The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging (VCAAA) is inviting qualified individuals, public and private nonprofit services, and private for-profit organizations to apply as new contracted vendors for VCAAA programs that serve older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.
Providers with bilingual Spanish, Tagalog, Farsi and Chinese Mandarin staff are encouraged to apply. Prior to a vendor being granted a contract, they must complete a vendor application packet and supply proof of all required licensing and insurance.
A vendor application packet may be obtained at the VCAAA offices located at 646 County Square Drive in Ventura, or by calling 805-477-7300. Those interested may also obtain an application online by visiting www.vcaaa.org/for-providers/vendor-service-tools/. This application process is ongoing. Preference will be given to vendors that provide service throughout the county. For more information concerning the vendor application process, contact Brian Murphy, at (805) 477-7300.
Make regular appointments with your primary care doctor.
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can be difficult but getting accurate information and support can help you know what to expect and what to do next. Use this checklist to help you get started.
Being informed will help you know what to expect as the disease progresses. Here are some resources:
Alzheimer’s and related Dementias Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center:
800-438-4380
Alzheimer’s Association:
800-272-3900
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America:
866-232-8484
Local hospitals and community centers may have educational programs about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
Make regular appointments with your primary care doctor or specialist (neurologist, neuropsychiatrist, geriatric psychiatrist).
Consider going to a memory disorders clinic. Ask your doctor for a referral if desired.
Find local services and support
Find local services by contacting Eldercare Locator: 800-677-1116
Find local chapters, organizations, and support groups through the Alzheimer’s Association (800-272-3900) or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (866-232-8484)
Contact your local Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
Prepare or update your will, living will, health care power of attorney, and financial power of attorney. To find a lawyer, contact your local bar association or the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
Use simple memory aids like a notepad or sticky notes to jot down reminders, a pillbox to keep medications organized, and a calendar to record appointments.
Consider wearing a medical ID bracelet or necklace in case you get lost or need help, or joining the MedicAlert and Alzheimer’s Association’s Wandering Support program.
Getting exercise helps people with Alzheimer’s feel better and helps keep their muscles, joints, and heart in good shape.
Eat a well-balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Continue to enjoy visits with family and friends, hobbies, and outings.
If you live alone
Identify someone who can visit you regularly and be an emergency contact.
If you are at risk of falling, order an emergency response system. A special pendant or bracelet lets you summon help if you fall and can’t reach the phone.
Consider working with an occupational therapist. This person can teach you ways to stay independent. Ask your doctor for more information.
Stick with familiar places, people, and routines. Simplify your life.
Get tips about self-care, safety, staying connected, and more.
If you are working
If you have problems performing your job, consider reducing your hours or switching to a less demanding position.
Consider consulting your employer’s HR department or employee assistance program about family leave, disability benefits, and other employee benefits.
Find out if you qualify for Social Security disability benefits through “compassionate allowances.” Call 800-772-1213.
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.
As we mark the 10-year anniversary of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which arose from the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), it’s striking to pause for a moment and consider how far we have come. Thanks to increased congressional funding, NIH spending on Alzheimer’s and related dementias research advanced nearly 4.5-fold between fiscal years 2015 and 2020, reaching $2.87 billion. This momentum has enabled NIA-funded science to take significant strides forward.
Ten years ago, we knew of just 10 genes associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and 20 years ago, we knew of only four. Today, researchers have identified more than 70 associated genetic areas, opening multiple new foci for potential prevention and treatments.
It is extraordinarily difficult to mimic the brain’s complexity in standard lab models. Improving these models will help us better understand brain-related diseases and test existing and novel drugs as potential therapies. Thanks to NIH research, we now have the “Alzheimer’s in a dish” model, the first to contain the amyloid and tau hallmarks of the disease. In recent years, scientists built two additional “disease-in-a-dish” models and have developed more than 50 new mouse models including one that produces a form of the human beta-amyloid protein.
Before biomarker tests were developed in the early 2000s, the only sure way to know whether a person had Alzheimer’s was via autopsy. Researchers can now use brain imaging methods or lab tests to diagnose people living with the disease. NIA-funded scientists continue to explore novel blood biomarkers for various forms of amyloid, tau, and other promising targets. As one result, NIA small business innovation research funding helped validate and commercialize the PrecivityAD™ test, a more affordable and less invasive alternative to traditional Alzheimer’s tests like spinal taps or brain scans. This blood biomarker-based test is now widely available to doctors and researchers across the United States.
The Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Program for Alzheimer’s Disease has aided discovery of more than 550 novel candidate therapeutic targets and is now exploring a precision medicine approach to therapy development. In a parallel effort, the Drug Repurposing for Effective Alzheimer’s Medicines (DREAM) study, investigators found that use of certain rheumatoid arthritis drugs is associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s and related dementias in people with cardiovascular disease.
