Focus on Caregivers as Legislature Meets

William Herndon

The state Legislature gets back to work March 5, and AARP Alabama is ready to advocate on many issues important to people 50 and older.

The state office will focus particularly on legislation to help family caregivers. Alabama’s 761,000 caregivers provide more than $7.7 billion worth of unpaid assistance to aging or ailing loved ones, according to an AARP Public Policy Institute survey.

AARP is also pressing for legislation to protect older adults from abuse and to ensure strong legal guidelines for guardianship, in which a court appoints someone to make financial and personal decisions on behalf of an incapacitated person.

Alabama’s nearly 440,000 AARP members play a key role in getting bills approved, and the state office urges members to register for updates at aarp.org/getinvolved.