The VCAAA’s Information & Assistance (I&A) team is on the front lines of the Agency, taking all incoming calls and assisting the public with a variety of resources, which include:
Housing
Transportation
Caregiver Support
Food and Meal Assistance
Case Management
Emergency Assistance
Referrals
The I&A team is a crucial link for persons aged 60 and over, people with disabilities, and their caregivers. Our staff will refer all callers to the appropriate programs and services in their communities that can help address a variety of situations.
“Perhaps using a smartphone would be a better way to reach the doc?”
If scheduling a virtual doctor’s appointment sounds great — except for figuring out the technology involved — know that a few key tips can make the process a lot less daunting. First, you’ll need to decide if you want to do so with a mobile phone, tablet or computer. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, and with any, you’ll want to do a trial run a few days before your appointment. Here’s the basic 411 on each.
1. Using a smartphone
Pros: It’s a mobile device, so you can easily show your doctor a rash, for instance — or take a picture of it and easily send it to your doctor prior to your appointment. In addition, you can “see” your doctor when you’re away from home. Since video and audio components are built in, a mobile phone is pretty simple to use. “You don’t have to worry about the microphone settings because the audio is always on,” explains Matthew Faiman, M.D., medical director of Express Care Online at the Cleveland Clinic.
Cons: You’ll need to download an app or two, which can be a little more complicated. You might need to download the Zoom (videoconferencing service) app, the MyChart electronic medical records app or your hospital’s app. In some cases, your doctor’s office will send you an email with a link to download an app that they use for videoconferencing or medical records. Otherwise, you can go to your hospital’s website and click on a link to download the app.
You can also search for the MyChart app or other apps you need in the App Store (for Apple devices) or Google Play store (for Android devices). If you have an iPhone, you’ll click the Get button to download the app. Depending on your phone’s settings, you may need to log in with your Apple ID to start the download. Afterward, you’ll click the Install button. If you have an Android device, you’ll click on Install, then on the Open button. The first time you use a MyChart app, you’ll be prompted to select your hospital and create an account. Once you have an account, you can use the app to launch a video visit, schedule an appointment and view your medical information.
How to download the MyChart mobile app (available for both Android and Apple)
Other disadvantages: The smartphone screen is small, so it may be difficult to see your doctor’s face, and your doctor may not be able to share medical images with you. Also, some people have trouble hearing their doctors on a smartphone. That can be even more difficult if you receive a phone call during your visit. (If you have an iPhone, you’ll need to go to Settings and turn on Do Not Disturb.) Some people walk around with their phone, but “it helps if you’re seated and the screen isn’t moving” during appointments, says Susan Bailey, M.D., an allergist and immunologist and president of the American Medical Association. Finally, a smartphone isn’t hands-free; you may need to prop it up during the appointment. Fortunately, there are kickstands for smartphones.
How to make it work: You’ll need a 3G (third generation) smartphone or a more recent model, Faiman says. Consider using your home Wi-Fi instead of cellular data because the connection will be more reliable and less expensive. The internet speed should be at least 5 megabits per second (Mbps). Ask family members to minimize their use of devices during your appointment.
To use an app, your smartphone must meet certain system requirements. For instance, the MyChart app requires iOS 11.0 or later for Apple devices (and 3.0 or later for the Apple watch). Many hospital apps require 5.0 and higher for Android devices.
2. Using a tablet
Pros: Like a smartphone, a tablet is mobile, and the video and audio components are built in. The screen and keyboard are larger, though, and you can increase the size of the type. “The iPad was built for telemedicine,” says Paul Testa, M.D., chief medical information officer and assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at New York University (NYU) Langone Health.
Cons: Apps may be challenging to download the first time you try. In addition, it can be difficult to figure out where the camera is on a tablet — and where to look during a visit. If you’re holding a tablet horizontally, the camera is on the left. It’s best to use the device in portrait mode (vertically) so you’re looking straight at the camera.
3. Using a desktop computer or laptop
Pros: For some, the familiarity with a desktop computer or laptop outweighs the advantages of using a mobile device for a virtual visit. The screen is large, which affords good views of your doctor and allows him or her to share medical images with you, such as X-rays or ultrasounds. The camera is in the middle of the monitor, so it’s easy to know where to look. In addition, the audio may be better quality than that of a smartphone.
Cons: You can’t move a desktop computer to a location with more privacy — and you can’t use it when you’re away from home. In addition, if your computer monitor doesn’t have a built-in web camera, microphone and speakers, you’ll need to purchase them. Also, starting a virtual visit involves multiple steps.
How to make it work: For the most reliable connection, your computer should be hardwired to the internet, meaning that it’s connected to your home router via an Ethernet cable. With a wired connection, data is transmitted over cable instead of wireless signals.
CAPS Media returns with its long running video voter series. Every election season for over a decade caps produces and broadcasts informative videos about state and local propositions, informative videos and our video voter series to inform the public and help get out the vote for the upcoming election. Our video voter 2020 series features ventura city council and ventura unified school board candidates. The individual videos provide viewers and voters the opportunity to hear first-hand from candidates about their concerns, views and plans for the future. CAPS is dedicated to providing the community with as much information as possible so they can make informed choices in the selection of ventura city council and vusd board members. Stay tuned for broadcast information of this landmark program.
