Home & Family

If you visited the AARP Virgin Islands booth at the Agricultural Fair in February, you were given information about the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the survey that is being done in the territory. The BRFSS is a project within the VI Department of Health’s Chronic Disease Prevention Program which is tasked with compiling health studies on various topics. The studies are completed using data received from Virgin Islands residents. The studies are very important to the territory as a whole. They are used for a variety of purposes including: 1) to help the Department of Health identify community health needs 2) to help apply for various health grants 3) to help policy makers make decisions based on the actual needs of the community and 4) to identify the types of health care personnel that the territory needs to recruit.

“The consumer has more power than they think,” stated Devin Carrington, the Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs (DLCA) at a recent Town Hall meeting on St. Thomas, “Too often we depend on the government to do everything, but we, as consumers need to work in solidarity and not allow businesses to provide us with products or services that are not up to standard.”

En Español In a surprise move, Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth E. Mapp vetoed the Caregiving Bill (Bill Number 31-0237) late in March citing numerous concerns as justification for his veto. The AARP VI office received notification of the veto on Saturday, March 26 in the middle of the Easter Holiday weekend.

Tracy Sanders, RN, MN, CNS

When I was younger I thought of the telephone as a piece of equipment solely used to talk with others. Gone are those days!

En Español After almost a year of interaction with first-time Senator Kurt Vialet, the Virgin Islands Caregiver Advice, Record and Enabling Act also known as the CARE Act unanimously passed the Committee of the Whole and went to the Governor for signature into law.

November 2015

Since 2004 AARP Chapter 4777 members from the islands of St. John have been partnering with the American Legion Post 131, and various VI business and civic organizations to demonstrate their appreciation to disabled military veterans in a big way.

Newly elected Chairman of the VI Government Employees Service Commission, (GESC), Beverly Joseph, advises government employees and retirees that “sickness comes at any hour and it makes no sense to put off essential medical services that could prevent serious illness or even death.”

Español AARP Virgin Islands is generally known for multi-tasking and our recently launched AARP VI Digital Coach Program is no exception. This new program comes under AARP national’s broader program entitled Mentor Up.