International Comparisons
AARP: A Global Partner in Aging
International Congress on Aging, Mexico City, Mexico / Speech
June 2004
José Maldonado, AARP Board of Directors
Good afternoon, everyone. It is a great pleasure and an honor to join you today for this conference. And I want to congratulate Mexico on this 25th anniversary of serving people over 60 through the National Institute of Older Persons.
Just a few months ago, AARP had the pleasure of hosting INAPAM at our headquarters in Washington, DC.
We had the opportunity to learn more about the 60-plus population in Mexico and the programs and services implemented by the National Institute to serve this segment of the population. We are aware that there are significant differences in the social structure between Mexico and the U.S., but we were quite pleased to discover that INAPAM and AARP have many programs and services in common.
I’m very happy to be here in Mexico.
Today, as we discuss issues in aging, I am pleased to represent AARP. AARP was established in 1958 by a retired educator, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, and for nearly 50 years, we have focused our efforts on improving the quality of life for older people.
Although AARP’s membership has grown considerably since our founding, we continue to follow the principles established by Dr. Andrus. And we are proud to tell our members, that “Together, we have the power to make it better.”
This afternoon, I will talk about AARP’s purpose, our strategic priorities, our volunteer activities and our outreach to diverse communities.
AARP is a nongovernmental, nonprofit and nonpartisan membership organization, with 35 million members age 50 and older.
We address their needs and concerns, working to bring about societal changes to improve the quality of life for our members and all people over 50 as they age.
We recognize that aging is a lifelong process. So while our focus is on people 50 and older, our resources are useful to all adults.
With offices in every U.S. state plus Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington, DC, we are growing as a dynamic presence in every community. We want to enrich the experience of aging for all of society.
AARP is very large, so we know we can’t be experts in everything. Therefore we focus on five key areas:
- Economic security
- Health and supportive services
- Livable communities, with special focus on transportation and housing
- Global Aging, and
- Navigation, which is helping people find the information and services they need
These areas are important to the vast majority of our members. Everything we do is tied into one or all of these areas.
Some of AARP’s important issues include:
- affordable coverage and access to quality health care – including affordable prescription medications;
- stability in the Social Security program – the U.S. government program created, in part, to ensure that retirees had at least one guaranteed source of income as they aged;
- patient protection from negligence and abuse in nursing homes; and
- support for grandparents raising grandchildren;
One of the reasons AARP has been so successful is our volunteers. They are the very heart of our Association.
Together, our volunteers and staff work regularly with community and national leaders on common concerns.
We use volunteers extensively at all levels. I am a volunteer, a member of AARP’s 21-member all-volunteer Board of Directors. The president of AARP is also a volunteer.
We have a variety of community service programs and activities nationwide, which would come to a complete stop without our volunteers.
Annually we serve more than 2.4 million people with the assistance of thousands of volunteers.
Community service is at the core of our Association.
Some of the programs I’ll talk about may not apply directly here in Mexico, but I want to emphasize the contributions that volunteers can make.
Volunteers can bridge the gap between people with needs and the services that address those needs. They increase the level of services provided to communities nationwide.
Through our Senior Community Service Employment Program, we assist low-income older citizens who are attempting to re-enter the job market, or even work for the first time.
We’re proud of our recent partnership with Home Depot, a nationwide home improvement store with sites in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Canada, and right here in Mexico. We provide potential older employees with opportunities and Home Depot gets the additional workforce they need.
Overall, the program provides hands-on training to older job-seekers to develop marketable and saleable skills.
AARP’s National Retired Teachers Association volunteers work on educational activities to help children improve in school, through the “With Our Youth” program.
They are involved in tutoring, mentoring, helping children with homework, joining in after-school activities, providing school supplies, even gathering food, clothing and toys to share during the holidays.
Older teachers know how important it is to take time with children. These volunteers have served more than 500,000 youth.
AARP C.A.R.E.S. (Caregiving, Assistance, Respite, Education & Service) connects qualified, trained volunteers with caregivers who need assistance in Los Angeles County, California.
This free program provides caregivers time away from their duties and helps individuals who are 50 years and older remain independently in their homes.
The program’s purpose is to improve the quality of life of family caregivers and their loved ones.
Our community-based volunteers provide vital short-term support to families struggling with the task of caring for a dependent loved one.
In New York, AARP is developing partnerships with local Latino organizations. The goal is to reach potential Latino volunteers and increase participation in AARP’s programs and services by Latino communities.
This is part of AARP’s Latino Outreach, which I will discuss further.
AARP’s Grandparent Information Center provides resources for grandparents and other relatives who may unexpectedly be asked to take care of young children – long or short-term.
Just last fall, we held a rally with other child and senior focused organizations, bringing hundreds of volunteers, grandparents and grandchildren to our nation’s capital.
They came, among other things, to demand that Congress give more consideration to grandparents who don’t receive government assistance to care for their grandchildren, despite the fact that if they were foster parents, they would receive such assistance.
