AARP Offers a Friendly Voice

Spread the Word: Friendly Calls Available

“We may be apart, but we don’t have to be alone.  Please let organizations in your network know about a new resource that could be a life line for constituents, clients or residents, feeling isolated and lonely at this very challenging time.  It’s a virtual call center launched by AARP for those in need of a kind voice and a friendly chat.

Requests for a “friendly call” can be made through an online request form or by calling toll-free 888-281-0145 (English) or 888-497-4108 (Spanish).  Additional resources and information for finding help – and giving it – during the coronavirus pandemic are available (in English and Spanish) at AARP Community Connections

House Votes to Improve Protections From Age Discrimination

A bill that would help older adults fight back against age discrimination on the job moved one step closer to becoming law Wednesday when the House of Representatives passed it with bipartisan support.

The House voted 261-155 in favor of H.R. 1230, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA). The legislation would restore protections lost in a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has made it more difficult for people who face age discrimination in the workplace to successfully challenge such bias in court.

The Growing Role of the Aging Network in Improving Health Care and Reducing Costs Issue Brief

Our nation’s demographic shift is challenging our long-term care and health systems, requiring that we re-examine the way we finance and provide services for older Americans. Given this reality, it is time to invest in the low-cost, community-based services that stabilize health care costs and enable older adults to remain in their homes and communities.

Read this issue brief to learn more about the history of the aging network, the growth of senior population and how further investments in social, nutrition and other community supports can help bend the health care cost curve on the mandatory side of the budget. (Updated April 2018.)