Life can get busy, and it’s easy for things like annual checkups to slip to the bottom of the to-do list. But taking time for preventative care is one of the most important ways to stay healthy —helping to identify concerns early and keep you on track toward your wellness goals.

We celebrate older adults every day — they are always in our hearts and on our minds. May, recognized as Older Americans Month, gives us a special opportunity to shine a light on their contributions, reflect on their impact, and highlight ways we can support their health and well-being.

(Note: Please enjoy one of the stories we will feature in our spring edition of Healthy Attitudes magazine, which is mailed to households within the District. If you live outside the District and would like to receive the magazine in the mail, please email info@camhealth.com.)

What’s the secret to a longer more fulfilling life?

The Camarillo Health Care District will hold its inaugural Family Caregiver Symposium: “The Power of Care,” taking place on Tuesday, Dec. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Ventura County Office of Education, 5100 Adolfo Road, in Camarillo.

Caregiving is hard. No one should have to do it alone.

Camarillo Health Care District will help local older adults, age 62 and up, some of whom may have limited mobility, go on virtual adventures while getting exercise thanks in part to a community development block grant from the city of Camarillo.

Caregiving has many faces. It can be a teenage or adult child caring for the parent, a partner or spouse caring for their loved one, a grandparent caring for a grandchild, and so on.  Each situation is different, bringing its own unique challenges. 

The Camarillo Health Care District Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Blair Barker, CSDM, MPH, as the District’s next Chief Executive Officer, succeeding longtime CEO Kara Ralston, who has served the Camarillo community since 1998, specifically as CEO since 2015.

Animals can speak with their whole bodies.  From an energetic wag, to a nudge of a nose, or a flick of an ear, animals can communicate. Are we willing to listen?

At 104 years old, Siebert knows how to have a good time! The Chicago native met and married his wife, Shirlee, shortly after World War II. They raised two sons near Los Angeles and moved to Camarillo three decades ago to enjoy their retirement. He attributes his long life and 72 years of marriage to staying socially connected and enjoying life. Although he studied to become a teacher, he served as…

We know that having connections with others improves our quality of life and sense of well-being.  So, it only makes sense that listening to personal stories from our neighbors can be a source of inspiration, bring comfort, foster empathy and serve as a way to engage and connect while helping us to understand our own lives.

May is Older Americans Month, so let's celebrate by recognizing the contributions of our older citizens and connecting with them on a deeper level.

There are at least six lifestyle choices you can make for healthy aging, and you are probably doing most of them already. Knowing how important they are, however, may make you feel better about it.

The VR Activity Club is tons of fun and designed to encourage socialization, reduce symptoms of depression and create a sense of belonging.   Each club activity offers the opportunity for social connections through the use of virtual reality accompanied by in-person activities.

The digital age has literally changed the way we experience life, and now, thanks to virtual reality (VR), even travel has changed! 

Imagine pedaling a bicycle across different landscapes, with three friends, but in the safety of an indoor chair!  That’s exactly what Camarillo Health Care District’s new “Off to the Races and More” virtual reality (VR) class offers.  This introductory VR class incorporates seated cycling with virtual traveling. (See class dates and times here.)

Calling all those advancing the health and wellness of Ventura County residents – please join the Ventura County 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment effort by participating in a health needs survey at https://bit.ly/4gJMDz6

Clients in Camarillo Health Care District’s award-winning Adult Day Center look forward to spending time in a warm, inviting and home-like setting where activities are designed for socialization, mental and physical enrichment, recreation for all abilities, and most of all fun! 

As Dot Damon’s parents grew older and faced health issues, juggling her three primary roles as daughter, nurse and caregiver became challenging. Pattie Braga found herself in a similar position when her father had a stroke. Navigating those times with love, patience and understanding helped them through it, but it wasn’t easy.

We met Janet, Charlie, Gunther, Sheldon, Elisabeth, Jeannine, Lois. One participant exclaimed, “This is trippy!” Another cooed back with the chirping birds.

