AARP Iowa

AARP Iowa State Director Brad Anderson released the following statement today in response to news from Washington that the Federal Government will require all nursing homes to mandate vaccination for staffers or face loss of Medicare and Medicaid funds. 

Jerry Yocum was just a boy living in nearby Pocahontas when his life briefly intersected with a World War II German prisoner of war camp. But this 83-year-old retired Algona history teacher never imagined that decades later, he’d play a major role in telling the story about that same camp. Meet our July Hidden Gem.

Is your 65th birthday coming up? You know what that means: It’s time to prepare for Medicare. Get ahead of the game with answers from our free webinar on Medicare, including when to enroll, what’s covered and where to find help along the way.

In July, AARP Iowa is presenting a free virtual workshop to teach older Iowans how to plan for a financially secure retirement. 

Joe Gonzalez can’t say no. He lives to serve, first as a trailblazing police officer and community volunteer, now as director of the Latino Heritage Festival. Our June Hidden Gem shares why he feels blessed to still be giving back to a place that gave his own immigrant family a new start some 63 years ago.

Des Moines, IA –— AARP Iowa State President Chuck Betts has announced that Dorothy Pisarski of Des Moines and Larry Kudej of Cedar Rapids have been named to the AARP Iowa Executive Council,  a team of volunteers from across Iowa who provide leadership to support the implementation and execution of AARP priorities statewide. 

AARP Iowa is seeking nominees for the AARP State Andrus Award for Community Service, its most prestigious honor. 

He discovered birding as a Prairie City boy when an uncle who taught ornithology shared his passion, “and I knew it was OK to look at birds, it wasn’t weird.” He especially likes getting others hooked on his hobby and for 30 years has led bird walks for the Des Moines Audubon Society. Meet Dennis Thompson, 65, our May Hidden Gem.

Iowa Specialists Offers Advice on Reclaiming a Healthier Lifestyle

After 15 months of being out of synch with our normal routines, lots of worry and stress, sitting too long, and comfort eating, returning to a healthy lifestyle might be an uphill climb for Iowans; replacing new habits and getting back on track could prove difficult. To help, AARP Iowa talked with Iowa health experts to get their guidance on ways to reclaim healthy habits.