AARP Oregon

Ombudsman is a word that you’ve heard all your life and may have a slight idea of the definition. According to Wikipedia an ombudsman \ is an official who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints of maladministration or a violation of rights. [1]

I was a university teacher for 59 years. That’s the totality of my university, campus based classroom instruction, including the 15 years I taught through my retirement days and five years as a co-teacher during my wheelchair confinement as a disabled person. I continue to “teach” as a Guest Speaker in classes related to age and disability.

The ALF (Assisted Living Facility) I live in is located in a college town. That means all, or most, of our caregivers are university students. This has significant implications for our care. Since most of the residents are in their seventies or eighties, these young women – “she” is the usual personal pronoun used when talking about a caregiver - could be our granddaughters. It would be nice if they thought of us as “grandpa” or “grandma.” For the most part though, we’re the main ingredient of their job.

Older Oregonians often hear, “Your Help NOT wanted,” when they are in the job market, according to a new survey commissioned by AARP Oregon.

On February 28, Governor Kate Brown signed into law Senate Bill 608 to stop unchecked rent increases. AARP Oregon proudly supported the bill and worked for a number of years along with many other advocates across the state to make sure that people who rent their homes are protected from no-cause evictions and rapid increases in the rent of their homes. Hundreds of AARP volunteer leaders and activists from around the state contacted their legislators in support of the bill.

The unprecedented housing crisis we are experiencing here in Oregon has meant that we hear a great deal about the lack affordable housing in our communities. As the single biggest item on most household budgets, the rising cost of housing impacts the well being of people of all ages and abilities, especially those living on fixed and low incomes. For many, paying rent or mortgage means going without medication or food. For other still, increasing housing costs can mean displacement or even homelessness. So it is exciting that local municipalities, state policy makers, and housing advocates are working together to devise bold solutions to address housing affordability in our communities, from increasing housing production through allowing innovative and new types of housing, protecting renters from skyrocketing rents, to preserving and funding affordable housing.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

By Mac McLean

AARP volunteers are in a class of their own! They bring a lifetime of experience, passion for the wellbeing of their community and a desire to serve. AARP Southern Oregon Volunteers are no different. One could even argue that they have something extra going for them – the AARP Southern Oregon Community Action Team.

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