Family & Relationships

FROM THE ARTICLE. By Joanne Binette, AARP Research Published September 22, 2025. Helena, Montana, residents age 50 and older love their community, but housing costs appear to be at the top of their list of concerns. Some also express the need for better communication channels with local leaders. The findings are part of an online survey of adults age 50-plus living in the community. The survey is aimed at providing a better understanding of the thoughts and needs of those living in the area. USE THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/livable-communities/housing/helena-montana-affordable-housing/

FROM THE ARTICLE. By Laura Petrecca, AARP. Published September 23, 2010.➡️[*** Updated September 17, 2025. There may come a day for your loved one when living independently is no longer the best option. Perhaps they struggle with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, making meals or managing medication, or a lack of mobility leaves them feeling isolated and alone.“Most Americans want to stay at home for as long as possible. But the reality is that there comes a time when an individual’s health needs can no longer be met at home,” says LaShuan Bethea, executive director of the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), the assisted living arm of the American Health Care Association. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/basics/assisted-living-options/

FROM THE ARTICLE. By Joanne Binette, AARP Research. Published September 15, 2025. Weighing in on an issue that has implications for parking, adults in Providence, Rhode Island show broad support for more affordable housing, according to a recent AARP Research survey. The findings demonstrate an urgency for the city to support parking reform as a means to encourage housing development. Three in four Providence residents age 18-49, and two in three older residents, favor reducing off-street parking requirements if it means improving the availability and affordability of housing. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/livable-communities/housing/providence-rhode-island-housing-and-community/

Hello to everyone from South Carolina. Hoping to contribute to the forums and maybe make some new friends along the way.  Say hello if you get a chance. Young at heart, slightly older in other places. 😁

FROM THE ARTICLE. Kids can benefit from open family discussions about money. Here’s how to have them. By Cameron Huddleston, AARP. Published September 15, 2025. My husband and I decided to tell our daughters something this year that a lot of parents keep a secret from their kids. My parents certainly never revealed the same sort of details to me when I was growing up. And numerous studies have found a majority of families avoid this sort of conversation.Nonetheless, we sat down with our daughters when they were home from college on winter break to have “the talk.” It seemed like the right time to expose the nitty, gritty details … of our finances. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/money/personal-finance/talk-to-your-kids-about-money-finances/

FROM THE ARTICLE. AARP has notched wins in 11 states this year as it fights back against gift card fraud. By Miriam Cross, AARP. Published September 16, 2025. Scamers who impersonate government agents, romantic prospects or IT specialists often use gift cards as a way to siphon money from their victims. Other times they bypass individual targets entirely and drain the value of the gift cards sitting on store shelves before an unsuspecting buyer has even taken one off the rack.That’s why AARP is attacking the problem of gift card fraud from both sides. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/advocacy/state-wins-gift-card-scams/

I just visited https://www.livingto100.com/ because it was mentioned the AARP magazine. I carefully answered all the questions. In order to get the result, I had to join the site. The result: My life expectancy is one year younger than I actually am; i.e., I'm dead. I wasted my time; you don't have to waste yours.

Just joined the forum! Hello to all from FL

👋Hi everyone! I'm Jamie, and I live in Indiana with my amazing hubby, our 2 beautiful daughters, and our 5 ornery kitty cat fur-babies. I've been pretty active on AARP, primarily AARP Rewards for several years now, but somehow I guess I never realized this community was here!I am extremely passionate about all things mental health awareness, caring, compassion, advocacy and kindness. I've had some health issues that have kept me on the couch for a few years now, so I've tried to make the most of that time and have done A LOT OF RESEARCH on a lot of different things...especially ways to earn extra money, easily, from home by participating in different rewards programs (like AARP Rewards), couponing, etc. It keeps me busy, and I have learned SO MUCH!! My hubby loves the way I'm able to save our family so much money and bring in a little extra on the side as well! 😃 It makes me feel like I'm doing something important, like I am helping provide for our family, instead of just sittin

If you expect change in what is happening in your communities, state and country, don't rest upon your laurels. Become active in your local politics, political party and engage with your elected officials..

