Annual Report AARP 2009

> In 2009 AARP renewed our commitment to helping
millions of AARP members transform the second half of
their lives. Together we worked to make this a time of
personal growth, fulfillment and security.

Services and Discounts

Focusing on members’ needs, AARP Services, Inc. introduced a number of programs aimed at saving members money on everyday purchases, as well as improving their wellbeing through health and financial services.

In a year when members needed to stretch every dollar, their overall usage of discounts grew nearly 10 percent over 2008. Access to grocery coupons, as well as savings at major retailers such as Target and Best Buy, drove increased member engagement in benefits.

For those with hearing problems, discounts on services provided through HearUSA were piloted in two states, with plans to expand in 2010. To offer members an affordable way to stay fit, savings on the Leslie Sansone Walk at Home program were made available. Expanded products for long-term care gave members more choice in protecting their future.

Celebrating Diversity

As America became more diverse, so did AARP. We welcomed more new African American and Hispanic members in 2009 than in any previous year. Some of these gains resulted from the “Vivir Mejor” (Live Better) campaign, which expanded awareness of AARP among Hispanics.

Our flagship bilingual publication, AARP Segunda Juventud, expanded farther into multimedia with daily two-minute radio spots and a weekly 30-minute radio program. The video profile of fashion designer Carmen Marc Valvo produced in conjunction with a 2008 Segunda Juventud magazine article was honored with a Webby award for online excellence.

‘superbugs’ article saved a Life A grateful member called to say that the March AARP Bulletin special report, “Battling Superbugs,” saved her life. Following her stomach surgery, the woman said, four doctors and four hospitals were unable to figure out why she couldn’t put weight back on. Then she read our article and realized, “This is me!” She asked her doctor to test her for an organism called Clostridium difficile. Sure enough, she had this intestinal bug, which a doctor treated effectively. The member told us, “If I hadn’t read your article, I’d be dead as a doornail.”

African Americans received information and timely updates about a variety of issues, thanks to a new collaboration between AARP and the National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. News articles, feature items and commentaries on health, financial, housing, safety, legal and other topics were distributed via NNPA-member newspapers to their 15+ million readers.