aarp

What’s Happened to Housing Affordability?

Posted on 05/16/2013 by | Senior Strategic Policy Advisor | Comments

Home & Family | Money & Savings | Public Policy InstituteThe National Association of Realtors announced earlier this year that its Housing Affordability Index shows 2012 was a record year for housing affordability.  Subsequently, articles appeared in the media with titles such as “Housing Today Is More Affordable Than at Any Time in History” and “2012 a Banner Year for Housing Affordability, Industry Group Says.” In addition, I’ve seen TV reports that continue to note how affordable housing has become. All of these are at odds with study findings presented …

Responsible Solutions That Protect and Preserve Medicare

Posted on 05/13/2013 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

Personal HealthThis is a guest post by Sean Voskuhl – State Director, AARP Oklahoma Growing up in rural Oklahoma, I saw first-hand the importance of Medicare.  Finding accessible and affordable health care was always very difficult.  Many folks had no choice but to purchase a catastrophic/high deductible plan, or they relied on a spouse to get coverage by taking a job in town, or they went without health insurance at all. Simply put, most people gambled and prayed, trying to hold …

For Mom, My Heroine, on Mother’s Day

Posted on 05/12/2013 by | Before I Forget | Comments

Personal HealthMy mother had a cleft palate.  It was fixed when she was three years-old, and you could never tell anything was wrong by looking at her, but it left her with two impediments: her speech and her mother. Because of my mom’s speech impediment, my grandmother told my mom she would probably never get married.  Really?  Is that the way you bolster your child’s self-confidence?  Maybe she thought she was protecting her daughter from the harsh realities of life.  To …

Brain Research and the Search for Parkinson’s Cure

Posted on 05/1/2013 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

Personal HealthApril is Parkinson’s Awareness Month and AARP is happy to have The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) as a guest blog contributor. Throughout the month of April MJFF is sharing insight into the Parkinson’s research landscape, advice on living with Parkinson’s and steps you can take to help find the cure in our lifetime.   It is an important moment in brain research. New technologies and insights from genetics are changing our ability to pursue elusive treatments …

Power to the People via Family Caregiving Coalitions

Posted on 05/1/2013 by | Caregiving | Comments

CaregivingWhen I learned about the concept of family caregiving coalitions, what sprung to mind was the Carole King song “You’ve Got a Friend.” I say that in a good way! The famous lyrics are: “When you’re down and troubled and you need some love and care . . .” America’s 65.7 million family caregivers may be an army, but if you’re one of those troops, you can feel alone in the trenches. There’s the ever-changing situation, unpredictability, loss, exhaustion and, …

Five Steps to Avoid Acting in Haste and Repenting in Leisure

Posted on 04/22/2013 by | Fat to Fit | Comments

Personal HealthSpeed and efficiency have become key values for us. We expect an instant response when we flip a light switch or download a movie on television. We anticipate immediate acceleration when we put our foot on the gas and a reverse but equal response when we brake. We are a nation of fast-food lovers. Computer-mediated communication, whether by email, text messages or phone, allows us to be in touch with anyone on the globe within seconds. Life in the high-speed …

« Older Entries