Volunteers Assisting the Elderly, one of 25 original pilot programs launched in 1984, now joins hundreds of volunteer caregiving organizations across the nation in celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Volunteer Caregiving starting in April with National Volunteer Month. (https://nvcnetwork.org/wp/index.php/program-map/)

“It’s comforting to know that there is an entire month dedicated to celebrating and recognizing volunteers,” said Jay Friedman, treasurer for the National Volunteer Caregiving Network. “I chose to give my time to help seniors through Volunteer Caregiving, which is a total contrast to my ‘day-job.’ That’s one of the reasons I enjoy being a volunteer.”

Every week, thousands of volunteer caregivers across the country are lending helping hands to seniors by picking up groceries, providing a ride to the doctor or helping change a light bulb–all at no cost. “Here in Ventura County, we have hundreds of volunteers serving our current enrollment of 500 seniors,” said CAREGIVERS Executive Director Tammy Glenn. “We’re so grateful to the donors who allow us to offer these services at no cost to one of our most vulnerable populations.”

In fact, 10,000 people are turning 65 every day for the next 12 years in the United States, making support for our aging Americans one of the most critical needs of our time. “Opportunities to volunteer with seniors are abundant, and among the most rewarding of all volunteer experiences,” said Inez Russell, president of the Board of Trustees for the National Volunteer Caregiving Network. “I can’t think of a better way to ‘pay it forward’! Plus, we’re all headed in that direction, so now is the time to fuel a culture of care and compassion.”

To that end, Ventura County’s own CAREGIVERS serves seniors over the age of 60 who need a helping hand to remain living independently as they age. The hallmark of Volunteer Caregiving is a one-on-one match, but there are lots of ways to give a couple hours per week and make a difference.

Volunteer Caregiving is a national movement that was launched 35 years ago in 1984 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Faith in Action program. Transportation to medical appointments is one of the most requested needs that helps seniors continue to live independently, with dignity through end-of-life.

For more information, call (805) 658-8530 or visit www.vccaregivers.org to volunteer, donate or refer a senior.

Have you ever asked yourself why you are on the earth? Have you ever asked why you, you very specifically, are alive? Local Ventura County author Fawn Parish has. According to Parish, your story, your past, your personality, your treasure map of life, is intended to outlive you as you embrace another generation into their destiny.

In her book, ‘How To Live A Life That Outlives You’, Parish uses stories to illustrate how everyone can do some simple thing that creates a huge impact in another’s life. And it is easier than you think according to the author.

Parish is bringing this message of hope and inspiration to the upcoming Cypress Place Health and Wealth Expo. The annual event promotes the active and engaging lifestyle of Ventura County seniors. This year’s event features 35 local vendors, as well as Parish as keynote speaker.

In addition to enjoying Parish’s uplifting presentation, attendees can get their blood pressure checked, receive glucose screenings, along with balance and hearing tests. Wealth management and veteran benefit consultants will also be on hand to answer any questions. A free healthy gourmet lunch will also be provided.

Raffle prizes will be given away throughout the event, including one grand prize: a 50’’ HD flat screen TV. Free shuttle parking will also be available at Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura located at 5654 Ralston Street in Ventura.

Corporate sponsors for the event are Mission Home Health, Meditech Health Services, Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association, Buena Vista Hospice and UCLA Health.

For more information or to RSVP, please call 805-650-8000 or visit the Cypress Place website at www.cypressplaceseniorliving.com/events. The Health and Wealth Expo is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, at Cypress Place Senior Living, located at 1200 Cypress Point Lane in Ventura. The event is free and open to the public.

by Genesis staff

Last year marked our silver anniversary; we are pleased to be serving families in Ventura County for over 25 years. We have been fortunate, a fantastic and dedicated staff which allows us to continue to grow in community events and additional insurance contracts to keep reaching families in need. While we continue to utilize the best recovery practices available, we also recognize that there has been a need to respond to the changes in the industry as well as our own company.

We are proud to announce that Athena Naranjo, Genesis Programs Clinical Director is now new owner and leader of Genesis Programs, Inc. She comes with years of experience and dedication and is committed to serving the company and community with excellence.

We are accelerating our efforts to gear up to reach out to our military families through our new contract with Tricare. We are in the final stages of becoming one of the only outpatient treatment providers to except Medi-Cal in Ventura County. In addition, we are in network with Noridian Medicare and working diligently to insure coverage to those eligible for our Over 60 Track. All while we continue to proudly be accredited with the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International (CARF) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).

Please join us April 4th from 3-4:30, at 1732 Palma Dr Ste 208 Ventura, for our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony! Welcoming Athena Naranjo as Genesis’s new owner and to hear more about what Genesis Programs, has planned for the future of Ventura County!

by Thair Phillips President of RetireSafe.

At his campaign rallies, President Trump promised to protect Medicare. But now, his administration is quietly embracing drastic changes that could choke off seniors’ access to lifesaving treatments.

