Beginning Wednesday, September 30, 2009, the Fillmore Senior Center will be offering bridge, cribbage, dominoes, and many other games for seniors to play with their friends. The group will meet in the dining room area from 1 – 4 PM. Stop by beforehand to see all the choices that are available and get a group together. For further information, call the Center at 524-4533.

The Senior Book Club will be meeting in the Senior library on Wednesday, Oct. 21 for their monthly discussion. This month the books will be “DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE” by Isabel Allende and “THE GLASS CASTLE” by Jeanette Walls. Refreshments will be served and all readers are welcome. If you have any questions, call Sarah Hansen. 524-0132.

The newest activity at the Fillmore Senior Center is an afternoon of cards and games each Wednesday from 1 to 4. If you are interested in having a table of bridge, call Game Chairman Neva Picketts 524-7434. Dominoes and other games are also available for a fun filled afternoon. Those wishing to eat lunch at the Center should call ahead and make reservations for food and then be ready to enjoy the Center until 4 p.m.

The Fillmore Senior Center needs volunteers to sit at the “Welcome Desk” from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday thru Friday and assist in the daily activities. Those who are interested in helping should call Vivian Johnson, Volunteer Chairman, 524-0877.

Tai Chi is a great form of non-impact exercise particularly well suited for older individuals. Its movements combine balance, flexibility, aerobic, and toning exercises through slow, graceful actions. Among the benefits reported for seniors are improved coordination; reduced arthritis pain, joint stiffness, and high blood pressure; relief of symptoms of chronic pain, anxiety and depression; maintaining healthy bone density level and improving everyday physical functioning. Practicing tai chi also improves balance in stroke survivors. Classes are held at the Santa Paula Senior Center on Thursdays from 2:00-3:00. The fee is $32 per month. Instructor Clifton Gore has extensive experience teaching Tai Chi to older adults. Sign up now by calling 933-4226 ext 350. The Senior Center is located at 530 W. Main Street.

Ventura, CA - Learn more about prevention as well as the early detection and treatment of colon cancer at a symposium Community Memorial Health System is holding on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Ventura Beach Marriott in Ventura.

This free public education program will run from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Co-sponsors include the American Cancer Society, the Wellness Community and KVTA 1520 News/Talk Radio.

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States in men and women, according to the American Cancer Society, with nearly 150,000 new cases each year. The ACS also says close to 50,000 people die each year from the disease.

Local experts will speak on the following topics:

 Nutrition, physical activity and cancer – Shirley Cox, registered dietician;
 Screening for colon cancer – Benito Pedraza, M.D.;
 Virtual colonoscopy – Irwin Grossman, M.D.;
 Risk factors and genetics – Chirag Dalsania, M.D.;
 Robotic surgical intervention of colon cancer – Constanze Rayhrer, M.D.;
 New advances in systemic therapy of colon cancer – Kevin Chang, M.D.;
 Radiation therapy for colon cancer – Thomas Fogel, M.D.;
 Survivorship care – Lynn Kong, M.D., and Rev. Curtis Hotchkiss.

Space is limited, so call 652-5385 for reservations, or go to www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp.

The Senior Center will host a field trip to the Santa Paula Oil Museum on September 18, 2009 for an art show that includes three Fillmore artists. Works by Judy Dressler, Wana Claussen and Luan Perez will be on exhibit. Following the Oil Museum visit, the group will walk one block to the Santa Paula Depot to view their gallery. The tour will leave Fillmore Senior Center at 1 PM and return after 4 PM. Transportation will be provided. Reservations must be made by calling 524-4533 no later than September 16, 2009.

The Fillmore Senior Center has a few openings in the Beginning Computer class on Tuesdays at 10:30. Users will have the opportunity to learn on new updated computers with Windows XP operating system, purchased by a grant from the City. Basic instruction will cover all aspects of home computer use, including how to produce Microsoft Word documents and file management. Reservations should be made by phoning Gayle Washburn ad 524-7313.

The Fillmore Senior Center will be continuing its popular water color painting class on Monday September 14, 2009 at 9:30. The class will be taught by accredited teacher Martha Binsley, who brings a wealth of experience in Art, Puppetry and multi media materials. Some art supplies are still available at the Center from previous classes. A nominal donation is asked and classes are expected to continue through the balance of the year.

On Wednesday September 9, local seniors will leave for a trip to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History to view the beautiful live butterfly exhibit. Free transportation will be provided. There will be a Museum entrance fee of $7. Interested seniors should call the Senior Center no later than Monday, September 7 to reserve a space. There will be no food stop, so persons are advised to take a snack if needed. Phone to reserve: 524-4533.