In the U.S., we have a great increase in the number of grandparents that must raise their grandchildren.
Sometimes the parents have become ill, are in the military, or have passed away.
But in most instances, the parents are in jail, have no job, or have a drug addiction. So, grandparents and other relatives suddenly must act as parents again, raising young children.
The number of U.S. grandparent headed households is growing fastest among African-Americans and Latinos. AARP lets people know about resources for grandparents in each state. And we encourage grandparents to meet together in groups to support each other and share information.
When grandparents network like this, they learn about even more resources and where to go to get assistance for themselves and their grandchildren.
These are examples of how AARP uses volunteers to connect people to resources and services. We train and regularly update our volunteers regarding their particular activity.
The training helps volunteers understand the importance of their role and how their participation helps AARP to achieve its overall goals.
In the U.S. volunteering is a very old tradition. Interestingly, research shows that many people do not volunteer because no one has asked them to. When older people are invited to volunteer, most are very willing.
Collaborating with churches and faith-based organizations has also been a way for AARP to reach volunteers in Latino and African-American communities. Our communities frequently donate time through churches.
In the U.S., volunteering covers a wide area of needs, that otherwise would not be met, like:
- delivering meals to people who can’t prepare their own food;
- providing transportation to older persons in rural areas where there is no public transportation;
- providing legal services to those who can’t afford them;
- teaching children and adults to read;
- or visiting patients in hospitals.
The possibilities are endless, and there are many opportunities to serve older citizens. All that is needed are volunteers to carry out the activities.
Volunteering may have slightly different meanings in different countries and cultures, but we’re pleased that our experiences with volunteering have been sought out by NGOs and governments of many countries. They recognize the impact of volunteering in the U.S.
As the older population increases around the world, we must all recognize the talent that will be available to address needs in communities everywhere.
They are individuals with a lifetime of experience and skills, and may already be involved in volunteering
During retirement, they may take on greater volunteer responsibilities.
At AARP, advocacy activities provide another opportunity for volunteers to participate at the local, state and national levels. AARP legislative staff provide great insight and direction, but it’s our cadre of grassroots volunteers that really make things happen.
When a serious concern arises that our members feel strongly about, our volunteers and members go into action.
They make phone calls and write letters to let our representatives know how we feel. They also go to state capitals and to the nation’s capital and make their voices heard.
We also let representatives know how many AARP members are in their states. They should know the number of people that may not support them if they pass unfavorable laws.
It’s important for our volunteers to gather together, to show unity when we go to our nation’s leaders.
We have been very effective when volunteers demonstrate, wearing matching t-shirts and hats, and carry signs stating our message. So when we speak out to leaders and citizens, everyone knows why we are demonstrating and may support our cause.
Because we have so many volunteers and members who are not afraid to speak out, our nation’s leaders listen to what they have to say.
It is grassroots action at its best, and the point I want to make is that we believe we can make a difference. We believe that working together, we have the power to make life better.
The results are especially rewarding when our actions result in a change that affects people’s lives in a positive way.
For example, the State of New Jersey, which has one of the highest property taxes in the U.S., suspended a program designed to keep property taxes from increasing for low to middle-income seniors so they wouldn’t lose their homes – some already had before the program started.
After effective grassroots lobbying by AARP and other organizations, the state government recently restored the program and even increased funding to assist newly eligible seniors.
This is just one example of how our volunteers and staff can make a huge difference in the lives of real people, using our nation’s legislative process.
But we don’t try to do it all ourselves. We collaborate with many partners from all sectors – other nonprofits, government agencies, business organizations, and organizations focused on aging or on issues that are important to our members.
We believe in speaking out for new laws, and litigating to implement existing laws and to protect consumers.
We want to improve the quality of life for older persons.
Here are 3 key points I personally feel are critical to volunteering:
- Be willing and available. How can we serve others if we don’t make ourselves available to reach out beyond ourselves?
- Partnerships. Work together. Alone we can be productive, but together, we have more power and impact. Join with other people or organizations with similar goals and values, who also want to serve people. Remember, there is power in numbers.
- Network. Find resources, share information, develop more opportunities. Networking goes a long way in further your goals.
Now, I want to tell you about our diversity outreach. The 50-plus population in the U.S. is more ethnically and culturally diverse than at any other time in our history.
We want our membership to reflect the face of our nation. And we know we need to do a better job of reaching out to different communities.
Nationwide, the Latino community is growing faster than any other U.S. minority group.
By 2025, Latinos in the U.S. over the age of 50 will increase from approximately 6 million today to nearly 15 million.
We wanted to reflect this phenomenal growth and extend our reach to the community. And that’s why we developed a Latino Member Outreach program. The program is focused on:
- Adapting products, services and programs to be relevant to older Latinos;
- Recognizing Latino concerns on issues such as pension and retirement, daily expenses, health and wellness, and growing older at home;
- Increasing bilingual customer service and membership telephone operators; as well as releasing more publications, broadcasting news releases and other types of communications in Spanish; and
- Participating in more Latino cultural events.
