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It is now June and that means hurricane season is here. This is a time to prepare your home, your family, and yourself. Even though COVID-19 is complicating things, preparing yourself during hurricane season is key to being safe from an unexpected storm.

If you’re having a hard time finding ways to prepare for a possible storm when dealing with the current health crisis, Nickea Bradley from the Office of Emergency Management has some tips that can help. During our AARP Texas Prepare to Care podcast, Bradley said it is all about knowing how to prevent, protect, and mitigate life-threatening events. Research scientists from Colorado State University, released a seasonal hurricane forecast. This year, they are predicting above-normal activity with about eight hurricanes and 16 named storms.

This current pandemic has created an interesting dynamic for caregivers and their families. Children who are caregivers are now taking on some of the same anxieties associated with caregiving. They are worried about their parents, trying and taking on tasks to keep them at home, and in some cases, take on their caregiving tasks to keep them safe too.

There are an estimated 40 million American adults providing support with basic functional, household, and medical/nursing tasks to help individuals remain in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Of these 40 million family caregivers, about 1 in 4 are millennials.

The latest numbers reveal that millennial caregivers spend an average of 21 hours a week taking care of their loved one(s). More than half of Millennial family caregivers are African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Asian American/Pacific Islanders.

Dr. Charlene James-Piper is the Executive Director of Student Academic Support Services and First-Year Students at Texas Southern University. She also belongs to this growing group of young caregivers. She, like her mother, AARP Texas State President and podcast host Charlene Hunter James, knows the faces of traditional caregivers have changed.

In this time of COVID-19, social isolation, and uncertainty, your brain health may be at risk. As a caregiver, the level of anxiety you may be experiencing could be at an all-time high. Audette Rackley, head of special programs at the Center for BrainHealth in Dallas, shared some brain-boosting tips on the AARP Texas Prepare to Care Podcast. She also offered up some advice on juggling multi-generational caregiving duties.

COVID-19 has changed our daily routines. It has affected the way we go out to dinner, exercise, and shop. When it comes to grocery shopping, which is a necessity, what can we do to stay safe? Do I leave non-perishable items outside for 24-hours? Do I wipe down food containers and then wipe down the kitchen counter where I placed the bags? And what about produce? What is the safety protocol I need to follow when unpacking those items?

To help us get to the truth, we have invited Dr. Keisha Davis. She is a board-certified pathologist and cytopathologist. She focuses on the cause and effect of the disease. She is going to join us Prepare to Care podcast host Charlene Hunter James to talk about ways to protect yourself when grocery store shopping during this COVID-19 epidemic.

The COVID-19 outbreak has taken an emotional toll on everyone including caregivers. It is important to help family caregivers keep themselves and those around them safe, happy, and healthy. AARP in Texas knows the value caregivers bring to all our communities which is why we work feverishly to provide practical resources and up to the minute information to keep them safe.

In this latest episode of the Prepare to Care Podcast, we talk to Care Partners. Like AARP, this nonprofit volunteer organization focuses on providing caregivers the tools to care for their loved ones throughout their caregiving journey. Jenna Dhayer is the Care Partners president and offers advice on how caregivers can stay positive and reduce stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At AARP, we work hard to provide you with information that betters your life. In this jam-packed podcast, we will address two different topics that impact us all. We're talking about scams and employer caregiving.

Prepare to Care Podcast host Charlene Hunter James will be talking to Tricia Sandiego, AARP Sr. Advisor for CSN Programs, Caregiving & Health. She will offer tips for working caregivers amidst the COVID-19 epidemic…She’s talking about companies and what they can do to be more supportive during these difficult times. But before we talk to Ms. Sandiego, we’re going to be talking scams.

Scammers are always thinking of ways to entice victims, it is especially true in times of trouble. We have reached out to the Texas Attorney General’s Office for the latest information. Joining us today is Amanda Sanders, Outreach Director for the AG’s office. She’ll tell us about the latest scams in Texas, how to spot them and what to do to protect ourselves.

The toll COVID-19 has on humans has been widely reported, but what about your pets. Can they catch this virus? Dr. Karen Wu, a Zoonosis Veterinarian at the Veterinary Public Health Division and Harris County Animal Shelter joined our Prepare to Care Podcast host Charlene Hunter James to talk about the issue.

Dr. Wu offers tips that could keep you and your pets healthy.

“Social distancing” is a phrase we’re all too familiar with today and part of our new normal in this time of Covid-19. As we socially distance ourselves to prevent spreading the virus, you should look for ways to avoid loneliness without risking our health.

This is especially important for members of our 50+ community. The latest research shows that the negative health effects of chronic isolation and loneliness, while harmful at any age, are especially hard on older adults. 17% of adults age 65 and older are isolated.

AARP Texas Associate State Director of Advocacy, Amanda Fredriksen, joins Prepare to Care Podcast host Charlene Hunter James in this edition of the podcast. She’s here to tell us the results of isolation, what caregivers can do to help keep the person they’re caring for safe.

Seems like every day we are hearing something new about the Coronavirus or Covid-19. The only consistent message is that major steps are being taken during the illness' outbreak to inform and protect older Americans and their families.

We at AARP Texas want to make sure you have the most accurate information so we are going to thought leaders to offer us information and tips to keep us healthy and safe.

In this week’s AARP Prepare to Care podcast, host Charlene Hunter James is talking to Dr. Janeana White. She is the Clinical Director for the Division of Clinical Control and Prevention with the Harris County Public Health office.

Dr. White is here to tell us more about Covid-19. She’ll also offer advice for caregivers, multi-generational families/households as they deal with COVID-19 and give us some hygiene tips for the home.

The nation's estimated 140 million households are receiving their 2020 Census invitations. The forms are easy to fill out and you can submit them online, by mail and by phone. To keep everyone safe, the Census Bureau has suspended all field operations for now. The idea is to take a break to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Census takers are now scheduled to visit households that have not responded to the 2020 Census in mid-August, but those plans could change as the bureau continues to monitor the ever-changing situation.

Rebecca Briscoe is a Partnership Coordinator for the 2020 Census. She joined AARP State President, Charlene Hunter James, to talk about the census and why it is so important to be counted.