Coffee and Conversation Returns to Charlotte!

After a successful roll out of AARP Charlotte's new Coffee and Conversation series in 2013, we are happy to share with you our February/March schedule. This year we have added some new topics that are especially important to those of you looking to  make the best decisions of health for you and your family.

This month's topics include:

 

“The Affordable Care Act and Medicare: How the ACA affects older North Carolinians” (90 minutes)

This session focuses on how the ACA affects the Medicare program, including the issues of benefit changes, prescription drug coverage, access to doctors and services, Medicare Advantage and long term care.

February 25.  6-7:45pm at  Matthews Library     Register

March 14. 1:30-3:30 at Cornelius Library   Register      

 

Decide. Create. Share.

Decide. Create. Share.℠ is an AARP initiative dedicated to increasing awareness about the depth and breadth of long-term care and the benefits of planning. It encompasses three primary steps:

• DECIDE where you see yourself in the future.
• CREATE a comprehensive plan that includes your home, health, finances and wishes.
• SHARE your decisions with others so they know your preferences. You may also want to share this planning process with friends and family, so they, too, can plan their futures.

 

The initiative’s resources engage women and men as leaders within their families, informal networks, and communities to learn about long-term care, actively plan for a secure future and share what they learn with others.

For the Charlotte Mecklenburg library branches, AARP will be offering two distinct Decide Create Share sessions focusing on healthy living ("My Health") and the legal considerations ("My Wishes") of long term care planning, such as living wills, advanced care directives, etc.

Schedule:
"My Wishes"
March 11. 2-4pm at North County Library   Register

"My Health"
March 24. 5:30-7:30pm at Morrison Regional   Register

 

“Health Living on a Dollar” (60 minutes)

This new series, focused on low-income residents, includes recipe and food preparation demos coupled with workshops on how to stretch your dollars and live healthy on any budget. Specific demos will be booked on an individual basis as available.  These programs also feature AARP volunteers trained in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) enrollment, who will be on site to assist any attendees wishing to sign up for SNAP with applications.

Schedule:

March 18. 2-4pm at  Steele Creek Library  Register

March 25. 3-5pm  Plaza Midwood Library   Register

March 26. 1-3pm at  Beatties Ford Library  Register

 

 

Other popular Coffee topics with dates to be announced:

“The Affordable Care Act: An Update on implementation of the ACA and what it means for you and your family” (90 minutes)

This program walks through the major elements of the ACA, gives an update on implementation of the law, and discusses the changes coming and how it may affect you and your family.  This program addresses the questions being raised by consumers of all ages.

 

“Retirement Security” (60 minutes)

Preparing for retirement is much more challenging today than it was for previous generations of Americans. Studies indicate that most Americans are not saving enough for retirement and have little understanding of how they can do more to prepare for retirement. As part of it Coffee and Conversation series, AARP is offering workshops on retirement security that offer important information and helpful tips on how to prepare for retirement or how to live your best life possible after retirement.

AARP offers two programs on Retirement Security:  “Preparing for Retirement Security” (for those under age 65) and “Retirement Security” (for those currently in retirement).

 

  “Get Around: How age-friendly and ‘livable’ is your home and community?” (60 minutes)

Is your home or community “age-friendly”? This fun, interactive workshop introduces people to the concepts of livable communities and aging in place. Using multi-media, Get Around helps people of all ages understand features of a “livable” community and explore local options to make the home, street and community more healthy and age-friendly.

 

 Other topics coming in Spring 2014:

The 50+ Worker series, focusing on issues important to the older worker in Charlotte. This series will include workshops on how to rebrand yourself, social media networking, resume and job interview skills, how to prepare oneself mentally for retirement or post-career work, etc.

 For more information, contact Mike Olender, Associate State Director, at molender@aarp.org. These programs can also be scheduled for your organization's next meeting or event! Ask about details.