Welcome to the New Year!

by Marguerite Ro, AARP Washington State Director

By 2030, half of Washington counties will have populations with a quarter or more of their population being aged 65 and above, according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management. The fast growth of older adults has implications on all aspects of our communities, including the need for age-friendly housing, income supports, affordable healthcare, and caregiving. Social Security and Medicare will become increasingly relevant to a growing number of Washingtonians.

Here are some of the ways AARP Washington will address these issues in the year ahead.

There are many key state races happening in 2024 including the gubernatorial and attorney general elections. AARP Washington will be actively working to keep people informed with factual, unbiased information about when and how to vote as well as where candidates stand on the issues. Protecting Social Security and supporting family caregivers are two key issues for AARP Washington.

With 820,000 family caregivers in Washington, we will continue the Caring for Caregivers campaign to make loved ones and their families aware of existing resources and tools to ease the burden of caregiving. But we know that there is a need for greater investments and efforts to assure that services and supports are available when a helping hand is needed.

Having a roof overhead is essential to our health and well-being. This year, we will continue to partner with a wide range of organizations to seek affordable housing options that will allow older adults to age in place.

Importantly, with our amazing cadre of volunteers, AARP Washington will be reaching out across the state to host and support community events. Creating opportunities for folks to get together, break bread, and have shared moments of joy is the foundation for building and strengthening communities.

We hope you will join us in these efforts. If you’d like to learn more, please go to: AARP Washington . Happy New Year to all!