AARP Iowa

During tax-filing season, it pays to be aware of the ways that scammers and hackers may try to put your potential refund in their pocket.

AARP Iowa has released the results of a new statewide caregiving survey, showing that 96 percent of family caregivers in the state believe it’s important to receive instruction on medical tasks they will need to provide for loved ones at home after discharge from the hospital.

This past week, AARP Iowa hosted a live teletown hall on Public Measure A - the local option sales tax in Des Moines, which local residents will vote on at the polls next Tuesday, March 5. AARP Iowa State Director Brad Anderson was joined on the call by Christine Hensley, former Des Moines City Council member and Joe Van Haalen, president of Des Moines Firefighters IAFF Local 4.

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AARP is now accepting applications for the 2019 Community Challenge grant program to fund “quick-action” projects that spark change in local communities. The grant program, which is now in its third year, is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which aims to make communities great places to live for everyone.

One of the first cons to flourish on the internet, the “Nigerian prince” scam, also known as the “419” scam (named for the section of Nigeria’s criminal code dealing with fraud), has an ignominious history that long predates the digital age. Its roots go back to a notorious 19th-century swindle called the “Spanish Prisoner,” and the method of attack has progressed from letters and faxes to emails and social media.

Despite the inclement weather outside, the Iowa State Capitol was turned into a sea of red vests and red hearts this morning as more than 60 AARP Iowa volunteer activists and a large coalition of healthcare advocates from across the state rallied for support of the 2019 Iowa CARE Act (SF 210/HF 340), a common-sense bill to help Iowa’s 317,000 family caregivers. The CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable) Act was passed earlier this month in the Senate Human Resources Committee and is awaiting the vote of the full Senate. The bill passed a House Subcommittee, led by Rep. Cecil Dolecheck (R-24) earlier today.

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This past Wednesday, AARP Iowa hosted a teletown hall event featuring the 2019 Iowa CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable) Act. The bill features four important provisions. The name of the family caregiver is recorded when their loved one is admitted into a hospital, if a patient chooses to designate one. Second, the designated family caregiver is notified when their loved one is to be discharged back home. Third, the hospital discusses the caregivers’ abilities and limitations. Finally, the hospital discusses the patient’s care needs at home and provides an explanation and live instruction on the medical tasks to be performed – such as medication management, injections, wound care, and transfers.

The Internet can be a wonderful place to start friendships and relationships. Sometimes, this is done intentionally through dating sites or apps. Other times, it happens through social media or in a chat room. Fraudsters build trust through online relationships for the sole purpose of stealing money from victims.