Steve Hahn

Madison County lies on the western edge of North Carolina, where the Appalachian Trail meanders north and east from Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Generations of farmers once grew tobacco here on the sides of mountains and still raise cattle to make ends meet. “When you go back into some of the mountains and hollers, you can almost touch what once was,” says Dee Heinmuller, Director of Madison County Community Services.

RALEIGH – A new survey of North Carolina registered voters ages 40 plus finds that the vast majority of respondents (83.5 percent) of current caregivers said that they will provide future caregiving or assistance on an unpaid basis to an adult loved one. It also found that over 95 percent think it is important to have services available in their communities to help older adults live independently.

Today, a secure retirement is out of reach for millions of Americans, especially those who work for small businesses. Nearly two million Tar Heels have no access to a retirement savings plan through their employers - that’s about 50% of the 18 to 64-year-old population.

RALEIGH—The AARP ‘Stop Rx Greed’ is a nationwide campaign aimed at lowering prescription drug prices. The goal of AARP’s sustained campaign is to help drive down drug prices for North Carolinians and all Americans by advocating for a variety of legislative, executive, and regulatory actions at both the federal and state level.

In North Carolina, there are 1.3 million people who are caring for a parent, spouse or other loved one, helping them to live independently at home. For many, family caregiving is more than helping with household chores or providing transportation. It includes complex care responsibilities that were once provided only by medical professionals.

RALEIGH - For more than 40 years, the laws regulating some of the most highly-trained healthcare providers in North Carolina have remained unchanged. With today’s introduction of the SAVE Act, legislators hope to modernize healthcare by removing outdated and unnecessary restrictions on Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).

This isn’t so much about the Trump-Pelosi political dynamic as it about the lesson that the President just re-taught Americans of all ages. He taught us how important it is to save.

CHARLOTTE -- AARP joined Attorney General Josh Stein, Rep. Jason Saine and the Mecklenburg County Sherriff's Office to unveil legislation to strengthen North Carolina’s laws to prevent data breaches and to protect affected victims.

ASHEVILLE, NC -- Part of Asheville’s city center recently received a temporary makeover to show how some simple modifications can make public spaces better for people of all ages.

RALEIGH - Recognizing the immediate and long-term challenges that those affected by Hurricane Florence still face, particularly vulnerable older adults, AARP members and AARP Foundation are donating $635,000 to various rebuilding as well as legal assistance efforts in North Carolina.