AARP Washington State Podcast

Where will we live as we get older? Washington is in a housing crisis. We discuss what can done with Gov. Jay Inslee in this live teletown hall hosted by AARP's Cathy MacCaul. Older people are increasingly priced out of their neighborhoods, options for downsizing are scarce, and the problem of "missing middle" housing is only getting worse. Ideas like ADUs hold promise but progress is difficult. What can we do now for a better future? Learn more at aarp.org/wa

Stephanie Johnson-Toliver of the Black Heritage Society of WA joins us to talk about the exhibit she help curate on the history of the Seattle Steelheads, part of the first pro Black baseball league on the West Coast. Plus, we get into the Black experience in 1940s Seattle and baseball for other marginalized groups. The exhibit is in Steelheads Alley at the Hatback Bar & Grille across the street from T-Mobile Park.

We're having a Black History Month event at Steelheads Alley on Weds. Feb. 15th, 2023. Come meet AARP Washington staff, volunteers and other members of your community from 5-8pm. Registration is required. The venue has free parking in the front and rear of the building. Refreshments provided and your first beverage is on us! RSVP now at: events.aarp.org/aarpwabhm

Should you respond to that text? Donate to that charity? At the holiday season, con artists ramp up their efforts to get your money. We give you a few quick tips to spot the common scams this year and how to respond. Text and delivery scams are common, fake and shady charities ask for donations, gift cards have risks of losing your money. You can avoid the frauds with simple precautions. Find out what you need to know with these quick tips.

The holiday season is open season for con artists trying to get your money. Fake charities, Amazon scams, delivery scams, gift card scam... they all ramp up at this time of year. We'll tell you about the common fraud tactics and how to stay safe. Plus, in honor of Veterans and Military Families Appreciation Month, we'll discuss frauds targeting veterans. This episode features our cybersafety lead volunteer Dave Morrow. Dave spend more than 20 years in cybersecurity for the Air Force and after his service, worked for major banks and tech companies leading their security efforts. The program is hosted by AARP Fraud Watch Network volunteer Anne O'Callahan. For more on fraud prevention from AARP, see aarp.org/fraud and for our veterans services, visit aarp.org/veterans.

We get the latest on COVID in Washington with Dr. Tao Kwan-Gett of the WA Dept of Health and Ingrid Ulrey of the US Dept of Health and Human Services. Should you get a booster shot? What is a bivalent vaccine? Are adverse reactions being tracked? We answer these questions and more in this episode. The program is a live teletown hall hosted by our Washington State Director Marguerite Ro.

AARP Washington has a new state director! In this episode, our volunteer Brenda Charles-Edwards interviews Marguerite Ro about her vision for our work going forward. Marguerite comes to us from Seattle-King County Public Health. Most recently, she's focused on policy development, data-driven solutions, and chronic disease and injury prevention. Throughout her career, she has partnered with diverse communities to achieve health equity through policy advocacy and to eliminate barriers to care. Brenda is the host of "Senior Matters!" on the Rainier Ave Radio Network and volunteers in a variety of areas for AARP.

We talk about the just-passed prescription drug price relief in Congress with Rep. Pramila Jayapal. The new Inflation Reduction Act allows Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, caps insulin costs and out of pocket expenses and more. It's real progress in combating runaway Rx drug costs. In this AARP teletown hall, we discuss the effects of this historic legislative win for older Americans and take listener questions on the phone. Learn more about the bill at aarp.org/rx

We talk with a hiring manager in a different industry, Whitney Richardson, who is Director of Employee Experience at SanMar. SanMar is a national supplier of custom logowear clothing based in Issaquah and has both corporate and warehouse operations in our area. Whitney talks about what it takes to get hired in both environments. We get into the specifics of today's resume and cover letter, how to approach an interview and more. We also discuss advice for the young people in our lives who are starting their careers. It's everything you need to know to get hired today.

AARP caregiving expert Amy Goyer sits down with us to talk about the realities of caring for family members and all the resources AARP has to help. Amy has a very personal story of how caring for her parents challenged her and how she's made it through. Most of us will be caregivers at some point in our lives and Amy offers practical advice and support. AARP offers info for caregivers at aarp.org/caregivers