AARP Rhode Island names Catherine Taylor New State Director

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Kathleen Connell steps down after serving since 1999 Catherine Taylor will join AARP Rhode Island on Monday, May 17, 2021 as AARP Rhode Island State Director. She succeeds Kathleen Connell, AARP Rhode Island’s first and only State Director since 1999. After a transition week, Connell will retire May 21.  Taylor most recently served as executive…

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Top Story of the Week: Exposing senior abuse was fiery advocacy 30 years ago.

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Congressman Cicilline poised for legacy as next fiery advocate on aging – Herb Weiss, April 30, 2021 Picking Up the Mantle of Fiery Aging Advocate, Claude Pepper – Cicilline Moves to Re-Establish the House Permanent Select Committee on Aging By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues Congressman David Cicilline is poised to offer a…

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Time to resolve RI’s ongoing Nursing Home staffing crisis – Herb Weiss

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By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues The latest release of AARP’s Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard shows that both cases and deaths in nursing homes declined in the four weeks ending March 21. Although these rates are improving, chronic staffing problems in nursing homes—revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic—continue. In Rhode Island, 30% of nursing homes reported a…

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AARP: Vaccinate seniors now! Leaders respond. Add YOUR voice.

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By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues The debate heats up as to how Rhode Island should distribute its limited stock of COVID-19 vaccine. Days ago, AARP Rhode Island urged state officials and lawmakers to put seniors on the top of the list to protect their lives. Older Rhode Islanders should be a priority…

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COVID-19 and 2021: Looking into the Crystal Ball – by Herb Weiss

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By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues  Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to surge across the nation.  As of last Monday, nearly 18,986,236 Americans have contracted COVID-19 with over 331,930 dying, says the John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center. Projection models say that deaths may spike to over 500,000 by March 2021.  As 2021 approaches,…

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The Impact of COVID-19’s Social Isolation on Seniors – by Herb Weiss

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By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging As COVID-19 cases continued to surge across the nation, AARP Foundation in collaboration with the United Health Foundation (UHF), released a report last month taking a look as to how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts seniors who find themselves socially isolated.  According to the recently released report, “The Pandemic…

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Social Security ‘21 COLA Increase Anemic

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By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues With the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) announcement of next year’s Social Security and Supplemental Security Income’s (SSI) meager cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), over 70 million beneficiaries will only see an increase of 1.3 percent in their monthly checks in 2021.  Last year’s COLA increase was 2.8 percent, the…

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Senate Comm. on Aging: Impact of Isolation and Loneliness on Seniors During COVID-19

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By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging As the COVID-19 crisis has shuttered businesses throughout the nation, state and federal health officials scramble to stop the spread of this deadly virus.  As states begin to slowly open up their economies, a growing number of researchers are finding that mandated social distancing and isolation through self-quarantine may have…

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