One Nevada program is aiming to help seniors on fixed incomes pay their utility bills.

United Way of Southern Nevada has announced the dates of the annual Project REACH Senior Expo events.

Project REACH provides financial assistance to seniors who are 62 years or order and have past-due utility bills and are having a hard time making ends meet.

Julian High, president and CEO of the United Way of Southern Nevada, said the program has been around for years and has made significant impact, supporting more than 2,100 households in fiscal year 2023.

"We know that a lot of seniors have some economic challenges, just due to living on that fixed income," High observed. "We really try and make the utility assistance available to them in order to help ease the burden of what it takes to have everyday necessities."

High noted the United Way chapter is proud to partner with the NV Energy Foundation, local utility providers and other nonprofit partners to expand the reach of the program as they will not only help pay for electric bills, but also with gas, water and sewer.

High emphasized it is important to note eligible individuals and households can submit one application every 12 months on a rolling basis for up to $300 in utility assistance. All applicants must have a form of Nevada ID when applying, show proof of their income eligibility and a copy of their utility bill. Utility bills must have the applicant's name and the applicant must live at the address for which assistance is needed.

"We were funded in part by a $500,000 grant from the NV Energy Foundation," High explained. "We felt so good about the program and the project that we are funding an additional $500,000, so there is expanded capacity for the program."

According to research from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, older adults face disproportional energy burdens, meaning they spend more than 6% of their income on utility bills. In 2020, the group found the median energy burden for seniors was 36% higher than the energy burden for the overall median household.


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Washington performs well in a new report scoring states' long-term care systems.

The Evergreen State ranked second in AARP's Long-Term Services and Supports State Scorecard. Cathy MacCaul, advocacy director for AARP Washington, said this is an achievement for the state.

"Number two is a really positive indicator that all the challenges that the long-term care system experienced during COVID - Washington state did well," she said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, though, to continue to improve the long-term care system."

AARP's last scorecard on long-term care services was released in 2020. In that report, Washington also ranked second. While the state performed well this year, the analysis noted there are major gaps in maintaining an adequate workforce in every state.

MacCaul said new indicators appeared in this report related to livable communities.

"There's a lot more work Washington state can do on housing and transportation to improve affordability and access for older adults and for their caregivers," she said.

MacCaul said the report also recognized that at-home care is key as the population ages rapidly.

"Home- and community-based services and supporting the 820,000 family caregivers that we have in the state are the two areas of probably the most importance when it comes to this scorecard," she said, "and recognizing the work that we need to do to improve our long-term care system in Washington state."

A new report finds Virginia's long-term care facilities need improvement to better serve their residents.

AARP's Long-Term Care Services and Supports Scorecard ranks Virginia at 28th among states. While the state has ranked high in terms of affordability and access to long-term care, it scores lowest in safety and quality, as well as support for family caregivers.

Jared Calfee, state advocacy director for AARP Virginia, said nursing home financial transparency is one of several priorities the group will take up at the General Assembly next year.

"Our nursing facilities, they largely operate with a lot of taxpayer money coming from Medicaid," Calfee pointed out. "The public has a right to know how that money is being spent and what's being dedicated to staffing and providing quality care, versus what is going to profits and paying administrators."

Other areas on which he noted AARP Virginia would focus include providing aid to family caregivers, licensure, and enforcement of both state and federal rules on staffing. However, with many seats in both chambers of the General Assembly up for election, Calfee acknowledged it is too early to tell what kind of progress might be made.

The scorecard also reflects trends stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Calfee emphasized nursing homes have been and continue to face issues, particularly with staffing, which surfaced due to the pandemic.

"When you don't have adequate staffing, and you have staff coming and going -- who aren't able to stay in facilities and get to know people -- then that's what you end up with, is facilities that are not as high-quality as you would want," Calfee asserted. "And it's the residents who then end up suffering because of that."

He added stronger policymaking will be necessary to make progress. Bills on nursing home staffing requirements failed in previous years, but the General Assembly was able to pass a law this year. However, it does not go into effect until July 1, 2025.

The Iowa Alzheimer's Association expects about 2,000 people to gather on the Capitol steps in Des Moines on Saturday, as volunteers seek to create the world's biggest walk to raise money for research.

About 66,000 Iowans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and nearly 100,000 more are caregivers, often unpaid family members who help with routine personal needs and daily activities.

Iowa Alzheimer's Association volunteer Chantelle Cadek said the group hopes to raise a half-million dollars to bolster research, fund treatment options - and ultimately, find a cure. Contrary to popular belief, she said, Alzheimer's is not routine.

"Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging," she said. "It is a disease. Not everyone gets it. Age is the biggest risk factor for people to get Alzheimer's, but definitely it is not a normal part of aging."

According to the Alzheimer's Association, 6 million Americans nationwide live with the disease, and 11 million family members serve as caregivers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved two new drugs said to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease: Leqembi and Aduhelm. As of now, however, there is no cure. Despite being most prominent in older people, their caregivers - often spouses - are least likely to ask for help.

Cadek said education is the only way to change that.

"The reality is that, unfortunately, Alzheimer's is a fatal diagnosis," she said. "There's currently no cure for it. At some point, most people need help, so I would encourage those folks to just reach out. The Alzheimer's Association is a wonderful resource; there's a 24-7 helpline."

The Des Moines walk participants will carry purple, yellow, blue and orange flowers, which represent the different reasons they are walking. The event starts at 9 a.m. Saturday.


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