AARP 2008 Annual Report Download - page 10

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Family caregiving had an economic value of $375 billion in 2007—more than Medicaid’s total spending,
or roughly equal to the total annual sales of some of the world’s largest companies (including Wal-Mart
and ExxonMobil), according to an updated AARP study.
Just before Memorial Day, AARP delved into the complex burdens faced by families who care for severely
injured Iraq war veterans. An investigative article in AARP The Magazine and “Picking Up the Pieces,” a
moving half-hour TV special narrated by veteran journalist Jane Pauley, told their stories.
Renowned journalist Gail Sheehy, once described as America’s “emotional tour guide,” was named
AARP’s Caregiving Ambassador. She used her expertise and compassion to inform members about the
emotional and practical sides of caregiving.
Prevention and Wellness
To help people over age 50 learn how to stay healthy and prevent disease, we teamed with the federal
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to release “Checklists for Your Health” for men and women,
available in both English and Spanish.
Four new online health tools provide consumers with trusted, reliable online health information. They
include a symptom search, an illustrated health encyclopedia, a doctor/hospital finder and a drug database
and interaction checker.
AARP’s staff “walked the talk” on living healthier. More than 200 AARP employees reduced their body-
fat percentage and adopted healthier lifestyles through a friendly competition we called “Operation Lean.”
Gym and exercise program reimbursements, a fitness boot camp, yoga and Pilates classes, and regular tips
on fitness and nutrition helped keep AARP staff energized in mind, body and spirit.
Divided We Fail
Through our Divided We Fail initiative, AARP and our allies in the business and labor communities built
significant public demand for bipartisan action on health care and lifetime financial security. We launched
Divided We Fail in 2007 with Business Roundtable, SEIU (Service Employees International Union) and