Empowering Older Consumers

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Empowering Older Consumers Caregivers Toward
Greater Economic Security
2008 National Aging Disability IR Symposium

• AIRS 2008 Annual Conference, May 21, 2008,
  Houston, TX

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Agenda

• What is the AARP Foundation?
• Who do we serve?
• How do we do it?
• Highlight of key AARP Foundation programs and
  tools
• How can we help you do the good work youre
  goingeven better!?!

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AARP FoundationEmpowering Older Consumers and
Caregivers Toward Greater Economic Security
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About the AARP Foundation

• AARPs affiliated charity
• Foundation programs provide security, protection
  and empowerment for older persons in need
• Three areas of focus
• Asset building
• Asset protection
• Access to adequate public benefits
• Accomplish this through
• Programs that help people find jobs, find and
  apply for public benefits, care for family
  members, and manage their money

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AARP Foundation Target Audiences

• Low-to-moderate income older individuals and
  their families
• Those at risk of falling into poverty
• Special focus on
• Women
• People of color
• Caregivers
• Grandparents raising
• grandchildren

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AARP Foundation Programs Tools to Empower
Consumers
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Access to Adequate Public Benefits

• AARP Foundation Benefit Outreach Program
  Connecting older Americans and their families
  with free and low-cost programs that
• Help them stay healthy
• Cover basic expenses
• Assist older relatives
• Support children in their care

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Lets you print applications for over 250 health
care prescription assistance programs.
Organizational Login
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What benefits does Benefits QuickLINK screen for?

• State and Federal Public Benefits for
• Adults/Families
• Medicare Savings Programs
• Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
• Medicare Rx Extra Help
• State Pharmaceutical Assistance programs (SPAP)
• Medicaid for Aged, Blind, and Disabled
• Food Stamps Program
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP)
• State Property Tax Relief/Rebates
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Telephone Assistance (Link-Up and Lifeline)

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What benefits does Benefits QuickLINK screen for?

• State and Federal Public Benefits for Children
• State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
  
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
• TANF-Child Only Grants
• Medicaid for Children
• Supplemental Security Income for Children

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Can download paper application here and enter
info later
Click here to begin OR
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Can test tool as much as you like just
enter test case here
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(No Transcript)
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Fact sheets for each benefit Include description,
local contact info, list of necessary
paperwork
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Can review and make changes to your responses
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PDF of applications in grey shaded boxes
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Tells what materials people should bring when
they go to apply for the benefit
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How can you utilize Benefits QuickLINK?

• Three ways to utilize QuickLINK
• Use the consumer version as needed free public
  site
• Outreach Collaborator
• Promote BQL on website, etc.
• Distribute Benefits State Fact Sheets
• Screening/Application Assistance Collaborator
• Formal agreement with AARP Foundation
• Dedicated staff
• Commitment to target of screenings

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Benefits of CollaborationWith AARP Foundation on
BQL

• Outreach Collaborators will receive
• Regular emails/updates
• Invitations to participate in webinars
• Materials order forms
• Communications package
• Screening/Application Collaborators will receive
  (in addition to the above)
• Technical assistance in plan development
• Handbook
• On-site visit
• Webinar training for staff
• Monthly check-in

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Asset Building

• AARP Foundation WorkSearch Program Helping
  mature workers
• Identify job choices based on their personal
  interests
• Assess their current skills
• Access online training to fill any skill gaps
• Earn Job Skills Certificates
• Find jobs in their communities

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WorkSearch Assessment Tool

• Career interest and web based skill assessment
  system created by the National Business Service
  Alliance (NBSA)
• Customized by the AARP Foundation for our target
  population
• Created by NBSA to cover 75 of all job titles
  listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Used consortium of 8 universities and 120
  employers consultants who vetted 1200 jobs and
  helped design specific on-line courses and 99 low
  cost, university-validated certifications

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5 Key Features

• Focused community job matches
• Objective skill testing
• Advanced assessments and objective skills testing
  for university validated certifications
• Unlimited access to system able to see job
  matches anytime
• Separate administrative functions for site
  managers

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How can you utilizeWorkSearch?

• Refer mature adults to WorkSearch sites
• List at www.aarpworksearch.org
• Consider becoming a certified WorkSearch site

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Grandparent Navigation Tools

• GrandCare Connect Navigation Assistance
• Call toll-free 1-888-GRAND-18
• Website www.aarp.org/grandparents
• GrandCare Support Locator
• State fact sheets
• Articles Tools
• Newsletter
• Print publications
• Research
• English and Spanish

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Money Management

• Money Management program uses volunteers to help
  low-income older adults or people with
  disabilities who have difficulty budgeting,
  paying routine bills, and keeping track of
  financial matters
• The program is delivered in three ways
• Providing money management materials to help
  educate individuals and their caregivers
• With volunteers, two separate services to make
  sure participants pay their bills on time
• Bill Payer Service
• Representative Payee Service
• Money Management Program is offered through
  agreements with state and local government and
  nonprofit agencies

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Reverse Mortgage Education Project

• RMEP provides independent information to
  consumers about reverse mortgages and other, less
  costly alternatives
• Home Made Money A Consumers Guide to Reverse
  Mortgages
• Consumer info web site www.aarp.org/revmort
• Provides support services to national network of
  counselors approved by U. S. Department of
  Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to counsel
  consumers about HUD's Home Equity Conversion
  Mortgage (HECM) program
• Counseling referrals via a toll-free number
  1-800-209-8085
• Online information about the project and contact
  information for referrals to exam-qualified
  counselors in the HUD HECM Network at
  www.hecmresources.org/network.cfm

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Tax Aide

• Free, face-to-face tax assistance and preparation
  at approximately 6,700 AARP Tax-Aide sites
  nationwide
• Sites typically operate February 1 through April
  15
• Sites are located in senior centers, libraries,
  community centers, and at other convenient
  locations
• Volunteers also visit shut-in taxpayers,
  including those in hospitals and nursing homes
• Offers e-filing at most sites nationwide
• Free tax assistance online, 24 hours a day, 7
  days a week   
• Taxpayers can pose tax questions to online
  volunteers from the comfort of their homes by
  visiting www.aarp.org/taxaide (Questions are
  usually answered with two days)
• During tax season, go to www.aarp.org/taxaide to
  find sites by zip code, or call 1-888-227-7669

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Tax Aide Stimulus Tool

• Developed, with NCOA
• On-line tool to assist usually non tax filing
  seniors and those working with these senior in
  applying for their stimulus payments 
• Go to www.aarp.org/stimulushelp for the tool
• Will be on-line through October to make it easier
  for lower-income seniors to get their stimulus
  payments

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How can we work together to empower consumers?

• Most of our programs work with AAAs or State
  Units on Aging
• Variety of ways to become involved with our
  programs/tools
• Disseminate our materials free from AARP
  Fulfillment
• Link to our online tools and resources
• Refer consumers to local sites
• Become a Money Management or WorkSearch site
• Become a QuickLINK Collaborator

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For more informationwww.aarp.org/foundation
Economic Security Work Programs
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To follow-up, contact

• Maggie Biscarr
• Integration Specialist
• Economic Security and Work
• AARP Foundation
• 601 E St, NW
• Washington, DC 20049
• [phone]
• mbiscarr_at_aarp.org

• Matthew McCloy
• Director
• Economic Security and Work
• AARP Foundation
• 601 E St, NW
• Washington, DC 20049
• [phone]
• mmccloy_at_aarp.org