I have sent the following to each of my congressional delegation:Senator Lankford; Last, I recall, I sent you an email regarding the Social Security Trust Fund. I have yet to hear from you regarding my inquiry. Again, I am asking that Congress (both house and senate) repay funds that have been "borrowed" (stolen) to make the trust fund solvent. Also, I request that you author legislation to put a lock box on the SSTF to keep congress from using it to make up shortfalls in the budget. Social Security funds are not for congress to "tap" into to fund government. It is money that we senior citizens paid into from our paychecks all our working lives. It is not an entitlement, to be taken away from those of us that have earned it. Respectfully: Darrell Gilbert

Back in 2013, my eldest, a daughter, chose to not have any contact with me. I never understood why until lately. I will not go into details. I have attempted to reconnect with her over the years, but have been rebuffed. Have any of you had similar family situations? She will be 49 this December and I will be 76 in February. Given my age, there is not much time left to reconcile. Is there any Hope? I certainly don't think so.

Hi,My Name is Darrell Gilbert. I am 75 years old and live in Sand Springs, OK. I am a former city councilor in the city of Tulsa, OK and a former State Representative in the Oklahoma legislature. I served in the legislature for 12 years and term limited out in 2008. I am currently active with the Osage County Democratic Party, serving as the affirmative action representative. I am constantly striving to make sure that our rights as Seniors are understood by our elected officials; locally and nationally. I hope that each of you are contacting your elected officials locally and nationally to ensure that we are not forgotten.

Hello all, My name is Matthew. I am 24 years old and I just joined AARP this month. I really enjoy the videos and challenges. I am learning and thinking a lot about my physical, mental, and financial health these days. I travel a lot. In the past few years, I have lived in Los Angeles, Austin, Little Rock, and abroad in Turkey. I am planning on going on a months-long road trip very soon that will take me from Little Rock to New England and everywhere in between. My other hobbies include exercising & yoga, volunteering, urbanism & cities, museums, and reading. My current job is doing food delivery. Previously, I worked at a mall, as a street cleaner, and sold luxury accessories online.  A consequence of my lifestyle is that I do feel lonely often. I would like to start participating in some of these forums. If anyone wants to talk or be pen-pals (I love to send letters and postcards), feel free to message. Something that I learned from AARP articles is that i

I cannot afford much at my age which is almost 67 and it seems life has changed people no one seems to care I have been asking for anyone to lend an ear or even shoot an email no discussion needed. No responses.  Only about their own lives and how great they are doing.  I am ashamed, feel defeated and terrified to move out of state with very low financial resources. I have tried looking at driving and shipping clothing, shipping car and clothing but then i need to get there also and no one to pick me up i will be staying in a motel and praying for a job.

 I have AARP UHC Plan G. I want to set up my own payments monthly through my bank — not through UHC direct bank withdrawal. But I've called the member number and have received conflicting answers. One said that I cannot set up auto payments with my bank mailing the payments for me. Even though my bank would put my UHC Plan G membership number on each check, UHC will not accept the payment mailed from the bank without the monthly coupon. Is this accurate?I have all my other monthly bills, credit cards, etc., set up through my bank, not through all the different companies. This makes it easier to see everything in one place.

Remaining proud and dignified when you have nothing tangible to prove you aren't just taking up space seems to be getting harder and harder for me as time marches on.  Yes, it's true that I'm not as strong, as fast or able to do all the things I could to the extent I was able to when I was younger...but that doesn't make me obsolete, incapable or useless  ..

