Health & Wellbeing

#SaveMyCare DAY OF ACTION ALERT

At AARP, we believe Medicare is a deal with the American people that must not be broken.

Your key Medicare questions, answered.

In a state whose legislative session is only 45 days, AARP stands ready to score some wins for state residents 50-plus when lawmakers meet beginning Jan. 23. AARP Utah’s legislative priorities for 2017 include retirement security, support for family caregivers and access to affordable health care.

AARP is sponsoring a Real Possibilities University, with keynote presentations on brain fitness and fraud. These topics were among the top concerns of Utahns age 50-plus in a 2014 AARP survey.

Dementia doesn't come with an instruction manual, but the Alzheimer's Association has a series of events during Making Sense of Alzheimer's Month that can help! On Tuesday, May 3, they will be holding an Education Conference in Park City with topics that include effective communications strategies, understanding and responding to dementia-related behaviors, and available community resources and services.

It has been a whirlwind legislative session with a lot happening but as of last night it has come to a close. I want to thank you and all of the other great AARP advocates who stayed informed, got engaged, and made their voices heard to their legislators. I can’t stress enough that without your involvement, we could not do the work we do!

AARP Utah's Advocacy Director Danny Harris is hard at work at the Utah State Capitol, fighting for legislation that will help caregivers with their legal rights, nurse practitioners with their ability to prescribe medications, and small business employees with their ability to save for retirement at work. Here's his update after week two of the Utah legislative session:

AARP Utah's popular Real Possibilities University will be in Cedar City on October 8 at the Hunter Conference Center on the Southern Utah University campus, featuring speakers on brain fitness and financial fraud. Dr. Kevin Duff of the University of Utah's Brain Institute will discuss how to keep your brain sharp, recognizing signs of dementia, and recent research on memory loss and how to prevent it. Keith Woodwell, Director of the Utah Division of Securities, will outline financial fraud, scams in Utah, and what to do if you suspect you are a fraud target. Time will be allotted for questions from the audience for both speakers.

Falls are a common and often devastating problem among older people, causing injuries that are sometimes life-threatening. Falls can also lead to a loss of independence or premature admittance to a nursing home. Most falls are associated with one or more identifiable risk factors (e.g. weakness, unsteady gait, confusion and certain medications) but research has shown that intervention can significantly reduce these risk factors when done properly. That's where programs like "Stepping On" can help by providing tips for people on how to prevent falls. "Stepping On" is a seven-week workshop with classes that include: