Friends & Family

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! AARP Pushes for Improved Auto Safety to Protect Pedestrians. Older pedestrians are more likely to die in traffic crashes. By Susan Milligan, AARP. Published November 26, 2024. Pedestrian deaths from traffic crashes are on the rise and AARP is advocating for improved auto safety features to protect those traveling on foot. Overall, motor vehicle deaths are dropping, but pedestrian deaths from auto accidents reached a 41-year high in 2022, the latest data available. New federal rules proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would make vehicles safer for drivers and for those walking along the street. The NHTSA proposal would establish a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, requiring new passenger vehicles to be designed to reduce the risk of serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians. https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2024/improve-safety-protect-pedestrians.h

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Stop! Don’t Buy These 10 Items on Black Friday. You're better off shopping for these products at different times of the year. By Beth Braverman, AARP. Published November 25, 2024. With all the excitement surrounding Black Friday, it’s easy to get caught up in the thrill and end up overspending or making purchases that leave you with buyer’s remorse. And, unfortunately, not every item is a good buy on the biggest shopping day of the year. Experts say it’s better to wait to buy the following items, since prices may fall further or be cheaper at different times of the year. https://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-2024/black-friday-items-to-avoid.html

In many places they still have no fuel to keep their generators and cars going - the gas stations were destroyed.   It is gonna be getting real cold there very soon.  So think about them when the chill of the night occurs. Hurricane Helene didn’t just cause destruction in this area - it literally washed everything away or it buried it under feets of mud.   Many have shelter courtesy of the State and FEMA but they still need help with food and fuel as the recovery continues.  Those big trucks clearing the way to get the debris out of the way need fuel sources too.   Please give what you can to help- They need specific volunteers too.This is a central clearinghouse organization that puts out the word on what is needed and where - it is all listed - give funds or needed items.WESTERN CAROLINA EMERGENCY NETWORK  Thank you for remembering them. 

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Battling for Justice on Your Behalf. AARP Foundation litigation team defends the rights of older Americans. By Elise Ceyral, AARP. Published November 14, 2024. In 2017, Gloria Single, 82, who had dementia, was sent to the hospital by her nursing home staff after she threw utensils at residents in the dining room. Later, the California facility where she’d lived with her husband for five years refused to allow her back — an action called “patient dumping.” That triggered a yearslong legal battle, in which AARP Foundation lawyers fought to uphold state and federal laws that prohibit what happened to Single. In 2021, a California court ruled her rights were violated, confirming a legal precedent that protects more than a million nursing home residents. https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2024/aarp-foundation-battling-for-justice.html

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Technology can help older adults and the caregivers who love them. By Jim Lenahan, AARP. Published November 05, 2024. Getting older doesn’t have to mean leaving your home. New technology promises to make aging in place easier, safer and more satisfying. In some cases, it can even lend a hand to caregivers. Smart tech that is connected to the internet often can be controlled from anywhere — inside or outside the home. Some of the most useful devices learn your preferences and routines and adjust to you. Or they can provide insight to a loved one who helps out. https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2024/smart-home-daily-life-easier.html

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! There are many ways you can honor those who served. By Alexandra Frost, AARP Experience Counts. Published November 07, 2024. It's been a long time coming. For some Vietnam veterans who never heard thank you, it’s been decades. “We were told to take off our uniforms prior to leaving the base,” recalled Larry Dodson, 77, an Air Force veteran from South Carolina. “It was such a divisive, turbulent time to arrive home and face such scorn and disrespect for doing what our government ordered us to do. https://www.aarp.org/home-family/voices/veterans/info-2024/thank-vietnam-veterans.html

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! AARP Backs New Bill to Prevent Falls Among Older Americans. Action needed to address growing yet preventable issue. By Emily Paulin, AARP. Published November 08, 2024. AARP is endorsing bipartisan legislation designed to prevent a longstanding and widespread issue among Americans 65 and older: falls. More than 14 million adults 65 and older — or 1 in 4 — report falling every year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those tumbles result in roughly nine million injuries, three million emergency department visits, and one million hospitalizations annually. https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2024/fall-prevention-bill-support.html