For the county, CAPS is producing a series of voter awareness videos to inform the public on the realities and changes of the election process this year. First and foremost is getting out the message that voting by mail is safe. The fact is that Ventura County has been using vote by mail for years – and it has always been safe and secure. The change this year is that every registered voter in the county is receiving a ballot in the mail. In the past only those who requested a mail-in ballot received one. The change is driven in part by the Covid 19 crisis. Vote by mail allows everyone to stay safe at home and still vote. Other changes explained in the CAPS video series include the fact that once they send in their ballot, voters can go to wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov and track the ballot every step of the way, seeing when it is received and counted in the county election headquarters.
The county campaign also includes videos on key dates: October 2nd – when all ballots are mailed, October 27th – the last day to request a ballot and November 3 – the last day to have ballots postmarked to be counted. Other videos identify the locations for ballot drop boxes throughout the county and in-person voting. All videos are airing on CAPS channel 6, stream online at capsmedia.org, county websites and posted on CAPS and county facebook sites and numerous other social media platforms.
In other news, the El Camino High School media program (ECTV) is in full-swing with innovative distance learning utilizing the caps media center. Mentor/instructor/media guru Phil Taggart has devised an extremely clever program for teaching media production to his ECTV students. Sitting in the CAPS conference room, an ECTV student conducts an interview with a guest who is seated in the CAPS Media studio – socially distanced away on the other side of the media center. At the same time the remainder of the ECTV crew can view and interact via zoom from home. The students then edit from home and deliver the complete projects for broadcast.
Due to the Covid-19 emergency the CAPS Media center is closed to members and the public until january. CAPS member/producers can submit programming via the online portal at capsmedia.org for broadcast and streaming on caps public access television channel 6 and on CAPS radio kppq 104.1fm.
All of us at CAPS Media hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this challenging time.
Most East Venturans won’t be able to vote for City Council and School Board races this fall, but what happens on these two elected bodies affects all Venturans. Ventura City Council Districts 2, 3 and 7 and Ventura Unified School District 3 will be on the ballot for the November election.
All the candidates are invited to come speak to the East Ventura Community Council on Thursday, September 17th.
You will first need to download the Zoom app on your desktop or smart phone. You do not need an account. If you miss the meeting, you can always view later on the website www.eastventura.org.
The meeting will start promptly at 7 p.m.
For more information, contact EVCC Chair Marie Lakin at [email protected]
It’s back to school and Ventura County Library now offers Brainfuse HelpNow eLearning for all ages and levels.
Homework Help – Interact with live tutors in math, science, reading/writing, social studies, PSAT/SAT, ACT, AP and state standardized tests.
Personalized eLearning Tools – My File Sharing, My Session Replay, My Tutoring Archive, My Tests Archive, and more!
24-Hour Writing Lab – Submit essays and other forms of writing for constructive feedback.
Adult Learning Center – Access a library of rich adult learning content (GED) and live, professional assistance in resume/cover letter writing, U.S. citizenship prep, MS Office Essential Skills Series, and more!
Foreign Language Lab /Spanish-Speaking Support
Begin now at https://landing.brainfuse.com/authenticate.asp?u=main.venturacounty.ca.brainfuse.com
Ventura County Library has a Minecraft Server. VCL’s server will be a fun opportunity for open and collaborative Minecraft building for youth ages 10-17.
Minecraft is a sandbox construction game. You use blocks to create just about anything imaginable. You can go the Minecraft Wiki to read up on the game.
To join in on the fun, participants must have parental permission and own a personal Minecraft Java Edition license and use Minecraft Version 1.16.1. Please send your request to join to the Minecraft Librarian (link sends e-mail). Verified participants will be “Allow Listed”, thereby granted permission to access the server.
Rosh Hashanah for the year 2020 starts on the evening of Friday, September 18th ending the 2-day celebration at sundown on Sunday, September 20. For the Jewish calendar night begins before day, thus the holiday or festival begins on the sunset of the previous day.
Rosh Hashanah celebrates the Jewish New Year for Jewish Americans. Rosh Hashanah begins on the first day of the seventh month in the Jewish calendar. The Day of Remembrance or the Day of Blowing the Shofar are other names for this holiday. Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah are the two most important days of atonement that most practicing Jews will observe in the calendar year.
Why do Jewish holidays start at nighttime? According to the Torah, the story of creation in Genesis says “And it was evening, and it was morning day one”, “And it was evening, and it was morning; the second day”, thus night comes before day. So, for the Jewish calendar all days begin at nightfall and end the next day at nightfall including holidays.
Days to the start of Rosh Hashanah 2020. Saturday, September 19th is day number 263 of the 2020 calendar year with 12 days until the start of the 2 day celebration/ observance of Rosh Hashanah 2020.
The National Association of Realtors® has selected 10 Realtors®, including Ventura-area Realtors® Eric & Janet Baucom, as finalists for its 2020 Good Neighbor Awards. This award recognizes Realtors® who have donated time, money and passion to enrich the lives of people in their communities through impactful volunteer work.
