Steve Hahn

Facing the most dangerous hurricane on record, NC Governor Roy Cooper has declared a state of emergency for North Carolina. While the exact path is uncertain, meteorologists predict Irma will move into the Carolinas between Sept 12-15. It will likely hit with a strong wind field and heavy rainfall, which could have devastating effects. AARP North Carolina advises its members to heed these five items to act on as soon as possible:

North Carolina’s residential ratepayers are in for quite a shock if Duke Energy gets it way. Duke Energy, which includes Duke Energy Progress in Eastern North Carolina, and Duke Carolinas in the Western part of the state, has filed a request to the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) to increase its overall rates by 14.9%.

RALEIGH -- For their efforts to support the needs of family caregivers, AARP recognized four members of the North Carolina General Assembly and former Governor Pat McCrory for their legislative leadership to help those taking care of loved ones in the Tarheel State.

You did it! With a little over half of the year behind us, I want to reflect on the legislative success made possible by AARP volunteers like you.

Many of North Carolina’s family caregivers, patients, and retirees may welcome three new measures AARP helped gain bi-partisan support for through the General Assembly. This week, Governor Roy Cooper signed into law three bills to make life a little easier and more affordable for many older adults and their families.

Making it easier for licensed nurses to practice in NC

CHARLOTTE -- AARP in Charlotte is presenting a series of free workshops this month to help people prepare the challenges of caregiving and long-term care as well as an overview of Medicare, from how to choose a plan and the benefits Medicare offers, to what changes to the program may come in the future. The events are free and open to the public, but registration is requested.

Let me introduce you to a family caregiver, Lisa from Hawaii. With the help of her sister, Lisa cared for her mother with Alzheimer’s disease — managing medications, cleaning the house, and handling any medical issues. They also managed her mother’s finances. Lisa shared: “It felt like our whole world was slowly falling apart. At the time we did not know much about the disease or how quickly it was going to debilitate her. My sister and I took responsibility of making sure that she was provided for.”

RALEIGH, NC – North Carolina ranks 38 th overall when it comes to services available for our aging population, and AARP warns more must be done, at an accelerated pace, to meet changing demographic demands. Even worse, NC’s support for family caregivers, especially those in families with long-term diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson's, ranks just eight slots from the bottom. This, according to a new, comprehensive state-by-state Scorecard from AARP with support of the nation’s leading organizations behind quality long-term care, The Commonwealth Fund and SCAN Foundation.

This week North Carolina budget leaders head behind closed doors to negotiate differences between the State House and Senate versions of the budget. While the budget negotiations won’t be a shootout in the old west for now, several budget items will need to be negotiated before both chambers can approve a plan that must then be sent to the Governor for final approval before June 30 th.