LINK TO THIS ARTICLE IS AT BOTTOM OF THIS POST IF ANYONE WANTS TO READ IT.  🙄 Seems like everyone is retiring from AARP. We lost AARP Lynne, AARP Michael and AARP Sneed. Oh well, I wish them all the best. Really NICE folks!!! I wonder IF AARP will be bringing in Age 18+ employees since they are now AARP members.  🤔 No more just Age 55+. Those days are bye bye.  ☹ By Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO, AARP.Published November 06, 2024. https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2024/jo-ann-jenkins-farewell.html

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Nursing Home Residents Could Tip Elections, if They Find a Way to Vote. For 2 million people in long-term care, ballot barriers are common. By Maura Kelly Lannan, AARP. Published October 18, 2024. Six weeks before the 2022 primaries, Maurice Miller hadn’t received his mail-in ballot from administrators at his Maryland nursing home. Each time he asked if they’d submitted a ballot application for him, he says he was told not to worry — there was a pandemic-related extension. By the time the retired journalist and IT administrator realized the ballot wasn’t coming and there was no extension, the only voting option was to get to the polls on Election Day. Miller, now 61, who is a functional quadriplegic with some use of his arms, was told to arrange his own transportation. After contacting several Maryland agencies, Miller made it to the polls and voted, but then spent the night in the hospital for observation after h

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! 10 Fall Aldi Finds You Didn’t Know You Needed. Spice up the fall with these non-food items. By Donna Fuscaldo, AARP. Published October 11, 2024. It's that time of year again to stock up on pumpkin spice cereal and apple cider,  but those aren’t the only fall items you’ll find gracing the shelves at Aldi, the discount supermarket chain with more than 2,400 stores across the country. The supermarket operator is also known for its Aldi Finds, an array of assorted goods that are popular with hardcore shoppers looking for unique buys beyond food. After all, who doesn’t want to go grocery shopping and also pick up a sweater for their pet or an inflatable skeleton for their front lawn this Halloween? https://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-2024/quirky-aldi-fall-finds.html

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FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! ▶️*** Updated October 09, 2024. ***◀️ AARP, AARP Foundation Raise $500,000 for Hurricane Relief Fund. AARP will match additional donations up to $300,000. By Natalie Missakian, AARP. AARP and AARP Foundation have raised more than $500,000 in less than a week for disaster relief to help victims of Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 100 people and left millions without power throughout the Southeast. After Hurricane Helene, AARP matched donations dollar for dollar, up to a total of $100,000, with 100 percent of the funds going to organizations providing on-the-ground help to disaster victims. As Hurricane Milton makes landfall AARP has committed to matching an additional $300,000 in funds raised. https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2024/hurricane-helene-relief-fund.html

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Election officials are working to overcome challenges in storm-ravaged states. By Natalie Missakian, AARP. Published October 04, 2024. Hurricane Helene battered the Southeast last week just as voters were registering and applying for absentee ballots, including in the key battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia, which could determine the outcome of the presidential election. Election officials from Florida to the Carolinas have been working to assess damage, minimize disruptions and get information out to voters amid widespread power outages, flooding and destruction from Helene. https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2024/hurricane-helene-voting/

FROM ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! AARP Foundation Launches Hurricane Helene Relief Fund. All donations will go to organizations assisting disaster victims. By Natalie Missakian, AARP. Published October 02, 2024. AARP Foundation has set up a relief fund to help victims of Hurricane Helene, which has killed more than 100 people and left millions without power throughout the Southeast. All funds raised will go to organizations providing on-the-ground help to disaster victims. https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2024/hurricane-helene-relief-fund.html

I thought I'd repost my story here.  It's been a rough  5 years for me and my husband.  We married late in life, he was a 47 year old bachelor when we married in 2011. Neither of us had children, and we've been happy, well as happy as "normal" married couples. This all started with my mother's sudden death in early May of 2019.  Undiagnosed pancreatic cancer took her in 2.5 weeks once we found out.  The following May, my aunt (mom's only sister) passed followed by my mother-om-law the very next day.  Aunt-bone cancer, MIL-stroke.  Later that year, in December, my sister-in-law (husband's brother's wife) passed from sepsis.  April of 2022, My husband's sister passed from kidney transplant failure and strokes.  Last September my father-in-law passed from a gallbladder infection.  That was all very hard to deal with in such a short time, but we thought we were done with all the grief for at least a few years.  This was not t