Cofounders of Project Bicycle Love, the Baucoms have donated 350 bikes and helmets to foster and low-income children and to teenagers who lack a means of transportation to work. Learn more at magazine.realtor/EricJanetBaucom.
“Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, Eric & Janet Baucom have continued to help their neighbors in impactful and inspiring ways,” said NAR President Vince Malta, broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in San Francisco, CA. “I am so proud to honor Eric, Janet and all of this year’s Good Neighbor Award finalists for their outstanding volunteer work and for exemplifying everything we strive to be as Realtors® and as engaged, compassionate members of a community.”
In the coming weeks, five winners will be selected by a multi-stage, criteria-based judging process. Winners will receive a $10,000 grant and national media exposure for their community charity, including a feature in the November/December issue of REALTOR® Magazine. The winners will also be recognized at the virtual REALTORS® Conference & Expo this November, while five honorable mention selections will receive a $2,500 grant for their respective nonprofit organizations.
The public is invited to weigh in on the 10 finalists at realtor.com/goodneighbor until October 2, as a $2,500 award will go to the top vote-getter and the second and third place winners will each earn $1,250. These ‘Web Choice Favorites’ along with the five judged winners will be announced on October 6.
The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
No marker graces his grave. A school rests over his burial site but the man should be remembered. His name was Ramon “Natcho” Rodriguez. He was the owner of the Rancho Canada de San Miguel, an 8887 acre spread granted to him in 1846 by Mexican Governor Pio Pico. The ranch encompassed much of the Ventura River mouth and valley, Vineyards, orchards and cattle ranges made it a prosperous for Ramon, his wife Juana and his three sons. He built a large two-story adobe. He hired Emideo Ortega as his Major Domo, Ranch Foreman. The future looked promising for the rancher. This was a great time for California. The discovery of gold caused men to come from all over to try their luck in the gold field. The price of beef skyrocketed and ranch owners became wealthy. But some of the people who came were not good people and crime flourished.
In 1849 nine British sailors jumped ship and turned to a life of crime. Why dig for gold when they could rob people and take their gold? If they resisted–simply kill them. They rode south leaving a trail of dead in their wake. At San Miguel mission, now being used as an Inn, they robbed the place and killed all thirteen people staying at the old mission, men, women and children. The massacre galvanized the citizens as the gang rode south towards Los Angeles. Posses were formed at ever community to stop the killers. Ramon Rodriguez answered the call and volunteered for a posse at San Buenaventura. They went north and near Summerland, at Ortega Hill, they engages in a long gunfight that ended in the surf. Four of the gang, including the leader were killed. Ramon was badly wounded and died as they returned him to Ventura.
He was given a funeral Mass and buried in the Mission Cemetery. A stone marker once marked the grave of the first Ventura peace officer to fall in the line of duty. Now the Holy Cross school was built on the site. The five surviving English gang members were given a trial in Santa Barbara and sentenced to death. Shot by firing squad on de la Guerra Street. The sacrifice of Ramon “Natcho” Rodriguez should be remembered with a plaque or marker to this brave man. Maybe a statue should be put up to honor him and the others who still rest under the old school next to the Mission Church.
When Jennifer Thompson was 10 years old, she got her first cat, Cassie. Cassie was loved for 19 years, and now she lives on in Cassie’s Cats.
Fast forward a few years to 2006, a friend of Thompson’s found an abandoned litter of kittens and brought them to her. “I had no idea what to do! I did a lot of Googling and gave myself a crash course on caring for orphaned newborn kittens. I raised those kittens successfully and got all four adopted out.” Since then she has fostered almost 50 cats and kittens, 15 so far in 2020.
She has an ambitious dream to accomplish this. “Cassie’s Cats will be a lounge and adoption center in Ventura. The idea of “cat cafes” is catching on in this country as spaces for people to come relax and hang out with cats. Giving cats a space that is more like a normal home environment helps them relax and allows their real personalities to emerge. This will also allow prospective adopters to get to know the cats and visit with them in a comfortable environment.”
Thompson, 49, has lived in Ventura almost 15 years. She has been a teacher and a college counselor. “My whole life has been spent in ‘helping’ professions and having meaningful work in my life is important. Saving cats and kittens fits right in.”
A diagnosis of breast cancer in 2014 “… was a transformative experience in so many ways and I think it helped give me the courage to create the life I wanted for myself and make changes instead of always playing it safe.”
Currently she is building a support base to raise awareness and funds. She uses social media to publicize photos of fosters, fundraisers, and updates.
Including merchandise. “We have all kinds of handmade items in our online shop – toys for cats, note cards featuring original watercolor paintings, cat-themed jewelry, and masks made with whimsical cat print fabrics! My mom has even been helping from afar, sewing dozens of masks for us to use in our fundraisers. We’re selling t-shirts and sweatshirts too in a variety of designs on the fundraising site Bonfire.com. The response to all of these fundraisers has been fantastic so far! We are so heartened by the support our community is already showing for our organization.”
