Many seniors report using technology on a regular basis but those who do not risk missing out due to its role in so much of daily life.

"Digital Literacy," a collaborative project in Lincoln, aims to help older Nebraskans strengthen their digital skills. The City of Lincoln's Aging Partners received an AARP Community Challenge grant of just over $20,000 for the project.

Randall Jones, director of Aging Partners, pointed to AARP surveys showing older seniors have less confidence in their digital skills compared with their younger counterparts.

"Technology has kind of surpassed some of the abilities of seniors, so our goal here is to try to improve knowledge of how to access this valuable resource," Jones explained. "That can go the range of email or Web, or GPS, just a number of things."

This fall, five Digital Literacy pop-ups will be held around Lincoln. Collaborating on the project are University of Nebraska-Lincoln students, Community Action Partnership and El Centro. The students will help seniors with their cellphones or other devices, with translators available for a number of different languages.

Jones noted a major goal of the project is to help seniors avoid becoming isolated.

"One of the great values of this is not just the knowledge but being able to use this and the increased socialization that it provides," Jones emphasized. "We learned during COVID that loneliness can have a really challenging impact on seniors' well-being."

AARP awarded nearly $4 million in Community Challenge grants this year, funding just over 340 projects.

Todd Stubbendieck, state director of AARP Nebraska, said the idea of funding short-term projects began in 2017.

"It was developed in response to mayors and local leaders, who recognize the importance of getting 'quick wins' to help build more livable communities," Stubbendieck observed. "This award is on the larger side of average, and that's a recognition of what a unique and innovative grant proposal they put together."

Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said in a news release the Digital Literacy project is one of the initiatives that will "propel Lincoln forward as an even more age-friendly community."

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."

With 2025 almost here, Connecticut organizations are preparing for the next legislative session.

The 2025 session will not be as short as the one in 2024 and after some committee shortcomings, there is growing hope more legislation will be passed to help the state's older residents. AARP Connecticut said it will target topics like predatory lending, making utilities more affordable and improving nursing home care.

Nora Duncan, state director of AARP Connecticut, said they want to focus on 'pocketbook issues.'

"We need to fight for the priorities that can impact the most amount of people to help reduce their cost of living to make Connecticut a great place for people to live, age and retire," Duncan contended.

The latest ALICE update found salaries for most Connecticut jobs do not pay enough for monthly expenses like rent and utilities. ALICE stands for "Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed," referring to those who are working but still cannot cover their bills.

Electric utility Eversource has announced a 24% rate increase starting in 2025. Federal data show Connecticut has some of the highest energy costs in the country.

As important as cost-saving priorities are to residents, there could be challenges to achieving them. Some of them are political but Duncan acknowledged there will be many others.

"When there's a budgetary impact, the challenge is always what are the priorities of the General Assembly and other advocacy groups? What are the challenges to the state budget?" Duncan explained. "I know this year there'll be a lot of conversation around the fiscal guardrails."

New studies show some of the budget's fiscal guardrails are twice as restrictive as they are meant to be. A Connecticut Voices for Children report concluded the state's volatility cap is not using reasonable metrics, which has led to at least $755 million per year in revenue being restricted, or more than $5 billion between 2018 and 2024.