Consider the administration’s new guidance for Medicare Advantage, which enables about 20 million Medicare beneficiaries to obtain subsidized health plans from private insurers. The guidance, which took effect this January, allows insurers to force beneficiaries to try older, low-cost medications before they can access more advanced, expensive drugs.

This callous practice, known as “step therapy,” was previously prohibited in Medicare Advantage because it prevents doctors from prescribing the medicines they feel will work best for each individual. During the months that patients are forced to try older, less effective treatments, their ailments can worsen, causing immense suffering and even premature death.

Administration officials have also proposed weakening key patient protections in Medicare Part D, the popular prescription drug benefit used by 44 million Americans. Right now, all Part D plans must cover all medications in six “protected classes” of therapies — anticonvulsants (epilepsy), antidepressants (mental health), antineoplastics (cancer), antipsychotics (mental health), antiretrovirals (HIV/AIDS), and immunosuppressants (transplants).

When it created the Part D program more than a decade ago, Congress specifically protected these classes to ensure that seniors who battle cancer, HIV/AIDS, depression, and other serious diseases would have a full range of treatment options. It also leveled the playing field by ensuring that all the insurance companies that participated in Part D included medicines associated with expensive diseases in their formulary.

But the administration wants to allow Part D plans to stop covering some of the most critical medications in these classes. It’s no surprise, then, that many of the top medical organizations in the country, including the National Kidney Foundation, the AIDS Institute, and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, have lined up against this proposal.

The administration is also pursuing misguided reforms to Medicare Part B, which covers sophisticated treatments, such as gene therapies and advanced biologics, which must be administered by medical professionals in a healthcare facility. One change could slash reimbursements for some doctors who administer these treatments.

Cutting payments to doctor’s offices and clinics could force many of them to stop treating Medicare patients. The last time authorities substantially cut Part B payments, fully half of community oncologists “reported sending their Medicare patients elsewhere for chemotherapy, primarily to more expensive hospital outpatient infusion centers,” according to a survey conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

For more than half a century, Medicare has helped seniors access the care they need and deserve. Our government promised us that the Medicare taxes, which were deducted from our pay checks every payday, would be used to ensure we had acceptable health care when we retired. Up to this point, especially in Medicare Part B and Part D, that promise has been kept. RetireSafe believes the proposed changes described above break that promise our government made to each of us.

“In 2018, Jim was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Every nine minutes since he was diagnosed, another person received the same devastating news. Unfortunately, each year more and more people are touched by Parkinson’s Disease. A staggering one million people live with PD today in the United States and millions of family members, caregivers, friends and colleagues are impacted as well. The Parkinson’s Foundation is determined to meet the needs of this growing PD community, with better information about care and treatments to live fuller, healthier lives.“ (Parkinson’s Foundation March 14, 2019). April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month – what can you do about it?

Join Sarah Osborne and the Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group on Wednesday April 10th from 1 to 3pm at the Lexington Assisted Living (5440 Ralston St.) to learn more about what the Parkinson’s Foundation’s mission is and what you can do to help impact the future of Parkinson’s Disease. Sarah will also present a recap of some of the important points learned at the Parkinson’s Foundation’s “Exercise and the Brain: The Parkinson’s Connection” symposium held in Camarillo in February. You will learn a lot about the mechanics of how exercise impacts PD and how it can improve your quality of life. Sarah will lead a discussion about the types of exercises, challenges to exercising, and tips for getting started.

Information will also be presented about the Parkinson’s Foundation’s upcoming “Moving Day” event on April 13th at the Ventura Promenade. Find out how you can be a part of this opportunity to bring awareness to Parkinson’s Disease and help bring better treatments, quality of life and hopefully a cure some day!

Sarah Osborne is the Parkinson’s Foundation Community Program Manager for California. She came to the foundation after her younger brother was diagnosed with Young Onset PD at the age of 32. Sarah’s background is in healthcare marketing and she’s currently pursuing a Master of Education with plans to complete a Doctorate of Education soon after. She’s also been teaching Pilates, Yoga and Indoor Cycling with the YMCA since 2007 and believes in the power of movement for people with PD and for everyone!

The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group welcomes the public along with our members, their care-partners and new friends who find themselves navigating the challenges of Parkinson’s Disease and other neurological conditions. Thanks to the generosity of the Lexington Assisted Living, they host their meetings every second Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3pm. There is a drop-off/loading and unloading driveway in the front of the Lexington. Extra parking is graciously available across the street in the Baptist Church parking lot.

Attendees are invited to check in at the front desk for directions to the 3rd floor and sign-in at the meeting so we can keep in touch with you. Reservations are not required. For more information, call Patty at 805-766-6070. The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group is an independent and volunteer-organized group, not affiliated with or a part of any other organization or group.

The Ombudsman Program of Ventura County is looking for volunteers in the Ventura/Oxnard area to advocate for older, and dependent adults, living in long-term care facilities such as skilled nursing and assisted living facilities for the elderly.

Did you know that 60% of all older adult residents in skilled nursing facilities have no family or friends to speak for them? Join this program and make a difference in the lives of the forgotten, vulnerable older adults in the Ventura and Oxnard communities.

