything in a desk or dresser drawer, or list the information and location of papers in a notebook. For added security, you might consider getting a fireproof and waterproof safe to store your documents. If your papers are in a bank safe deposit box, keep copies in a file at home. View a list of important papers.

4. Tell someone you know and trust or a lawyer where to find your important papers. You don’t need to discuss your personal affairs, but someone you trust should know where to find your papers in case of an emergency. If you don’t have a relative or friend you trust, ask a lawyer to help.

5. Talk to your loved ones and a doctor about advance care planning. A doctor can help you understand future health decisions you may face and plan the kinds of care or treatment you may want. Discussing advance care planning with your doctor is free through Medicare during your annual wellness visit. Private health insurance may also cover these discussions. Share your decisions with your loved ones to help avoid any surprises or misunderstandings about your wishes.