Rita B. Choula, MA

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Family caregiving, equity in family caregiving, racial/ethnic disparities in LTSS, healthcare systems, hospital at home

ABOUT

Rita B. Choula, MA is the senior director of caregiving at the AARP Public Policy Institute. In her role, she drives the development of family caregiving initiatives by providing content expertise, both within AARP and in partnership with a range of external collaborators. Her work bridges policy and research to practice, centered on identifying and supporting needs of diverse family caregivers.

In collaboration with clinical experts and key partners, she leads the development of programs and tools that enable health care professionals to better recognize the diverse needs of family caregivers and provide supports to them across settings.

Before joining AARP, Choula worked in executive recruiting and as an administrator in elementary education.

Choula is currently Vice Chair, Board of Directors for the Association of Frontotemporal Dementia (AFTD) and a member of the Board for the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC). 

She is a recipient of the CARE 100 List of the Most Influential People in Care of 2020 and the National Hispanic Council on Aging Caregiving AARP Service Award of 2019.

She holds a master’s degree in the Management of Aging Services from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Ericsson School of Aging.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

• Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Nursing Homes
• Innovation and Opportunity: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers
• Valuing the Invaluable 2023 Update: Strengthening Supports for Family Caregivers

Read Rita Choula's blog posts.

CONTACT

For media inquiries, call 202-434-2560 or e-mail media@aarp.org.