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As state lawmakers near a key deadline, the 2018 legislative session’s first funnel of February 16, AARP Iowa is urging lawmakers to pass the 2018 Iowa CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable) Act. The bill (SSB 3123), with no cost to the state or taxpayers, would provide vital support for Iowa’s more than 317,000 family caregivers who help their older parents, spouses and other loved ones live safely and independently at home.

In 2018, AARP Iowa is again working with lawmakers, advocates, volunteers and members to urge passage of the Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable (CARE) Act, a commonsense policy that increases information, education and support for Iowa’s more than 317,000 family caregivers. A 2015 survey found that 50 percent of Iowa caregivers are left out of hospital discussions about patient care and receive little or no instruction about tasks they will have to perform, such as wound are and medication management, at home after the patient is discharged.

AARP is pleased to welcomes the 2017 Class of AARP Iowa Executive Council members, leaders from across the state who are joining with a team of volunteers to provide strategic direction and leadership in support of accomplishment of AARP priorities in Iowa.

Two weeks ago the AARP Iowa’s Associate State Director for Communications, Ann Black, retired after 16 years at AARP. Since then, Brandi and I have been getting a much closer look at everything it takes to be in her position, and all the smaller tasks that she did on a regular basis that we never saw. All summer we have been learning, slowly, what it really means to be work in communications. For example, we have written press releases, but now that Ann isn’t in the office anymore, we have to figure out where to send the press releases and who to send them to. Brandi and I have spent an entire day devoted to going through all of Ann’s media lists and still are nowhere near done—a task that needs to be done in order to get news out effectively.

AARP loved being a part of the fun during RAGBRAI XLV in Spencer on July 23! We had a great time welcoming more than 1,000 of the 10,000 riders who participated in this 45th anniversary celebration of the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) as they rode in at the end of their 62-mile Day One ride from Algona to the Clay County Fairgrounds for Spencer’s “Kick Your Wheels Up” celebration.

Two weeks ago the AARP Iowa team was in Spencer, Iowa for RAGBRAI. In a little over a week we will be stationed at the Iowa State Fair. In between these two huge events we have been working on finishing all the RAGBRAI events and working in preparation for the State Fair—all at the same time. In addition to those events, the interns are creating and presenting a final presentation to the AARP National Headquarters this Thursday and working to finish our list of businesses to evaluate for age-friendliness.

The Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) would make health care unaffordable and inaccessible for millions of Americans.

As a 20-year-old woman, I have been told for years that I am on my phone too much and that I am on social media too often. As a student studying public relations and a current communications intern, this makes me laugh. Yes, the majority of the time that I am on my phone I am talking to my friends or procrastinating on some silly video but social media is also where I stay up-to-date on my news, keep informed on campus club responsibilities and so many more practical things. Social media is the fastest and easiest way to inform a large amount of people and to get a message across effectively. It is important to recognize the impact that social media has in not only an organization’s success but also in how the organization's supporters form opinions. We are currently living in a 24/7 news cycle and social media is a big contributing factor to this.

WASHINGTON, DC—With baby boomers beginning to turn 80 in 2026, states must accelerate the pace of improving long-term services and supports (LTSS) for older people and adults with disabilities, according to AARP’s new state scorecard released today. The report, Picking Up The Pace of Change: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers (“Scorecard”), shows that although most states have made some progress, the pace of change overall remains too slow and has not kept up with demographic demands.

Get to know AARP and connect with other members and volunteers at our "Free Coffee & Donut Days" in June in Burlington.