For more information about the next training, please call Kathy Terry at Long Term Care Services of Ventura County, Inc., Ombudsman Program at 805-656-1986, and/or visit www.ombudsmanventura.org.

Who loves bingo? Everyone loves bingo! Play at the Ventura Avenue Adult Center; all residents over the age of 18 are welcome! Bingo with a 50 cent buy-in! For more information contact 805-648-3035. Mondays & Fridays, 12:30-3:30 pm. Ventura Avenue Adult Center located at 550 N. Ventura Ave.

Cypress Place senior living community is pleased to announce the 11th annual Health and Wealth Expo. The annual event promotes the active and engaging lifestyle of Ventura County seniors. This year’s event features 35 local vendors as well as local author, Fawn Parish as keynote speaker.

The Health and Wealth Expo is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, at Cypress Place, located at 1200 Cypress Point Lane in Ventura. The event is free and open to the public.

Over the last 11 years, the expo has featured speakers with incredible stories that inspire seniors across the area. This year’s event will be no different, as local author Fawn Parish presents her book, “Living a Life that Outlives You.” Parish is the author of eight books that aim to inspire. She is also a documentary filmmaker and storyteller whose work has been seen in many countries around the world.

Parish will share practical, do-it-right-now ideas on how to find purpose in your life, no matter your age.

In addition to enjoying Parish’s uplifting presentation, attendees can get their blood pressure checked, receive glucose screenings, along with balance and hearing tests. Wealth management and veteran benefit consultants will also be on hand to answer any questions. A free healthy gourmet lunch will also be provided.

Raffle prizes will be given away throughout the event, including one grand prize: a 50’’ HD flat screen TV. Free shuttle parking will also be available at Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura located at 5654 Ralston Street in Ventura.

Corporate sponsors for the event are Mission Home Health, Meditech Health Services, Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association, Buena Vista Hospice and UCLA Health.

For more information or to RSVP, please call 805-416-8793 or visit the Cypress Place website at www.cypressplaceseniorliving.com/events.

Cypress Place offers residents a variety of amenities, activities and residential living options. In addition to maintenance-free independent living apartments, residents have access to graduating levels of care, including assisted living and memory care. For more information, call 805-293-4708 or visit cypressplaceseniorliving.com.

Exercise is good for almost everyone, but there are so many things that can get in the way of staying active. It’s time for some positive thinking. No more excuses!

Older woman holding an exercise ball in a group exercise class

Here are some tips to help you overcome those barriers and improve your health.

Try exercising first thing in the morning. Combine physical activity with a task that’s already part of your day, such as walking the dog or doing household chores. If you don’t have 30 minutes to be active, look for three 10-minute periods. As you progress, add more 10-minute sessions until you hit your goal!

Make exercise interesting and enjoyable. Do things you enjoy, but pick up the pace and try new activities to keep your interest alive. Being creative about your physical activity plans and regularly trying new forms of exercise prevent boredom. If you can stick with it for at least 6 months, it’s a good sign that you’re on your way to making physical activity a regular habit.

No more excuses: overcome exercise barriers infographic icon. Click through for full text

Read and share this infographic for tips to help you overcome exercises barriers like not having time or being too tired.

Being active doesn’t have to cost a thing! All you need for brisk walking is a pair of comfortable, non-skid shoes. For strength training, you can save money by making your own weights using soup cans or water bottles. Check with your local parks and recreation department or senior center about free or low-cost exercise programs in your area.

Regular, moderate physical activity can help reduce fatigue and even help you manage stress. Exercise can also reduce feelings of depression, while improving your mood and overall emotional well-being. Once you become active, you’re likely to have more energy than before. As you do more, you also may notice that you can do things more easily, faster, and for longer than before.

Be sure to choose exercises from each of the four types: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility.

by Stacey Burling

There are good reasons that older people fear hip fractures. They can remember the days when a broken hip was often the beginning of the end. Even today, up to 30 percent of seniors who break a hip are dead in a year. Many others never get around quite as well as they did before, which could make the difference between living at home or in assisted living, or even a nursing home.

Yet until recently, doctors often took a fairly leisurely approach to fixing broken hips. Patients would wait in bed for two or three days for surgery while doctors carefully evaluated their other medical problems. Now, spurred by research that found better results with shorter delays, hospitals are creating special programs to get more hip-fracture patients into the operating room within 24 hours or less of entering the hospital. A clinical trial in Canada is testing whether surgery within six hours should be the goal. Run by a cardiologist, this trial, known by the acronym HIP ATTACK, is treating hip-fracture victims with the kind of urgency that is now the norm for heart attack and stroke patients.

Hospitals in the Philadelphia region haven’t gone that far yet, but several have created special programs to expedite care for older patients with fragile bones, whose frailty makes prolonged bed rest especially dangerous. Among them are Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Temple University Hospital, Einstein Medical Center, and Bryn Mawr Hospital. The multidisciplinary programs also work with patients before they leave the hospital to discuss how to strengthen bones or prevent more falls.

Almost everyone who breaks a hip will get some kind of surgical repair, surgeons said. The question is when.