AARP has learned the importance of cultural sensitivity. We know that trust must be earned and then maintained. Generally, Latinos, are not rushing out to join or sign-up with everything that comes by.
We don’t want older Latinos to miss out on benefits or services because they don’t trust the people behind them.
So AARP must earn the trust of the community, and that means working with leaders within Latino communities and trusted Latino organizations to ultimately connect with people in the communities.
As the trust grows and develops, AARP must do its share to maintain the trust and to strengthen the Latino presence in the Association. We know the difference we can make, so we’re working to make that happen.
At the beginning of 2002, AARP launched a new bilingual publication, Segunda Juventud, focused on the Latino community.
It has become so popular that circulation, which began at 200 thousand, has now grown to 650 thousand. I have brought copies to share with you.
In early 2003, AARP established a National Hispanic Council, to provide guidance to the Association about outreach to the Latino community.
The Council is composed of national Latino leaders and organizations, such as the National Hispanic Council on Aging and the League of United Latin American Citizens.
Our African American/Black Outreach program has similar goals and focuses on the specific interests of this community.
Clearly, all people do not respond to the same approach, even if they live in the same country or are from the same country, but we have a lot in common.
AARP is developing greater sensitivity to the unique cultural aspects of our society, and it’s with this same sensitivity that we must continue to forge relationships with organizations in other countries.
In 2001, when Bill Novelli became CEO for AARP, he established three great goals for the organization. One of these goals was for AARP to be a leading voice in global aging and a team player, dedicated to improving the quality of life for older people in the U.S. and abroad.
It made sense to share the knowledge we’ve gained in nearly 50 years of studying the issues of older people.
Yet we also know that there are nations whose older populations are growing faster than our own, who also have “best practices” to share. We want to learn from them, too.
So we continue with our international outreach, which was a part of AARP since its founding. For the past 10 years we’ve been active with the United Nations as a forum to reach other nations.
In recent years, AARP has become more focused and strategic with our Office of International Affairs. One of our current objectives is to help develop and nurture dialogue with other nations through our Global Aging Program.
Through the program, we host activities and work with governmental and nongovernmental organizations to host forums on “best practices” about retirement, older workers, pensions, poverty, health and long-term care.
No nation is truly an island, and we all stand to gain by exchanging information.
To that end, we have carried out a number of international fact-finding trips, where AARP leadership has met with representatives of government, NGOs, private agencies, as well as economic, labor and business leaders.
Already this year we have participated in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland; the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Forum in Paris; and the 2004 Labor Management Summit in Tokyo.
We’ve also hosted international forums on long-term care, pension reform, and prescription drug availability.
These are challenging themes for the world, and we wanted to hear how other nations are addressing them.
Today, our awareness of global aging grows daily because advances in technology have brought instantaneous communication to much of the world. Aging issues that societies once dealt with in isolation, can now be readily shared.
Very little is done in isolation anymore. Many citizens and visitors to the U.S. have ties to other nations, so there is significant travel between countries.
There is also significant transfer of money earned in the States to other nations to support parents, grandparents and other family members. It is another way that we learn about the circumstances of older persons in other nations.
We also benefit from the trial and error of our neighbors. For example, the U.S. is facing challenges and opportunities presented by the generation of people we call the “baby boomers.”
These are people born after World War II, between 1946 and 1964. They will begin turning 65 in 2011 – just seven years from now, and there are approximately 76 million baby boomers.
Because of their numbers, we know they will add stress to pension plans, to the stability of the Social Security program, and to transportation, housing and health care resources.
As we plan and explore ways to address this phenomenon, we can look, for example, to our neighbors in Japan. Japan is already dealing with a shortage of available employees and a significant increase in the number of retirees.
Spain and Italy are in similar situations. We are learning approaches from them that might also be successful – or not – in the U.S.
Likewise, in the U.S., we have had laws addressing age discrimination for more than 35 years. AARP lawyers frequently represent or join age discrimination cases to provide expertise.
Some are currently acting as advisors to European governments that are beginning to address this issue. So here, we have something to share from our experiences.
As the world becomes more closely bound by communication, transportation, trade, health concerns and economic issues, we must also welcome our ties based on the demographic shift in our aging population.
We must discuss how this shift affects all aspects of life for older persons, as we will at this very conference.
Societal aging and longer life is not something to fear, but something to celebrate. Together we can establish global “best practices” that are useful to us all.
Worldwide, adults over 60 are expected to increase dramatically. In 2000, the number was 605 million, by 2050, it’s projected at nearly 2 billion.
Some of us may not reach that point in the journey, but the building blocks we put in place today, will serve our children and grandchildren in the future.
Global aging will affect nearly every nation. At AARP, we want to help facilitate international dialog around this important issue. Working closely with opinion leaders, organizations and governments, we can find ways to address the challenges of world aging.
We are excited. We look forward to playing a vital role in this process. We know that we all have the power to make life better.