AARP State

2 weeks ago | states.aarp.org | Frederic Frommer

Amy Brennan’s path to becoming a caregiver advocate started as her mother was battling lung cancer. Brennan, 55, was working a demanding job at a large bank in Chicago. It was “a gift and an honor” to care for her mother, Brennan says. But it also led to challenges at work.

2 weeks ago | states.aarp.org | Sarah Hollander

Eric Paad with his daughter Dorothy, who has cerebral palsy. He and his wife spend 128 hours a week caring for Dorothy. Courtesy of Eric Paad Eric and Alice Paad spend 128 hours a week caring for their daughter, Dorothy, who was born with cerebral palsy. While their time is freely given, the wheelchair-accessible van, in-home help and other caregiving essentials are not free.

2 weeks ago | states.aarp.org | Julie Rasicot

The Altadena Senior Center burns on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in the wind-driven Eaton fire. Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images More than six weeks after the Eaton wildfire ravaged her Los Angeles community, Altadena resident Diana Lee was still cleaning up ashes that had blown into her house, grateful she’d resisted an urge to cancel her home insurance for the year.

2 weeks ago | states.aarp.org | Cristina Rouvalis

At 82, Louise Gooche is fulfilling a childhood dream every time she puts on a pleated skirt, grabs her pom poms and begins a cheer routine for an adoring crowd. The founder of the Durham-based “Divas and Dude Cheerleaders” squad has amazed even herself by learning to do splits at age 62, though she only does them occasionally now because of a hip problem. Gooche can still dance, support another cheerleader in a pyramid and shout like nobody’s business.

2 weeks ago | states.aarp.org | Michelle Crouch

A growing body of research shows that diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors play a critical role in preserving cognitive function as we age. That includes a new study from Seattle’s Allen Institute for Brain Science, which recently reported that the brain cells in mice that were most impacted by aging are in the part of the brain that controls appetite, energy and metabolism.