FROM THE ARTICLE. 20 Years After Katrina, These Older Adults Are Still Stepping Up.Our reporter returns to the Gulf Coast to talk to six 50-plus residents who have made it their mission to rejuvenate their communities. By David Hochman, AARP. Published August 22, 2025. In New Orleans, longtime residents once sat on their porches and waved the weather forecasters along, certain the Mississippi would mind its manners. If you’d weathered Betsy in 1965 and other big blows, the wisdom boiled down to a shrugged “We’ve been through worse.”Then came Katrina. When the levees failed on August 29, 2005, nearly 80 percent of New Orleans was submerged, making it one of the costliest residential disasters in U.S. history. Nearly 1,000 people were confirmed dead and 200,000-plus jobs disappeared almost overnight. Though those 75 and older made up just 6 percent of the city’s population, they accounted for more than half of all lives lost. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. h

If you sent a message requesting a response from someone that you know received your message and, yet, they did not respond on purpose, would you consider that rude, impolite, and discourteous if they were: (1) A Friend(2) A Politician(3) Manager Of A Retail Entity(4) A Low Level Administrative Person In A Membership Organization Like A Church Or Union(5) A Co-Worker Would their status to you affect how you felt about the purposeful ignoring of your concerns?    

Problem #1 - Squirrels drinking from the hummingbird feeders.  I have never seen this before.  They climb up the pole and pull the feeder over to them - tipping it so that the sugar water ends up in their mouth.  Now after the hummingbirds have left this fall, I may spike it with a bit of Jack Daniels.  But now, I do not know what to do.  Need some solution because they seem to be getting a bit chubby from all the sugar water.   Problem #2 - Deer eating my variegated Liriope Muscari which lines my long driveway - I have lived here for 30+ years, and the plants have been here almost from the beginning.  Never have I had deer eat them; didn't even know they liked them . . .  but this year - there they are up and down my drive, having their dinner or early breakfast or lunch.  All does - I have seen no little ones nor any bucks.   Again, I have no idea what will work to keep them away except if I plant them a crop

I opened up the  “1923-1973 Do You Remember... “ post on this board in front of my grand kids and their parents and we make a game of identifying the photos - it was a real hoot hearing some of their guesses and then the amazement of realizing that yes, things were this way before you were born.   And so educational - so eye-opening that from there we got here. Thanks, Dave and others for several hours of great family entertainment.  

A house a car take a cruise wash my new car go shopping then sit on the porch of my new house cause I'm tired and broke

I used to cringe at being called ‘grandpa’ but now it’s ok 😀Four grandchildren make a life a delight. My oldest is seven.  Retirement is getting closer, but work is still a requirement.  One of the reasons I joined is to get better ideas on how to remotely care for my aging mom. She lives 1000 miles away and wants to stay put.  We enjoy phone conversations and I fly up less than I’d like to admit.  We looked into buying a home with an ADU up in her area so we could stay (in the ADU) for longer periods of time, but real-estate in the area makes that less doable.  I wrote a daily call service to check in on mom once in the morning and once at night, and that helps.  But I do worry a bit on the inevitable transition of managing her living space, medical routine, finances/taxes, and the help that does some of that for her.  Honestly it was hard for me to understand why a parent would not want to live near her kids/grands/ and gre

Hawked by bears, a music group called the Quilted Queens, an middle aged grocery Manager, all funny in their own right. Described as cushiony, eco-friendly, leaves you "clean as a whistle" and a multitude of other descriptions. Constructed out of bamboo, recycled material, and "who knows what" in other countries. Named after a brass instrument or a fabric material or a religious icon. Brings us to an all important question.................                  WHAT IS YOUR PREFERENCE IN TOILET PAPER?

[Wednesday 8/20/25] ARTICLE TITLE: Shipping containers provide versatile, sustainable housing options for Roanoke College students. I just saw this article in my Google News for MY AREA IN VIRGINIA. USE LINK BELOW TO READ ARTICLE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED. https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2025/08/19/shipping-containers-provide-versatile-sustainable-housing-options-for-roanoke-college-students/