Scientists are learning more about risk factors and potential lifestyle changes that may help prevent dementia. In 2019, a randomized clinical trial showed that intensive high blood pressure control may significantly reduce the buildup of brain white matter lesions and the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment. In addition, a 2020 study found that individuals who made multiple healthy lifestyle choices may have a much lower risk for Alzheimer’s.
CAREGIVERS: Volunteers Assisting the Elderly in Ventura County presented the Norm Weitzel Award at the Evening of Gratitude on May 19 for 2020, 2021 and 2022 to Volunteers Keith York, Carol Boatner and Louise Dunlap in memory of her husband, Jesse Dunlap.
Keith York started volunteering with CAREGIVERS in 1984 and still volunteers to this day, having served in every capacity from Board to Advisory to Honorary. Each year, he donates roses for at least 50 seniors on Valentine’s Day–some of whom have never had a Valentine delivered.
Carol Boatner volunteered with CAREGIVERS for the first 20 years before she joined the staff, helping to pilot one of the original programs that launched more than 1,000 volunteer caregiving organizations throughout the nation. See nvcnetwork.org
Louise Dunlap champions Jesse Dunlap’s legacy with CAREGIVERS to this day. His service began after he retired from the United States Air Force and stepped up as an Assembly Delegate for the Senior Legislature. Jesse was a huge advocate for seniors back when the Silver Tsunami was just a theory. He knew what was ahead and he brought his advocacy and his helping hands to CAREGIVERS, and Louise has continued that support year after year.
Lori Franco, Karen Jensen, Ann Romero and Ginny Camarillo serve as the scholarship selection committee for student volunteers in CAREGIVERS’ Building Bridges Intergenerational Program. Student Engagement Coordinator, Lori Franco, has rebuilt this program using Adult Team Leaders who supervise 2-3 high school students for one-hour visits to do household chores throughout Ventura County.
Recently, CAREGIVERS forged new partnerships with ARC and Cole Vocational Services giving seniors a total of 45 home visits per month, a 225% in service. Adult Team Leaders are needed throughout the County. Scholarship recipient Maria Bernal was not present.
Playing board games can help keep your mind active.
The number of older Americans is rising, so the number of people with dementia is predicted to increase. However, some studies have shown that incidence rates of dementia — meaning new cases in a population over a certain period of time — have decreased in some locations, including in the United States. Based on observational studies, factors such as healthy lifestyle behaviors and higher levels of education may be contributing to such a decline. But the cause and effect is uncertain, and such factors need to be tested in a clinical trial to prove whether they can prevent dementia.
A review of published research evaluated the evidence from clinical trials on behavior and lifestyle changes to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s or age-related cognitive decline. The review found “encouraging but inconclusive” evidence for three types of behavioral changes (called interventions): physical activity, blood pressure control, and cognitive training. The findings mean that interventions in these areas are promising enough that researchers should keep studying them to learn more. Researchers continue to explore these and other interventions to determine whether — and in what amounts or forms — they might prevent dementia.
Although there is no effective treatment or proven prevention for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, in general, leading a healthy lifestyle may help address risk factors that have been associated with these diseases.
Control high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, has harmful effects on the heart, blood vessels, and brain, and increases the risk of stroke and vascular dementia.
Manage blood sugar. Higher than normal levels of blood sugar, or glucose, can lead to diabetes and may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, cognitive impairment, and dementia.
Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases the risk for related health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. Being active and choosing healthy foods can help maintain a healthy weight.
Eat a healthy diet. Aim for a mix of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and seafood, unsaturated fats such as olive oil, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and limit other fats and sugars.
Keep physically active. Physical activity has many health benefits, such as helping to prevent being overweight and having obesity, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
Stay mentally active. Lots of activities can help keep your mind active, including reading, playing board games, crafting or taking up a new hobby, learning a new skill, working or volunteering, and socializing.
Stay connected with family and friends. Connecting with people and engaging in social activities can prevent social isolation and loneliness, which are linked to higher risks for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
Treat hearing problems. Hearing loss may affect cognition and dementia risk in older adults and can make it more difficult to interact with others.
Sleep well. Sleeping well is important for both your mind and body. Try to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Talk with your doctor if you are not getting enough sleep, sleeping poorly, or think you may have a sleep disorder.
Drink less alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to falls and worsen health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, memory loss, and mood disorders. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, recommends that men should not have more than two drinks a day and women only one. Learn more at NIAAA’s Rethinking Drinking website.
Stop tobacco use. At any age, stopping smoking can improve your health and lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and lung disease.
