Health & Wellbeing

When the state Senate revealed its budget proposal Monday night, it did NOT include fully-restored, uncapped medical deductions, or increased funding for the Home and Community Care Block Grant that helps people live independently in their own homes. Instead, the Senate proposed a $20,000 combined cap for all itemized deductions and no change to the Block Grant funding.

In the past, the state budget debate may have been something North Carolina’s non-political junkies generally overlooked or did not closely follow. But this legislative session, more age 50-plus voters have been paying close attention because tax law changes that went into effect hit them where it counts, right in the pocketbook.

GREENSBORO -- Six North Carolina organizations were presented with the 2015 AARP Multicultural Outreach Award in recognition for their work in promoting greater health and economic prosperity for all.

By Charmaine Fuller Cooper

Life Reimagined

By AARP NC Associate State Director Charmaine Fuller Cooper

In North Carolina, 1.7 million people are providing care to family members or loved ones at some point of time each year. Why is the issue of family caregiving so important right now? What kind of challenges do they face? What kind of resources do family caregivers need?

This Saturday is the 22 nd Anniversary of the "Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive." On May 10, in collaboration with AARP Foundation, NC Feeding America, Inc., US Postal Service, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Rural Carriers Association, AFL-CIO, United Way, Campbell Soup, Publix and others, people from all over the state will be donating food to feed the hungry.

AARP is focused on making Charlotte and the region more livable for people of all ages. Walkable Charlotte Week, our Livable Communities Listening Sessions, and the upcoming Making a More Livable Mecklenburg livable communities summit are helping to engage people 50+ on the effort to meet the challenges of the coming demographic changes. This week AARP North Carolina's local team in Charlotte conducted Walkable Charlotte Week, which aimed to raise awareness about the issue of walkability and why that is an essential component of creating a livable community.

Since being launched earlier this summer, the new AARP Coffee and Conversation series has engaged hundreds of AARP members and 50+ Charlotteans on a variety of issues. As a new program coming from the new AARP office in Charlotte, it has been an exciting time for the staff and AARP volunteers who organize and facilitate those programs. With October's full offering of new sessions approaching (see below for the list of October's programs), the excitement is building even more, as October marks the beginning of the Affordable Care Act's "marketplaces" and the time when more people want simple answers to sometimes complex questions.