Hilarie Grey

AARP Nevada State Director Maria Dent today announced the appointment of Laura Coger, of Reno, and Vida Chan Lin, of Las Vegas, to the state office’s Executive Council, its volunteer leadership board.

Across the Silver State, more than 500,000 Nevadans perform a great labor of love, caring for older parents, spouses and other loved ones so they can stay at home—where they want to be—and out of costly institutions. It’s a labor of love, to be sure, and often more than a full-time job.

When the long-awaited transportation reauthorization bill known as the FAST Act (Fixing America's Surface Transportation) was passed and signed into law, it included some important safety provisions, thanks in large part to the leadership of Nevada's own Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV).

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for scammers. Here are the top three scams to watch out for:

Love working with numbers and helping fellow Nevadans? AARP Foundation is looking to build its team of tax-loving volunteers in the Silver State. Tax-Aide is a free tax assistance and preparation program for taxpayers with low to moderate income through the AARP Foundation.

Gini Cunningham has been selected to receive the 2015 AARP Nevada Andrus Award for Community Service – the organization’s most prestigious state volunteer award. The award recognizes Cunningham's dedicated, inspiring service as a volunteer leader, both in her home community of Winnemucca and throughout the state.

AARP is pleased to announce the appointment of Maria Dent as AARP Nevada State Director. Dent, who has served as the state’s community outreach director since 2003, brings extensive experience in aging issues, community services, volunteer programs and multicultural engagement to her new position.

At the 2015 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit in Seattle, Washington, AARP presented Senator Debbie Smith with its Capitol Caregiver Award, recognizing her outstanding work to support family caregivers in Nevada. Smith, who also currently serves as NCSL president, joins an elite bipartisan group of state legislators and governors recognized for advancing policies to help unpaid family caregivers who are making it possible for older Americans to live independently at home – where they want to be. An initial champion for the CARE Act, Smith was a leading voice supporting its passage through the 78th Session of the Nevada Legislature (2015). The new law, passed by unanimous vote and signed by Governor Brian Sandoval in May, takes effect on January 1, 2016.

Family caregivers in Nevada provided 324 million hours of care—worth an estimated $4.3 billion—to their parents, spouses, partners, and other adult loved ones in 2013, according to AARP Public Policy Institute’s new report, Valuing the Invaluable: 2015 Update. The total estimated economic value of uncompensated care provided by the nation’s family caregivers surpassed total Medicaid spending ($449 billion), and nearly equaled the annual sales ($469 billion) of the four largest U.S. tech companies combined (Apple, Hewlett Packard, IBM, and Microsoft) in 2013.

More than 500,000 Nevada family caregivers and their loved ones will get some much needed help, as the bill known as the CARE Act (SB177) was passed and signed into law during the 78th (2015) session of the Nevada Legislature. The new law strengthens communication between hospitals and family caregivers, ensuring a designated caregiver is notified when a loved one is discharged or transferred, and receives instruction on any after-care required at home – such as managing prescriptions or dressing wounds.