Advance directives go into effect after the person no longer can make decisions on their own.
Many people are unprepared to deal with the legal and financial consequences of a serious illness such as Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Legal and medical experts encourage people recently diagnosed with a serious illness — particularly one that is expected to cause declining mental and physical health — to examine and update their financial and health care arrangements as soon as possible. Basic legal and financial documents, such as a will, a living trust, and advance directives, are available to ensure that the person’s late-stage or end-of-life health care and financial decisions are carried out.
A complication of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and related dementias is that the person may lack or gradually lose the ability to think clearly. This change affects his or her ability to make decisions and participate in legal and financial planning.
People with early-stage Alzheimer’s or a related dementia can often understand many aspects and consequences of legal decision-making. However, legal and medical experts say that many forms of planning can help the person and his or her family address current issues and plan for next steps, even if the person is diagnosed with later-stage dementia.
There are good reasons to retain a lawyer when preparing advance planning documents. For example, a lawyer can help interpret different state laws and suggest ways to ensure that the person’s and family’s wishes are carried out. It’s important to understand that laws vary by state, and changes in a person’s situation — for example, a divorce, relocation, or death in the family — can influence how documents are prepared and maintained. Life changes may also mean a document needs to be revised to remain valid.
Families beginning the legal planning process should discuss their approach, what they want to happen, and which legal documents they’ll need. Depending on the family situation and the applicable state laws, a lawyer may introduce a variety of documents to assist in this process, including documents that communicate:
Health care wishes of someone who can no longer make health care decisions.
Financial management and estate plan wishes of someone who can no longer make financial decisions.
Learn how to get your affairs in order.
Advance Health Care Directives for People with Dementia
Advance directives for health care are documents that communicate a person’s health care wishes. Advance directives go into effect after the person no longer can make decisions on their own. In most cases, these documents must be prepared while the person is legally able to execute them. Health care directives may include the following:
A durable power of attorney for health care designates a person, sometimes called an agent or proxy, to make health care decisions when the person with dementia can no longer do so.
A living will records a person’s wishes for medical treatment near the end of life or if the person is permanently unconscious and cannot make decisions about emergency treatment.
A do not resuscitate order, or DNR, instructs health care professionals not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if a person’s heart stops or if he or she stops breathing. A DNR order is signed by a doctor and put in a person’s medical chart.
The Ventura Senior Men’s Group continues to meet for a social lunch and program at the Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura on the first and third Tuesday each month. Men of all descriptions are always welcomed to stop in to sample our shenanigans. Bob Likins at 805-587-1233 or Rick Follenweider at 650-520-1098 can supply details. Located at
3451 Foothill Rd.
On Thursday, May 19, an Evening of Gratitude was held for volunteers from CAREGIVERS at the Dudley House in Ventura. The event, attended by hundreds, featured recognition of volunteers and students, the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Norm Weitzel awards, lively music by the Riverboat Dixie Jazz Band, Hors d’oeuvres, wine and deserts. Tammy Glenn, Executive Director lead the evening’s proceedings.
CAREGIVERS mission is to promote the health, well-being, dignity, and independence of frail, homebound elders through one-on-one relationships with trusted volunteers. CAREGIVERS programs are carried out by over 300 giving, caring volunteers who are recruited and trained from our local community. They are always in great need of additional volunteers to assist the many more frail, elderly residents who call their office for help. CAREGIVERS makes every effort to “match” a carefully screened and trained volunteer to an elder who needs basic assistance and companionship, in order to foster a long term, one-on-one relationship between them.
The Dudley House is an historic house museum built in 1891 in a Late Victorian-style. Designed and built by local architect and builder Selwyn Shaw, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It is located at 197 N Ashwood Ave,
CAREGIVERS is located at 1765 Goodyear. 805-658-8530
Attendees will learn how research shapes Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatments and care strategies. Speaker Bradley Hiner, MD, Dignity Health, will share the latest updates about current and breaking research, and attendees can learn more about what research participation can look like for people with PD and their care partners. This program is open to people with Parkinson’s, their loved ones, the senior care community, and healthcare service providers.
Learn more and register at: Parkinson.org/Ventura
Attendance is free. Registration is required.
Join the Parkinson’s Foundation to learn how research shapes Parkinson’s disease CPD) treatments and care strategies. Hear the latest updates about current and breaking research from Parkinson’s experts and learn more about what research participation can look like for people with PD and their care partners.
For questions or for help registering, call 702847-6603 or email [email protected].
Join us on Thursday, June 9th, 2022: Online via Zoom 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
In person from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. PT at the Camarillo Community Center, 1605 Burnley Street, Camarillo.
