Local Pride. Community Proud. Right Here in PHL

An open letter to the LGBT community:

If you don’t think “ally” when you think AARP, then you don’t know AARP.

We’re more than just discounts and we’re more than just an organizations based in the nation’s capitol.

We are local pride, community proud.

From Pride Fest to Philadelphia Outfest, we’re in local communities to meet you where you are. To not only have fun, but to connect one-on-one and learn about issues that are important to you.

Issues like caregiving. AARP staff and volunteers heard time and time again that many members of the LGBT community were concerned about healthcare, particularly the inclusion of a caregiver from their “family of choice.”

On September 26, AARP collaborated with  SAGE to host a  networking mixer in Philly’s Gayborhood to talk about caregiving and how the CARE Act which goes into effect in 2017 could help caregivers support their loved ones. This includes a provision that would allow a patient to designate a caregiver, regardless of their relation to patient, so that the caregiver is informed and is given instruction of medical tasks – such as medication management, injections, wound care, and transfers – so that the caregivers can perform these tasks at home.

This networking mixer was a great opportunity for caregivers in the LGBT community to meet other caregivers, learn about resources and, frankly, have a bit of fun together.

And yes, AARP is about that too. The AARP Pennsylvania staff and volunteers based right here in Philadelphia, enjoy attending festivals and events because we want to show you our fun side.

For example, at this year’s Outfest, AARP was proud to take part in the weekend’s festivities! Despite the rain, hundreds of Outfest goers stopped by our booth to learn about AARP, pose against the FREE FUN PHOTO backdrop and post instantly on social media. At Pride earlier this year, AARP set up a health-tracker where people could track their movements and impact on health and well-being. Plus, we had an electronic scratch-off game to win free prizes at our booth.

But it’s not all fun-and-games. AARP also deals with pressing issues and collaborates with community organizations to address those issues.

In early November, AARP Pennsylvania will be participating at the 2016 LGBT Aging Summit in Philadelphia. The conference will bring together aging services providers, policy makers, healthcare providers, and community leaders to develop strategies designed to improve services available to LGBT individuals as they age, with a focus on building cultural competence in aging services and healthcare. If you would like to join us, please  RSVP here.

This is just a sampling of what AARP Pennsylvania is involved with here in Philadelphia. AARP is a trusted resource for issues impacting the local community and the LGBT community at large and has a wealth of resources and information available online.

To connect with AARP Pennsylvania online, follow us on Facebook or email us at paaarp@aarp.org.

To connect with AARP Pennsylvania in person, look for us at future events in the Philadelphia Gayborhood. I look forward to meeting you and working together to support the LGBT community.

Best Regards,

Grace Rustia

Associate State Director – Outreach

AARP Pennsylvania

 

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“What we do, we do for all.” -  Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, AARP founder