Seniors

Senior nutrition programs will help more elders maintain independence

March 20, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced that Florida will receive more than $7.2 million in funding to support senior nutrition programs in Florida through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The funding includes $4.8 million for congregate nutrition services provided at senior centers and other community sites and nearly $2.4 million for home-delivered meals to help homebound elders.    » read more »

Approximately 14 million meals to be provided through Recovery Act, Funding Will Support Community Programs Struggling to Serve Seniors

March 18, 2009 -- Vice President Joe Biden announced today that the Department of Health and Human Services will award $100 million in Recovery Act funding to provide meals to tens of thousands of low-income older Americans in need. The funding is expected to provide nearly 14 million meals nationwide.    » read more »

$2.8 million will help provide meals for 3,000 seniors

19, 2009 -- TRENTON - New Jersey will receive nearly $2.8 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds that will help Senior Nutrition programs provide tens of thousands of meals to an additional 3,000 seniors around the state, Governor Corzine announced today.

“This funding could not come at a more critical time as our seniors face rising costs and struggle to afford the nutritious meals that will help to keep them active and healthy,” said Governor Corzine. “The Senior Nutrition Program is one of New Jersey’s most important and least expensive tools to avoid nursing home placement for this vulnerable population.”    » read more »

March 11, 2009 -- WASHINGTON—AARP today applauded the introduction of bipartisan legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The Access to Life-Saving Medicine Act, introduced by Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA) and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), will create a needed pathway for the approval of safe generic versions of costly biologic drugs. A statement from AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond follows:

“Biologic drugs are treating some of the most devastating diseases Americans face, like cancer, anemia and multiple sclerosis. But for too many people, these life-saving medicines are simply out of reach because of their overwhelming price tags.    » read more »

March 11, 2009 -- Washington - AARP today applauded the Senate and the House of Representatives for taking important steps on legislation that will strengthen and expand civic engagement and volunteer opportunities at a time when many Americans are in great need. A statement from AARP Chief Operating Officer Tom Nelson on the Serve America Act (S. 277) and the G.I.V.E. Act (H.R. 1388) follows:

“AARP applauds Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Orrin Hatch and Representatives George Miller and Carolyn McCarthy for introducing bipartisan legislation that will usher in a new era of American service.    » read more »

New Jersey’s seniors, children, and most vulnerable to be protected

March 10, 2009 -- TRENTON - New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine delivered a $29.8 billion budget to the Legislature today and said that even in these dire financial times his spending plan is based on the administration's core values of nurturing children, honoring seniors and protecting those who have been hit hardest by the national economic crisis.

The FY2010 budget is $1 billion smaller than the first budget the governor presented four years ago, making him the first New Jersey governor in more than 60 years to reduce state spending over the course of a first term in office.    » read more »

March 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- As the health care reform debate intensifies across the country, AARP today released three new reports on major issues to health care reform. The AARP reports analyze health plan designs, cost shifting for expensive “specialty” drugs, and the access to coverage for Americans age 50-64.    » read more »

Washington, D.C., March 5, 2009 — The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Los Angeles resident Bruce Friedman and two of his companies with securities fraud, and obtained an emergency court order to freeze their assets and halt an alleged ongoing investment scheme involving purported real estate and mortgage lending ventures.    » read more »

March 5, 2009 -- AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond applauded House passage of the Mortgage Relief Bill and urged the Senate to prevent further foreclosures by quickly taking up the Bill. Following is her statement:

“The bankruptcy provision that passed the House today will allow people at risk of foreclosure, especially older Americans, to rework their mortgages in bankruptcy court and stay in their homes in situations where previous voluntary loan modifications had failed. With rising foreclosures undermining everyone’s property values, this new option will not only help hundreds of thousands of homeowners save their homes, it will help keep everyone’s property values from sliding further.    » read more »

March 3, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - Nursing home residents, beds, and occupancy rates have remained nearly constant in the last five years, even though the older population has increased, according to Across the States 2009, Profiles of Long-Term Care and Independent Living, a new state-by-state report from the AARP Public Policy Institute.

Specifically, the report finds that spending for long-term care services is not a primary force behind escalating Medicaid costs. The report shows that on average, Medicaid funds spent on home and community-based services (HCBS) can serve three older people or adults with disabilities for each resident in a nursing home.    » read more »

Washington, D.C., March 2, 2009 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Oregon-based Sunwest Management Inc. with securities fraud and is seeking an emergency court order freezing its assets. The SEC alleges that Sunwest, which operates hundreds of retirement homes across the United States, lied to investors about its operations and concealed the risks of the investments, exposing investors to massive losses when the economic downturn triggered Sunwest's collapse.

According to the SEC's complaint, Sunwest raised at least $300 million from more than 1,300 investors nationwide by promising a steady income stream and touting its success in running the properties.    » read more »

March 2, 2009 -- WASHINGTON — AARP today responded to President Barack Obama’s nomination of Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. A statement from AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond follows:

“During his first six weeks in office, President Obama has shown a commitment to solving our health care crisis. We applaud his decision to continue the march forward with his nomination of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.    » read more »

Iowa Finance Authority Granted Prestigious Funds to Preserve Affordable Housing for Families, Seniors, and Persons with Disabilities in Rural Iowa Communities

February 26, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver today announced that the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) will receive a $2.4 million investment from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The funds will help ensure the preservation of rural affordable housing for an estimated 1,200 Iowa families, seniors and persons with disabilities that are at-risk of losing their homes. State and local governments in 40 states competed for MacArthur’s support, and Iowa was one of 12 recipients to receive funds and launch innovative projects to preserve affordable rental homes.    » read more »

February 11, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – As the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 enters conference, Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate have the opportunity to work together to provide real relief to Americans who have been hit hardest by the economic crisis and jump start our ailing economy.

Nancy LeaMond, Executive Vice President at AARP, released the following statement today:    » read more »

January 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, AARP today charged that the Treasury Department “has largely ignored Congress’ directive to facilitate mortgage modifications” and called on Congress to provide “average homeowners with the same rights and opportunities to protect their primary assets in bankruptcy that corporations, investors, farmers and others have relied on for many years.”    » read more »