AARP Foundation

Nearly 50% of U.S. veterans are age 65 and over, and 23.2% have a service-related disability. All too often, veterans face challenges and delays in receiving the care and benefits for injuries incurred during their service. This problem is particularly acute for older adults, where timely access to the essential services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is paramount. Tomorrow, #SCOTUS will hear arguments about rules related to appeals of veterans’ benefits determinations. Read our expert analysis from Julie Nepveu and what it means for the older adults we serve.

It was such an honor to present the inaugural AARP Foundation Volunteer Leadership Award to Linda Lawton this week at the Tax-Aide National Meeting in Denver. Linda, our National Operating Committee chair, embodies a spirit of community service and innovation. And it was wonderful to visit with all of our Tax-Aide volunteer leaders as they lay the groundwork for another successful tax season. It's a joy to work #ForandWith so many talented older adults.

Yesterday, AARP Foundation’s Cara Schrack attended a special announcement at the White House hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, AmeriCorps, and The Johns Hopkins University. The good news? Thanks in part to AARP Foundation #ExperienceCorps volunteers, the National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS) exceeded its goal of engaging 250,000 volunteers by 28% and has engaged 320,000 caring volunteers throughout the nation.??? We are grateful to all Experience Corps volunteers and our program partners for their commitment to children in their communities, along with NPSS for spearheading this critical work. Learn more about AARP Foundation Experience Corps:?https://lnkd.in/dmiZNBz.

"We need food to survive. We can't do anything else if we don't have food," says Erika Murdoch with Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). As an AARP Foundation grantee, SFBFS works tirelessly to help older adults with low income afford the food they need. Thank you to community heroes like Erika who spend their lives helping others. You inspire us. Special thanks to UnitedHealthcare for making it possible to share Erika's story.

Social Security is the primary source of income for 40% of older Americans. The?annual cost-of-living adjustment is a vital component of the program, ensuring protection against inflation during Americans’ retirement years. Today’s?announcement of a 2.5%?adjustment means older Americans will receive needed relief to help better afford essential items from groceries to gas. Inflation took a financial toll this past year, particularly on retirees, who often rely on Social Security as a key source of income. Even with this adjustment, we know many older adults who rely on Social Security may find it hard to pay their bills.? ? While the COLA is important, there is more we must do to ensure older Americans can continue to count on Social Security. AARP continues to call on Congress to take bipartisan action to strengthen Social Security and secure a long-term solution that Americans can rely on. #SocialSecurity #COLA #RetirementSecurity

Older adults in the U.S. are living and working longer than ever. About 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. age 65 and older were employed in 2023 – nearly double the share of those who were working in the 1980s. The average life expectancy in the U.S. is now 76 years old, or 16 years longer since the Social Security Act was enacted in 1935. Yet, unfair and discriminatory hiring practices are keeping older workers from jobs they’re qualified for and working later in life. Watch as AARP Foundation's William Rivera shares our latest work to fight age discrimination and make sure employers are more aware of the value of experienced workers. #AgeismAwarenessDay #TalkAboutAgeism

Join AARP Foundation in sending relief and assistance to the victims of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Right now, AARP will match contributions dollar for dollar. GIVE NOW >> https://spr.ly/6047Ut6hW

New research from AARP shows that #AgeDiscrimination is rampant, with 60% of older workers experiencing it at work in one form or another. The research found that age discrimination can show up in workers' daily lives in both subtle and direct ways: ?? Assuming older employees are less tech savvy (33%) ??♂?Assuming older employees are resistant to change (25%) ????Giving preference to younger employees for training (20%) Make no mistake: Age discrimination is wrong and illegal. On #AgeismAwarenessDay, learn more about our work to defend older workers: https://spr.ly/6046UshKs. #TalkAboutAgeism

Next week, #SCOTUS is set to listen to oral arguments for Williams v. Washington, Alabama Secretary of Labor. It's a case that will decide whether certain plaintiffs, such as nursing facility residents suing over rights violations, must exhaust all administrative remedies before bringing certain civil rights suits in state court. Get our full analysis and insights on the case.

Thank you to Heather C. McGhee for joining us at AARP Foundation to talk about how racial justice and prosperity are intertwined in our country – and how we all benefit when we work together. She left us with a hopeful message: as she has traveled the country, she has found it is often older people who are the changemakers in their communities, working across racial lines to solve common problems. We need more people to do the same. So I will share her call to action with all of you: “We may not be everyday activists, but I hope all of us are once-a-month activists and take some kind of action with our neighbors for the greater good.”