Las leyes recientemente aprobadas en Connecticut pueden mejorar el acceso y la calidad de la atención médica para las personas adultas mayores.

Un cambio significativo es la extensión de una ley de telesalud de la era de la pandemia que debía expirar este mes. La ley autoriza a más tipos de proveedores de atención médica a brindar servicios de telesalud y permite que proveedores autorizados de otros estados ejerzan en Connecticut. Nora Duncan con AARP Connecticut dice que la ley también es una opción rentable de atención de salud.

"No se puede cobrar a un paciente no asegurado más que la tarifa de reembolso de Medicare por servicios de telesalud, por ejemplo," explica Dunca. "O un HMO, no puede reducir la cantidad de reembolso que pagan a los proveedores por servicios prestados adecuadamente a través de telesalud en lugar de en persona."

Añade que la ley impide que las tasas de reembolso predispongan a los proveedores a favor o en contra de la telesalud. Las encuestas muestran que las personas mayores recurren más a estos servicios: el 70% de los adultos mayores de 50 años dicen sentirse cómodos con los servicios de telesalud. Pero algunos prefieren las visitas presenciales por la precisión del diagnóstico, la minuciosidad y el trato personal.

Algunos proyectos de ley no llegaron a aprobarse en la Asamblea General. Uno de ellos habría establecido mecanismos de aplicación del programa My CT Savings. Este programa obliga a las empresas con 5 o más empleados a realizar deducciones en sus nóminas en concepto de ahorro para la jubilación.

Duncan afirma que el cumplimiento del programa es importante.

"Los empleados no tienen la obligación de participar en este programa, pueden optar por no participar, pero los empleadores deben ofrecerlo," dice Duncan. "Por lo tanto, creo que es importante aplicar sanciones por no cumplir con la ley y volveremos a hacerlo el ano que viene."

Si bien el proyecto de ley fue aprobado por el Senado, no logró pasar a la Cámara de Representantes. Además de volver a presentar este proyecto de ley, Duncan dice que en la sesión legislativa de 2025 se trabajará para desarrollar otras leyes, como seguir mejorando la calidad de la atención en los hogares de ancianos.

Increasing housing options for the state's seniors is at the top of AARP Iowa's priority list for the new legislative session and the group is pushing for a tax credit for Iowa's growing number of family caregivers.

A lack of housing reduces options for Iowa seniors who want to age in place. Accessory Dwelling Units can help address the problem, from a small house or cottage on the property of an existing home, or even a garage apartment.

Paige Yontz, state advocacy manager for AARP Iowa, said smaller housing units can be the difference between an older person staying in their home or having to find another place to live.

"Currently, those are not allowed in all communities across the state of Iowa," Yontz pointed out. "We are looking to expand access to this housing option by championing a statewide ADU law that would give all Iowans the right to build an ADU on their property, which would reduce unnecessary regulations and red tape."

AARP Iowa will also push for a tax break for the caregivers in the state who provide billions of dollars in unpaid services, mostly to family members.

The tax credit for family caregivers is designed to help offset the costs of services and care they provide, which is often more than $7,000 out of their own pockets.

"It would be a nonrefundable income tax credit that would allow working caregivers to claim up to 50% of eligible expenses when caring for a relative," Yontz outlined. "This would be capped at $2,000 per year, with an additional $1,000 available for individuals caring for veterans or those with a dementia-related diagnosis."

As the group has done in years past, she added AARP Iowa is working to help reduce fraud among the state's aging population, a target for a growing number of phishing and other information scams.

If you are a woman age 50 and older, and you provide care for a parent, a child, a loved one or neighbor, you are invited to sign up for a weekend cabin retreat in the wooded foothills near Allenspark.

Kriste Peoples, executive director of Women's Wilderness, is organizing the Trailblazer Radiance Retreat, a three-night getaway specifically designed for Colorado's hard-working women of color. She said the goal is to give caregivers a chance to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect - with themselves, with their peers, and with the natural world.

"Nature provides a really wonderful opportunity to lower our anxiety levels, to relieve symptoms of stress, to really help us feel better," she explained.

Thanks to financial support from AARP Colorado, a sliding-scale contribution will cover everything, including lodging, meals, gear and transportation to the renowned Sunshine Mountain Lodge. The deadline to register is next Friday, January 24th. Follow the "Trailblazer" link at 'womenswilderness.org.'

Marissa Volpe with AARP Colorado noted women of color are often the sole providers of care for their families and communities, work that mostly goes unpaid, and said they deserve some pampering too. In addition to exploring nearby trails and mountain vistas, participants can opt for professionally facilitated yoga, meditation and other activities.

"And to get some rest," she explained. "It's not a super packed weekend. You can rest if you just want to be fireside, and just reading. Or if you want to get outside and do that hike or snowshoe, or an afternoon craft."

Peoples added women of color are disproportionately the unsung heroines as caregivers at home and on the job, and they don't always have the time or money to attend a retreat where they can be cared for, supported, and feel replenished.

"We too often downplay the need for our own self care. We don't prioritize it. And this is the perfect opportunity to do that. So I would say, please don't think twice," she concluded.

Monday is the start of Arizona's new legislative session. Advocacy groups such as AARP Arizona are gearing up and say they're ready to work to ensure older Arizonans have the quality of life they deserve.

Brendon Blake, director of advocacy at AARP Arizona, said one of its priorities is a bill sponsored by state Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley, which would allow family members to install a camera in their loved one's room at a long-term care facility.

Blake said they're eager to get to work with lawmakers, regardless of political party.

"It is meeting new faces, it is getting to have a relationship with members on both sides of the aisle and both chambers, so that way they know what we're all about," he said. "And I would say that is our biggest hurdle, is just getting to an introduction."

Blake said AARP Arizona also sits on the Vulnerable Adult System Study Committee, which will be meeting throughout the year to prepare legislation for 2026 to protect vulnerable adults. He suggested that all Arizonans learn about the legislative process and get involved.

Scammers stole close to $500 million worth of cryptocurrency last year. Blake said cryptocurrency scams are a growing issue in Arizona and around the country, but added that AARP Arizona will work to prevent them by educating folks on the risks of using cryptocurrency ATMs.

"People are putting their money, and in some cases their life savings, into a cryptocurrency ATM," he said, "and that is one thing that was brought to our attention that our national office has gotten behind us on, that we are hoping to work on as well - at the very least, educate legislators on this."

In 2023, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 69,000 complaints from the public about financial fraud related to cryptocurrency.

Blake said people shouldn't be shy about reaching out to their legislators. He said many times lawmakers are more receptive to constituents than to advocates such as himself.

"Because they see me as someone who is getting paid to do this," he said, "and they see you as somebody who could impact their next election, especially in some of these really swing districts."