About AARP

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, AARP Connecticut and other organizations fought for changes that will allow Connecticut voters to cast their ballots in 2021 without risking their health. Once again, like in 2020, every Connecticut voter will have access to an absentee ballot by checking the COVID-19 reason on their absentee ballot application. This change will be in effect through the November 2nd, 2021 municipal elections.

AARP CT Livable Communities Grant Application

AARP Connecticut announced three Connecticut organizations will receive 2021 Community Challenge grants – part of the largest group of grantees to date with $3.2 million awarded among 244 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement quick-action projects to promote livable communities by improving housing, transportation, public spaces, civic engagement, and connection with family, friends, and neighbors with an emphasis on the needs of the 50-plus. Many of this year’s awards support revitalizing communities adversely impacted by the pandemic and include a focus on diversity, inclusion, and disparities.

More than 4 out of 5 Americans say they want to receive care at home instead of in an institutional setting if they need long-term care services in the future, according to a recent AARP survey. As part of ongoing state and federal efforts to “rebalance” long-term services and supports, the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) included a 10% temporary enhancement to the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for home and community-based services (HCBS). This unprecedented investment in home and community-based services presents Connecticut with a tremendous opportunity to bolster the programs and services that allow individuals to safely remain in their homes as they age.

AARP Launches National Campaign Urging More Support for Family Caregivers, Passage of Bipartisan Credit for Caring Act

2021 was a very unusual year at the Connecticut General Assembly. The Connecticut Capitol may have been closed to the public because of COVID-19 restrictions, but AARP Connecticut staff and volunteers were still vocal and active, virtually advocating on behalf of older adults and submitting nearly 50 pieces of legislative testimony. Below is a summary of the AARP Connecticut-supported bills that successfully passed both the House and Senate and are expected to be signed into law.

AARP Connecticut issued the following comment in response to passage of Senate Bill 1030:

AARP is now accepting nominations for its 2021 Connecticut Andrus Award for Community Service, which honors an outstanding volunteer in the state who is sharing their experience, talent, and skills to enrich the lives of their community members. Do you know an extraordinary volunteer age 50 or over who should receive AARP’s most prestigious Connecticut volunteer award? The deadline is September 15, so nominate them now.

The following post was submitted by Paul Tarbox, manager of advocacy and communications with the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling

If the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that access to high-speed internet is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.