Your AARP
STATE NEWS
ALASKA
Take me out to the ball game
The Mat-Su Miners are back this summer, and AARP Alaska is offering free tickets to see the team in action.
The Miners play in the Alaska Baseball League, which features collegiate players from around the country.
AARP Alaska is offering members and their guests free tickets for the game on Tuesday, June 27, at 6 p.m., when the Miners take on the Anchorage Bucs. The game will be held at Hermon Brothers Field, at the Alaska State Fairgrounds in Palmer (2075 Glenn Highway).
An AARP Alaska representative will be on hand with information about upcoming events and resources for older Alaskans.
Reserve free tickets at aarp .org/ak-ballpark or by calling 907-223-0909. You can also get them at the AARP table outside the entrance to the field.
MONTANA
Prepare to care
As demands on unpaid family caregivers increase, AARP Montana is offering a free webinar to give those helping loved ones new tools.
The “Prepare to Care” webinar will be on Tuesday, July 11, at 6 p.m. LaDawn Whiteside, a caregiving consultant for AARP Montana, will discuss resources, tips and strategies to help caregivers meet the challenges they face.
Register at states.aarp.org/montana/prepare2care. “Family caregivers are the backbone of our state’s care system, providing home care for older Montanans and adults with disabilities,” says Tim Summers, AARP Montana state director. AARP Montana’s caregiver resource guide is at aarp.org/TakeCareMT.
The work of Montana’s 112,000 unpaid family caregivers is valued at $1.76 billion, according to a new AARP analysis based on 2021 data.
IDAHO
Get on the call
AARP Idaho needs your help.
Telephone town halls featuring state leaders, experts and other guests have become a popular monthly event—especially as many people continue favoring remote activities.
Ensuring these discussions go smoothly takes volunteers working behind the scenes.
During the interactive events, listeners pose questions to guests. Volunteers serve as phone screeners, chatting with callers and entering information into an easy-to-learn online platform before callers go on air. AARP Idaho will provide volunteers training via Zoom.
Guests for previous telephone town halls have included Gov. Brad Little and members of Congress. For more details on the events or to volunteer, email AARP Idaho’s Randy Simon, at rsimon@aarp.org.
OREGON
Take a hike
AARP Oregon, the city of Portland and Oregon Walks are kicking off a season of NeighborWalks, with nine guided walks on tap through October. The 10 a.m. walks are around 2 miles and go through neighborhoods, parks and city sites, often focusing on historical highlights.
Walks can be found at aarp.org/NeighborWalks. They include downtown Portland’s plazas, buildings and a museum on Tuesday, June 13; the Happy Valley Park wetlands and neighborhood on Saturday, June 24; Maywood Park on Tuesday, July 11; and the North Williams District’s historic preservation projects, homes and businesses on Saturday, July 22.
At the end of the season, there will be prizes for those who attend the most walks. Walks are free, but registration is required: events.aarp.org/NW2023.
ARIZONA
Tune in
Come to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix for tours and workshops to explore connections between music and memory—including for those facing cognitive impairment.
The free events will be held at the museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. on Wednesdays, June 21 and July 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. (with check-in at 12:30 p.m.). Sign up for the June 21 session at events.aarp.org/PryM3O and for the July 12 one at events.aarp.org/ErygNl.
For adults with memory loss, music can tap into memories and help promote connection and well-being. The museum programs are aimed at people with cognitive impairment, including those with dementia. Each session includes a gallery tour and a music-making workshop led by a music therapist. Care partners are encouraged to attend with participants. —Rita Beamish
→ For other state news, go to aarp.org/states.
AARP IN YOUR COMMUNITY: PHOENIX
A Form of Fitness That Aims to Help Older Adults
A FITNESS CENTER in Surprise is seeking to help people with differing physical abilities, chronic medical conditions and aging challenges reach their fitness goals.
The Benefitness Adaptive Gym has both personal training and classes designed to help build strength and improve mobility. They include a noncontact, boxing-based program for people with Parkinson’s disease that was created by the nonprofit Rock Steady Boxing.
Benefitness also serves caregivers, providing space for them to gather, work remotely or use a massage chair.
Open since July, the gym serves adults of all ages (oldest now: 92), says director Lorrie Karn. It’s part of the nonprofit family services agency Benevilla, which has programs for older adults, adults with disabilities, children and caregivers. AARP Arizona sponsors some Benevilla events, including a golf tournament and an annual gala.
Karn says joining Benefitness is often the next step for those who have finished physical therapy and need ongoing care. “We are what I call the ‘Now what?’ plan,” she says.
Members must be at least 18 to join. Membership ranges from $59 per month for four visits to $150 per month for unlimited visits. See benefitnessgym.org for details. —JULIE RASICOT