As we head into fall, AARP Florida remains deeply engaged in protecting the interests of older Floridians, especially when it comes to the rising cost of utilities. Over the past year, our team has been at the forefront of the Florida Power & Light (FPL) rate case, advocating for transparency, fairness, and affordability in the face of unprecedented proposed rate hikes. This builds on our longstanding efforts to oppose similar rate increase proposals from Duke Energy and TECO, the other electric utility companies regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC), where we fought to protect consumers from unjustified utility costs.
AARP Florida is expressing strong concerns about Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) newly filed settlement agreement, noting that it prioritizes corporate and business interests over the needs of residential customers.
As the 2025 hurricane season ramps up in Florida, older adults and family caregivers face a critical responsibility: ensuring safety for themselves and their loved ones.
Florida’s nursing home industry is at it again. Florida nursing home owners, operators, and executives are pushing legislation that would eliminate minimum nursing staffing standards in facilities. They want to change the math so they can use non-nursing staff to provide direct nursing care to our most vulnerable older adults.
A study published last month by the Journal of American Medical Association says of the 54,095 nursing home residents in Florida when Irma struck, more than half of residents experienced power loss after the hurricane, which was associated with an increased odds of mortality within days after the storm.
Through his leadership, Florida expanded access to homebound vaccination, championed AARP Age-Friendly projects and created lasting partnerships that will benefit older adults for years to come. We wish him a happy and healthy retirement and look forward continuing our meaningful work with the Department of Elder Affairs.