Meaning “magic table” in Dutch, the Tovertafel table is the District’s latest innovation tool offered in the Adult Day Center.  The Magic Table program is an award-winning system that has become a tool in more than 10,000 dementia care communities worldwide, and Camarillo Health Care District is the first to acquire and use it in California!

The Camarillo Health Care District has been awarded the Innovative Program of the Year Award for its BALANCEfit and POWERfit Fall Prevention programming from the California Special Districts Association. This is its second consecutive win for innovation and fourth time in nine years in the category of small district.

The Adult Day Center at Camarillo Health Care District was filled with oohs, ahhs and gentle cooing as fluffy tales wagged and gazes met.

At the glorious age of 100, Libby is fiercely independent. She manages her finances, schedules appointments, and has an active social life, affectionately dubbed by neighbors as the mayor of the block she lives on. There is just one thing holding her back from being completely independent.

For the last 50 years, Kay has kept handwritten letters, photographs, notes, maps and news clippings of her special friendship with Irmi, which developed while she was a foreign exchange student in Austria and spanned decades.  She then used the digital scrapbooking class offered at Camarillo Health Care District to help build a photobook and tell this beautiful story.

Life doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes we could use a little help getting around, either a hand up, an arm to lean on ... or even someone to drive us to medical service appointments! 

Jo is the caregiver for her husband and has attended the District’s Caregiver Support Group for about eight years. When they started their life together in 1966, Jo and Tony’s “golden years” seemed far, far away. Now 57 years and a dementia diagnosis later, it seems as if the years flew by.  “Tony is always on my mind,” Jo says. “This seems like a new marriage and am still learning how much…

Anyone can become a target of a scam. In 2022, the FBI received reports totaling more than $207 billion in financial losses from victims, But those numbers are likely much higher as many people don’t report being victims of fraud, and often feel embarrassed and ashamed to tell their families, report it to the FBI or share their stories.

Imagine balancing yourself on one leg while using two drumsticks to select your answers on an electrified board game designed to improve your cognition and reduce your fall risk, in a dress suit with heels.

The Camarillo Health Care District works diligently to provide information, education, and resources on a variety of topics.  This new SCAM ALERT column will offer information on how to recognize and avoid being scammed.

Asha spent much of her career working in medical technology and research. When she retired, she didn’t imagine herself in the role of family caregiver – or at least not yet.

Note: As of May 2024, Autism Society of Ventura County's office hours on our campus are on  pause.

Digital technology can be confusing at any age and especially when you switch from an Android device to an Apple product. Just ask Jessie. The 85-year-old Camarillo resident was having a heck of a time because she had an iPhone watch and a Samsung smartphone, and they couldn’t “talk” to each other because they weren’t using the same operating system.

The Camarillo Health Care District has been awarded the 2023 Innovative Program of the Year Award for its “Adventures in VR” programming from the California Special Districts Association. This is the third time in eight years the District has received the accolade in the category of small district.

Bethe and Tim Sullivan married in 1987 and moved to Camarillo from Boston 11 years later. They raised a family, had fulfilling careers, and settled into the next chapter of their lives enjoying a long-deserved retirement. But in January of this year, Tim received a diagnosis that would change their journey, for the rest of their lives.

Most questions merely seek information, but sometimes they can be perceived as a challenge to authority.  “Information gathering” quests (AKA questions) require courage and respect from all sides. The person asking has to understand how it might be perceived, and the one “being questioned” has to understand that the questions are probably not a challenge.  

Camarillo Health Care District will help local older adults, age 62 and up who are homebound or have limited mobility, go on virtual travel adventures thanks in part to a community development block grant from the city of Camarillo.

The District is pleased to work with the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging (VCAAA) through the Older Adult Recovery & Resilience (OARR) program. 

Dr. Stan Frochtzwajg, a family doctor and former chief medical officer at Community Memorial Healthcare, offered a free presentation on July 20, 2023. His talk, “How to choose a physician to be your partner in care,” focused on how you can get the best medical care you can by advocating for yourself. 

