North Carolina COVID-19 News and Information

Resources for updates, home health visits, food banks, grocery access and meal delivery.

We may be isolated, but we don’t have to be alone. AARP Community Connections is a new website that offers steps to find help – or give it – during the coronavirus pandemic. At a time when people are self-isolating, the website connects you to support in your community. It also enables you to join or organize your own online mutual aid group to stay connected, share ideas and help your family, neighbors and those most affected by COVID-19.

North Carolina residents can schedule new COVID-19 vaccine appointments or walk into a nearby pharmacy to get a shot. Here’s how to find an updated vaccine near you.

1.1 million member state organization's legislative priorities

RALEIGH, NC -- As COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continue to climb, AARP renewed its call for state legislators to better protect nursing home residents and staff from the coronavirus. The latest release of the AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard finds concerning trends in North Carolina’s nursing homes, with nursing home deaths, resident cases, lack of personal protective equipment and staff shortages all above the national average.

RALEIGH – Thanks to the work of AARP advocates in North Carolina, nursing home patients and their loved ones may soon be able to visit in person. With key COVID-19 metrics stabilizing in the state, and strong infection prevention and control requirements in place, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services issued a Secretarial Order updating visitation guidelines for nursing homes to allow indoor visitation.

Congress Must Act Before August Recess to Save Thousands of Lives

RALEIGH -- The North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on Serious Illness Care, recommends actions to improve quality of living for individuals with serious illness and their caregivers. The full report of the Task Force will be released this summer, but with COVID-19, serious illness care is touching a record number of North Carolinians and there are some recommendations that can’t wait.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered just about every public institution throughout the United States. In North Carolina, businesses, schools, parks, and events remain closed as the public responds to the need for social distancing in order to “flatten the curve” and slow the spread of the virus. Social distancing is working and should continue, but we should not confuse social "distancing" with social "isolation." They aren’t the same. There is a real need for people to get outside, enjoy the spring air, and relax or exercise. The Center for Disease Control also recommends physical activity as a way to cope with the stress of the pandemic.

Serious Illness Coalition applauds NC General Assembly, Governor, and Secretary of State for giving people more flexibility in preparing important legal health care documents

AARP honors nurses during National Nurses Week

Smack dab in the middle of bustling West Asheville is a four-acre “preserve” that is dedicated to a different kind of group living. Called Westwood, it is a co-housing community of about 50 people ranging in age from 3 to 95. Residents live in homes that are clustered together on part of the property, leaving plenty of shared open spaces for gardens, woods, paths and play and sitting areas. A large, shared Common House contains meeting and dining rooms, a large kitchen, guest rooms, co-working spaces and laundry facilities.

AARP will host a live Coronavirus Information Tele-Town Hall every Thursday at 12 p.m. (CST). Experts at this week’s live Q&A event will address your questions related to protecting yourself and loved ones from the virus, staying healthy and reducing social isolation.