The Fillmore Senior Center at 533 Santa Clara Street is one of the designated Cooling Centers for our area. The other place is the Boys and Girls Club. These emergency cooling centers will be opened by the Fire Department and City when temps are 100 and above between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. A sign will be place outside to show the Cooling Center is open. Channel 10 will also provide this information. Ice and cold water will be available for those needing a cool place to rest during the day.

Seniors needing transportation to the Senior Center for emergency cooling may call VISTA at 524-2319 for assistance from their home to the Center and return. Many seniors live without air conditioning and need a cooling place during excessive heat and the Senior Center is open for their use.

The TV, library and other activities will be available for their entertainment while they are there. During the
week, a noon meal will also be served under the senior nutrition program.

Please encourage your family and neighbors to use the emergency cooling center when they need it and assist them in calling the bus for transportation. There is no reason that any senior should develop health problems from
excessive heat.

The Auto Club

LOS ANGELES, CA. – According to a new study released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 95 percent of respondents 55 and older have had one or more medical conditions and 78 percent use one or more medications, yet only 28 percent indicated some awareness of the potential impact on driving performance associated with those medications.

Few respondents (18 percent) had received a warning about potentially driver impairing medications (e.g. ACE inhibitors, sedatives, and beta blockers) from a healthcare professional. Further, the study found that such warnings do not increase with increasing numbers of medications or with increasing numbers of medical conditions. Previous research indicates that use of a single potentially driver impairing medication as well as use of multiple medications increases the risk of being in a crash.

The age range was from 56 to 93 and the level of awareness of potentially driver impairing medications decreased with age, while in contract the number of prescription medications people were taking increased. Of those surveyed, 69 percent currently use one or more prescription potentially driver impairing medication and 10 percent currently use five or more prescription potentially driving impairing medications. CONTINUED »

John Davidson

Ojai, CA - The public is invited to learn more about the latest advances in cataract surgery at a free seminar Community Memorial Health System is holding in Ojai on Saturday, Sept. 12.

John Davidson, M.D., a local ophthalmologist who has performed over 14,000 major eye surgeries, will lead the seminar that will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the Soule Park banquet room at 1033 East Ojai Ave.

Cataract surgery has evolved into a brief, painless, sight-restoring procedure. Dr. Davidson also will discuss a variety of lens options available to patients than can reduce the need for glasses after cataract surgery.

Dr. Davidson practices ophthalmology at the Miramar Eye Specialist Medical Group and is the medical director at TLC Laser Eye Center in Camarillo. He is on staff at Community Memorial Hospital and Ojai Valley Community Hospital in addition to serving as an assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA/Ventura County Medical Center. Dr. Davidson received his medical degree from Indiana University in 1987.

Admission is free, but space is limited, so reservations are suggested. Call 640-2355, or visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp.

The next field trip for the Fillmore Senior Center will be a day at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History to view their exhibit of live butterflies. The Senior Center will provide transportation on Wednesday, September 9th for a day to enjoy seeing butterflies flying in a large screened area and feeding on flowers. The museum entrance fee is $7 for the day. No food will be available, so seniors needing food should take a snack. The cars will be leaving at noon and returning at 4 p.m. Additional details can be secured from the Senior Center.

The exhibit has from 15-20 different species during the display with new specimens being added each week. Visitors can observe the life cycle from Chrysalis to adult butterfly by looking into an emergence chamber in the inside exhibit. This trip will provide a fun day to observe butterflies in close quarters, so wear something bright to attract them to your shoulder.

Reservations for the trip must be made no later than Monday, Sept. 7th by calling the Senior Center, 524-4533.

The Fillmore Senior Center at 533 Santa Clara Street is one of the designated Cooling Centers for our area. The other place is the Boys and Girls Club. These emergency cooling centers will be opened by the Fire Department and City when temps are 100 and above between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. A sign will be place outside to show the Cooling Center is open. Channel 10 will also provide this information. Ice and cold water will be available for those needing a cool place to rest during the day.

Seniors needing transportation to the Senior Center for emergency cooling may call VISTA at 524-2319 for assistance from their home to the Emergency cooling center available Center and return. Many seniors live without air conditioning and need a cooling place during excessive heat and the Senior Center is open for their use.

The TV, library and other activities will be available for their entertainment while they are there. During the
week, a noon meal will also be served under the senior nutrition program. Please encourage your family and neighbors to use the emergency cooling center when they need it and assist them in calling the bus for transportation. There is no reason that any senior should develop health problems from excessive heat.

