From the Director's Desk

Dear Members,

AARP empowers people to choose how they live as they age. Approximately 2.75 million Washingtonians are 50 or older, and people want their money, health, and happiness to last as long as they do. As a wise friend and fierce defender, AARP Washington focuses on the priorities of older Washingtonians.

Today, Washingtonians 50 and older make up a third of our state's population. Longer lifespans also mean that the 85 and older population will triple in size by 2050. Given the increasing magnitude of the 50+ population, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that the systems, services, and environment are suited to meeting the needs (and wants) of older adults.

As a wise friend and with the support of our volunteers, AARP WA responds to speaker requests, providing presentations nearly every week at a community partner site. Virtual presentations have also been a huge draw – especially Fraud Watch Fridays. This May, we will be at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle, and in June, you can find us at the Spokane or Millwood Farmer’s Market. These activities along with Movies for Grown-ups are just a sampling of the community activities we do.

It has been a busy state legislative session. Our attention has been focused on consumer rights and protections, housing, and long-term care services and supports. Examples of two bills we worked on are SB 5691, which will enhance oversight and regulation of continuing care retirement communities, ensuring residents receive the protection and advocacy they deserve, and SB 5337, which will create a certification for memory care services, a relatively new industry that has been unregulated to date. Both bills resulted from hearing from members that additional protections were needed, so that consumers could be confident in what services were being purchased.

At the federal level, AARP continues to be the fierce defender of Social Security. The Social Security Administration (SSA) was set to institute a policy requiring anyone filing for retirement benefits, family benefits, or survivor benefits without an online My Social Security account to verify their identity at a local office. This would have meant that individuals could not complete their claims by phone, creating hardships for people with disabilities and older adults lacking reliable transportation or internet access. A big thank you to our members who voiced their concerns and who continue to rightly expect high-quality customer service from SSA. It’s your money!

Support for caregivers continues to be a major focus for AARP in Washington, DC and Olympia. AARP is advocating for the Caregiving for Caregivers Act, which would provide a tax credit of up to $5000 for caregiving-related expenses. There are approximately 820,000 unpaid family caregivers in WA who deserve support. In Olympia, we continue to advocate for family caregivers in the development and implementation of WA Cares, the long-term care trust program.

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our volunteers. Your dedication and hard work are the backbone of our organization. Your contributions ensure that older adults receive the support and advocacy they deserve. Thank you for being an integral part of our mission. Please do let us know if you are interested in volunteering. We’d love to hear from you and would appreciate any time and energy you have to spare.

As Deb Whitman, AARP’s chief public policy officer, states in her book The Second Fifty, “We all have a part to play in helping make our own second half better.” Thank you for being an AARP member.

Marguerite Ro
State Director
AARP Washington