AARP Kansas

AARP Kansas Director Maren Turner, along with several AARP volunteers, briefed the Kansas House Committee on Children and Seniors on the CARE Act on Tuesday, January 27, 2015. The Act, which is contained in House Bill 2058, supports Kansas caregivers by ensuring that hospitals record the name of the patient's caregiver when the patient enters the hospital, the caregiver is informed when the patient is discharged from the hospital, and the caregiver is provided instructions on how to take care of the patient when the patient leaves the hospital.

More than 110,000 Kansas utility consumers are the winners in the latest utility rate increase request by Black Hills Energy.

AARP Kansas Diversity Council member Anita Raghavan, Wichita, has been selected to participate in AARP’s Volunteer Leadership Institute or VLI, a rigorous and innovative program dedicated to elevating highly skilled and motivated AARP volunteers to lead volunteer teams and take on new empowered roles. Raghavan is one of 33 exceptional AARP volunteers from across the country who will meet both in person and virtually over a six-month period to build their leadership strengths in one of three chosen “tracks” – advocacy, community outreach or external representation—and develop specific actions plans in coordination with their AARP state office or volunteer program.

As caregivers, we know the ups and downs, the challenges and the joys of preparing meals, running errands, working with medical personnel, providing social support, balancing caregiver and career responsibilities, and...well, the list goes on and on because we do it all for the people who need us!

There’s a group of unsung heroes that fan out every day across Kansas. In cities big and small, rural and urban, they do things like give baths and help others get dressed. They dispense medicine and provide transportation to doctor’s appointments. They are family caregivers.

Note: Three Kansas cities made the list of Best Cities for Successful Aging. In the large metros category, Wichita ranks 27th Best City, and in the smaller metros category, Lawrence ranks 30th and Topeka ranks 60th. Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer signed the mayor's pledge to make his city work better for older adults. You can check it out at the link below. In addition, the Wichita Grandparents Park, a collaboration between AARP Kansas, the City of Wichita, the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging, and the Older Adult Alliance, is featured in the Programs with a Purpose section.

The Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period provides an important opportunity for Kansans who have coverage through the marketplace to review your plan and compare options to make sure your plan still works for you. Last year, a little more than 57,000 Kansans signed up for health care coverage through www.healthcare.gov, which was created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

AARP Kansas honored its 2014 outstanding community service volunteer during a luncheon banquet on November 14 at the Ritz Charles in Overland Park. Each year, AARP presents its most prestigious award, the Ethel Percy Andrus Award for Community Service, to an individual or individuals who, through volunteer service, significantly enhance the lives of those in their community. This award symbolizes that individuals have the power and ability to make a difference in the lives of others.

With diabetes prevalent among Native Americans, AARP Kansas set out to not only call attention to the problem, but also to do something about it. That’s why AARP Kansas is working with the American Association of Indian Physicians (AAIP) to sponsor cooking classes for members of the four federally recognized indigenous tribes in Kansas (e.g., Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Kickapoo Nation of Kansas, Sac and Fox Nation, and Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation). The classes are held in November in conjunction with Native American Heritage Month and Diabetes Awareness Month.

AARP Kansas congratulates retired educator Jack Melhorn, Emporia, winner of the 2014 NRTA With Our Youth! Excellence Award in the individual category. Melhorn was chosen to receive the award in recognition of his nearly 20 years of volunteer service helping youth through the Juvenile Offenders Citizen Review Board (JOCRB) in Kansas.