(Ventura, California) Dealing with dementia will be the focus of a free seminar Community Memorial Health System is sponsoring on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Charles Pankratz, M.D., a Ventura internist who is board certified in hospice and palliative medicine, will lead the discussion during the seminar to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the eighth-floor Nichols Auditorium at Community Memorial Hospital at 147 Brent St. in Ventura.

Dr. Pankratz will discuss the types of dementia and clinical courses available today as well as services and referral processes for hospice. Dr. Pankratz also will cover the Medicare Hospice Benefit for Dementia. With much experience visiting patients in their homes and long-term care facilities, Dr. Pankratz will offer important details on caring for a dementia patient, with a focus on the health, financial and social impacts of the disease. He also will highlight the latest drug treatment available for dementia.

Dr. Pankratz received his medical degree at the University of California at Davis and completed his internship as well as his residency in Internal Medicine at Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. He is a member of the medical staff at Community Memorial Hospital.

Admission is free, but space is limited, so reservations are suggested. Call 652-5436, or visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp.

The Senior Center will have a representative from AARP presenting a Mature Driver Safety Program on July 20 and July 23rd at 10 a.m. both days. After completion of the course, each person receives a certificate to be sent to their auto insurance carrier for a reduced rate on their premium. Tom Montali will be the instructor. The cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. To register call 524-9880 or the Senior Center at 524-4533

The local Senior Center expects to add an “afternoon of cards and games” in the near future. Bridge, dominoes, cribbage and Chinese checkers are a few that will be available. The Center needs to secure at least six card tables to use. Anyone who has a table to donate to the Center should call Marie Wren, 524-4044 or the Senior Center for pickup.
On site noon meals are available at 11:30 a.m. at the Senior Center every Monday to Friday. On Tuesday a salad bar is added for variety. Transportation is provided by calling the Dial A Ride bus 524-2319. For those arriving early the new TV is available with coffee and the library is always open. The piano has recently been tuned and is ready for playing as well as golf, bowling and tennis on the Wii. The Senior Center is a place to being your friends and enjoy new activities.
The new swimming pool is open to seniors on Tuesday and Thursday for low impact exercise from 9-10 a.m. This is City Recreation program with a charge of $5 per visit.
Volunteers are always needed at the Senior Center as new programs are added. They now have a hospitality desk near the front to welcome people each day and help them find interesting activities to fit their needs. Anyone interested in helping at the Hospitality Desk should contact the Center.
All seniors interested in learning computer basics, should call the Center and get on the list. The Senior Center Board recently purchased 8 new computers with an instruction projector to facilitate the class. The Center also has a computer for daily use in their library, so anyone who wants to e-mail or check the Internet may do so between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. at no charge. Fillmore seniors are moving into the next century so come out and join the center to learn new things.

The Auto Club

A new senior safety and mobility Web site, http://www.aaaseniors.com/, has been created by AAA as part of its senior driver safety initiative.

The Web site, which includes content and resources based upon extensive research, provides families of older drivers with valuable information related to senior mobility challenges and tools to help extend safe driving, and assist in difficult discussions about transitioning from driver to passenger.

“According to our research, many adult children of older drivers – the ‘sandwich’ boomers – are unaware that resources exist to effectively address the safety and mobility challenges of senior drivers,” said AAA Vice President of Public Affairs Kathleen Marvaso. “AAASeniors.com gives seniors and their families the tools necessary to create an action plan to help seniors manage the inevitable consequences of aging, continue to drive safely or transition to alternative modes of transportation, and remain independent.” CONTINUED »

The City of Fillmore Fire Department in conjunction with the El Dorado Mobile Home Park will be hosting Mass Casualty Incident training & Basic First Aid training Saturday July 11, 2009 from 10:00AM – 2:00PM at the El Dorado Club House. Training topics to be discussed include mass casualty patient triage & assessment and basic first aid. All Fillmore residents are welcome to attend. Participants will also receive an American Red Cross First Aid Certification free of charge.
On Saturday July 18, 2009 a hands-on exercise will take place at the park including live triage of injured victims, damage assessments and more.
This training opportunity is the beginning of a series of quarterly training and exercises that will be conducted by the City of Fillmore Fire Department in joint effort with the El Dorado Mobile Home Park Block Captain Program. The El Dorado Mobile Home Park Block Captain Program was initiated to aid local emergency personnel in responding to and stabilizing those situations presented by natural disasters at a time where wide-spread disaster has overwhelmed local emergency resources.
In January of 2005, the citizens of the El Dorado Mobile Home Park were victim of several days of torrential rain resulting in the evacuation of parks some 300 coaches. The Block Captain program was later established in hope of providing much needed manpower and continuity between local responders and residents.
For questions pertaining to this training opportunity please call Paul at 805-524-0858 or Patrick at 805-524-1500 ext. 228.