Longtime Moving Seniors Forward member Eileen Gould of Eileen Gould Design & Construction and Michelle Rogers, Community Services manager at Camarillo Health Care District, were the featured speakers at the organization’s monthly meeting on July 24.
With more than three decades in the design-build space, Gould, based in Westlake Village, shared her storied history as the first woman builder in Ventura County and the Greater Los Angeles area. She does residential and commercial work, as well as projects that help seniors age in place. Over the years, she has won the Women’s Referral Service Award, Designer Appreciation Award by the L.A. Mart, Best of Ventura in 2016, and was the L.A. Mart Furniture Association Winner. She has held professional board positions at Learning Tree University and Casa Pacifica, and has volunteered at charitable organizations, including Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Learn more about her services on her website.
Rogers focused on Camarillo Health Care District’s dementia specialty services and shared information about how members could become Dementia Friendly certified through Dementia Friendly Ventura County and how staff could become a certified Dementia Friend.
The District, which is Dementia Friendly certified, supports family caregivers with its “Dealing with Dementia” workshop and “Dementia Live” simulation experience. Both are designed to provide support to those caring for loved ones with dementia, as well as themselves. The workshop helps family caregivers gain a better understanding of the disease, utilize strategies to effectively manage problem behaviors, and handle caregiver stress and burnout. The interactive simulation immerses participants, oftentimes family caregivers, into life with dementia, resulting in a deeper understanding of what it’s like to live with cognitive impairment and sensory changes.
She also spoke about the District’s Adult Day Center, which is designed for socialization, mental and physical enrichment and recreation for all abilities, including adults who could benefit from additional care during the day due to health conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and stroke.
For more information on joining Moving Seniors Forward, a community resource group based in Ventura County, call 805-558-8157 or email movingseniorsforward@gmail.com.