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Don’t just set and forget this key part of your estate plan. By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, AARP. Published September 23, 2024. While too many people procrastinate and never get around to drafting a last will and testament, that’s one financial chore you’ve wisely managed to tackle. And simply by having a will, you’re already ahead of the curve. According to the 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Study from Caring.com, only one-third of Americans have prepared a will. The survey found that roughly 40 percent of U.S. adults have put off this crucial financial task because they feel they don’t have enough assets to warrant drafting a will or preparing an estate plan. https://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-2024/times-to-update-your-will.html

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Why I Think Florida Is Truly Our Greatest State. Sun, sea, sand, snowbirds and no state income tax. What’s not to love? By Marcia Kester Doyle, AARP Experience Counts. Published September 19, 2024. This is an opinion piece that only reflects the views of the writer and not necessarily those of AARP Experience Counts. I was born and raised in South Florida. I thought I'd eventually move out of state for a change of scenery. But no matter how many places I traveled to, the Sunshine State always lured me back. https://www.aarp.org/experience-counts/florida-greatest-state-case/

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! AARP Shares Vision for National Plan on Aging. America needs a plan to help its older citizens — and soon. By Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO, AARP. Published September 20, 2024. Most Americans understand the importance of planning to ­secure their economic futures and advance directives to ­prepare for their health care as they age. But for too long, there has been no federal action plan to protect our nation’s growing older population. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 or ­older. Yet many government policies and ­programs have not addressed the unique needs of the aging population. https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2024/jo-ann-jenkins-vision-for-aging.html

Any advice - I need to make a tough decision to either move with my adult daughter & my 2 grandchildren to a “multi generational home” or go myself to an over 55 community. The community has lots of activities, but many of them I can no longer do because of physical limitations (I am only 65, but walking is limited). I feel like I would have a better chance to meet people & make friends in the community, but it could  be hard because I can’t do a lot. I don’t want to move there & end up sitting in a house all alone. 

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! 5 Easy Ways to Transition Your Wardrobe Into Fall. A little layering and some darker hues and textures help announce the arrival of a new season. By Cindy Weber-Cleary, AARP. Published September 09, 2024. The Fashion Week runway shows started in New York last week. When I used to attend them as a magazine editor, I sometimes found it challenging to figure out what to wear. After all, the weather was usually still hot and summery, but many fashionistas felt pressure to be wearing new clothes from the upcoming fall season — like little kids wanting to wear a brand-new outfit for the first day of school. In my opinion, it makes more sense to dress for the weather, but if you are feeling the urge to get your September vibe on right away, here are five easy tricks. https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/style-trends/info-2024/fall-transition-outfits-clothes-fashion.html

I just got a link from an AARP Livable e-mail, for an article about "Elder Orphans". The article contained a link to a closed Facebook group for us. If you request to join the group, a 3-item questionnaire pops up, asking your age, marital status, and status regarding children. Then you have to wait for the administrator to check it out & approve you. It should be interesting to see what information they provide, and what the conversations are about.

GRATEFUL I AM RETIRED = LESS GAS USED  💃💃💃 You won’t feel much relief but there are some categories where prices are coming down. By Donna Fuscaldo. Published January 11, 2024. https://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-2024/consumer-product-prices-falling.html

So many people say, "Why aren't you on Facebook?" I get less kind versions of that question too! 🙄😲  It just seems like one more thing to "manage" in my life.  Also, one more way to get identity thief issues.  I communicate with my family and small intimate circle of friends fine without it.  Christine

Hey everyone. Things are good here and I finally got my Christmas present. I got to see one of my favorite bands CREED for the first time on Friday. They were freaking awesome especially Scott Stapp. He has still got it and I know some are not going to agree with me but I think he is sexy and looked incredibly HOT. My husband has been gone 18 months now but,  I had a big smile on my face and singing along. I went with my daughter and son in law which made it more special. Plus,  my daughter videoed my favorite song so I have that memory with me always. Love to you all. ❤️❤️❤️

I would luv to hear your thoughts on these states and your experiences in them. At the moment I am living in Virginia while I TRY to "transistion" back to Florida. Left in 2015 and my daughter wants me "closer" to her there. Thanks,Nicole  👵