Michelle Rogers, community outreach and education manager at Camarillo Health Care District, completed the extensive curriculum of Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA). 

Four Ventura County residents shared their journeys as caregivers April 20, 2023, at the Camarillo Library as part of an event co-organized by the Camarillo Health Care District and library.

Dr. Ryan Quinn, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip and knee arthritis and practices at Ventura Orthopedics in Camarillo and Oxnard, shared an informative presentation noon-1 p.m. Thursday, April 20, 2023, at the Camarillo Health Care District.

Laura and Rosanne’s mother loves hugs. A mother of three and grandmother of six, Carol enjoys children and is an animal lover and proud cat mom.  Thriving on structure and very much accustomed to organizing her days and time, Carol’s dementia diagnosis now has her leaning on family for support.

Patricia, a special education administrator in Van Nuys, retired in July 2021 and moved to Camarillo to be closer to her son. At 80 years old, she became an avid walker, putting in 3 to 4 miles a day. But while walking alone one day last September, she tripped on the sidewalk and fell, and had to be rushed to the hospital.

The District’s new “Adventures in VR” classes sold out very quickly when we first offered them in fall 2022! Nearly 75 people enjoyed an immersive, 3-D journey by sea and land and as of November 2023 that number has grown to 300. Feedback from participants has been so positive that 19 new classes were added in the first quarter of the new year, including space for independent adventures.

Veteran journalist Michelle Rogers joins the Camarillo Health Care District.

United States Army veteran and long-time Camarillo resident (since 1944), Marty Daly has spent his entire career serving in the Camarillo and Oxnard areas.  Mr. Daly worked in banking for 42 years including as President and CEO of Channel Islands National Bank.  During those four decades, Mr. Daly was involved in countless banking, civic, church and other community boards and service committees…

Since the onset of the pandemic virus that causes COVID-19, the number of clients in the Home Delivered Meal program has more than doubled in size, growing from over 200 to nearly 450 clients, and is now serving more than 7,000 meals each month.  The District is grateful for the partnership with Pleasant Valley Recreation & Parks District, and the support of the City of Camarillo and Ventura…

We’re pleased to introduce the new look of the Care-a-Van vehicles!  The final phase of refreshing the District’s logo and appearance is now complete.  As you may recall, the District celebrated 50 years of service last year, and embarked on a multi-phased project to refresh the logo, the buildings and the vehicles.  Transportation services are available during the health crisis.  Temperature…

The Camarillo Health Care District's “Partnership to Improve Transitions” collaborative with Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) has received the California Special Districts Association’s 2019 Innovative Program of the Year Award at the recent annual conference in Sacramento where more than 850 attendees representing all types of special districts convened. Camarillo Health Care District's Partnership…

Camarillo Health Care District CEO Kara Ralston received the General Manager of the Year Award recently from the California Special Districts Association (CSDA).  The award was presented during CSDA's annual conference, where more than 850 trustees and leaders of special districts attended several days of educational and leadership sessions.  Awards were presented to districts and individuals in…

Actor, comedian, author, and producer Dick Van Dyke was the surprise keynote speaker at the District’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Mr. Van Dyke spoke about his life, career, and the aging process, referencing anecdotes from his book “Keep Moving: And Other Tips & Truths About Aging”. The District enthusiastically applauds the army of volunteers who make a difference in the community by…

Kara Ralston Honored for Leadership, Leads Camarillo Health Care District to Award-Winning Status

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif., February 18, 2016 – Rodger “Rod” Brown, MBA, President of the Board of Directors of the Camarillo Health Care District (District), was awarded Director of the Year by the Ventura County Special District Association (VCSDA) at its recent annual meeting. This award acknowledges Mr. Brown’s outstanding service to the citizens of the Greater Camarillo Area. Mr. Brown has served…

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif., October 20, 2015 – The California Special Districts Association (CSDA), during the association’s Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase, awarded the Camarillo Health Care District (District) with the Innovative Program of the Year Award for a small district for the Building Hope Adult Day Center (Center) which was honored as a leader of pivotal change to the service model…