Your AARP ;
; WASHINGTON WATCH
Recognizing
Leaders in
Elder Justice
AARP has recognized several mem-
bers of Congress for their leadership
in combating elder abuse and exploi-
tation, which has been the subject of
emotional congressional hearings.
Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-
Utah), Herb Kohl (D-Wis.)
and Blanche Lincoln (D-
Ark.) all have sponsored
the Senate’s version of the Elder Justice Act, which
aims to reduce such abuse by enhancing the train-
ing and education of those who deal with older
people. Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Peter
King (R-N. Y.) were similarly cited for their work
with the legislation in the House. They all are re-
cipients of AARP’s 2009 Congressional Awards,
which commend “the hard work lawmakers do on
behalf of our members and all older Americans,”
says AARP CEO A. Barry Rand. ; Awardees
were praised for actions that will “help improve
the physical, emotional, mental
and financial well-being of old-
er Americans,” according to the citations.
; The Elder Justice Act supports efforts to
locate and punish abusers. It also promotes
coordination between the Department of
Health and Human Services and the De-
partment of Justice when law enforcement
participation is required. The legislation,
which was introduced as a stand-alone bill,
has gotten widespread congressional sup-
port. But versions of it have been incor-
porated into the overall debate on health
care reform.
Baldwin
Kohl
King
Lincoln
Hatch
Two new releases in AARP’s popular line
of memory books, For My Son and For My
Daughter, celebrate the bond between parents and their grown children. Combining a
journal with a photo album, the keepsake
books capture a parent’s experience of raising a child. There are hints to jog memories
at every stage, and each section contains
blank pages for longer recollections. ; For
My Son and For My Daughter are published
by AARP and Lark Books. AARP members
get a 35 percent discount on these and
other titles at www.aarp.org/books.
Capture Parents’ Memories
; BOOKS
When USA Weekend magazine an-
nounces the winners of its Make a
Difference Day competition on
April 18, two community service
projects will receive awards spon-
sored by AARP’s Create the Good
effort. The $5,000 AARP awards
recognize projects that help peo-
ple stay in their own homes as they
age. ; AARP’s award recipients are
the Fairfield (Calif.) Community
Services Foundation for the city’s
Senior Home Assistance Repair
Event, and the Wilkes (N.C.) Habi-
tat for Humanity for a home-repair
event coordinated by the Volunteer
Coalition of Wilkes County. ; Na-
tional Volunteer Week is April 18-
24. Find opportunities at www
. createthegood.org.
; AWARDS
Home-Repair Projects Do Good
DISCOUNT
; Go explore
Exploritas, the organization formerly
known as Elder-hostel, has created
a series of travel
programs designed
for AARP members.
Experts accompany
travelers to provide
educational insights,
and itineraries
include free time
for independent
exploration. Among
the destinations are
Germany, Israel and
Portugal. For details,
visit www.exploritas
.org/aarpoffer or call
1-800-286-4492.
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