Most of us want to be able to stay in our own homes and communities as we age or face challenges caring for ourselves due to a serious long-term illness, injury or disability. We also know that 70% of those 65 and older, will require some assistance to do that.
At AARP, we never underestimate the power of 50+ voters. In fact, 1.8 million Washington voters over 50 cast ballots in the 2022 elections. In early April, we thought we were being ambitious when we ordered 10,000 postcards to distribute to volunteers for personalized messages to drive the older vote.
For the first time since AARP began publishing the Scorecard in 2011, more than half of Medicaid long-term care dollars nationwide for older adults and people with physical disabilities went to home- and community-based services instead of nursing homes and other institutions.
November is National Family Caregivers Month, which seeks to shine a bright light on the more than 48 million American heroes, including 820,000 here in Washington state, helping care for their loved ones independently at home – where they want to be.
Social Security is your money — you earned it through a lifetime of hard work. And, like most Americans, that money is needed to help cover living expenses and pay bills. Nearly one in five Washington residents – 1.4 million people – receive Social Security benefits, and 36% percent of residents 65 and older rely on the program for at least half of their income.