People 50 and older are no longer the sagging, sedentary stereotypes they were when AARP was founded. AARP members drive and have active lifestyles, and just under half continue to work. Seniors are fit, actively engaged in their careers and savvy about their diet and exercise needs. Since 2001, AARP's website offers current information on lifestyle, including the programs the non-profit organization offers to meet the needs of seniors in the 22nd century.
As the tsunami of Baby Boomers starts to turn 65 (the median age for AARP members) in 2011, training funded by the AARP Foundation teaches volunteers how to assist seniors in work skills, legal technical assistance, elder law for age advocates and how to compensate for the effects of aging.
Americans older than 50 reduce the effects of aging and the risk of accidents by taking AARP's eight-hour Driver Safety training from AARP-trained instructors. Learning how to compensate for normal age-related physical changes using defensive driving techniques, current rules of the road and good vehicle maintenance makes graduates safer drivers. Thirty-six states require insurance companies to reduce premiums for graduates. The fee is currently less than $20 online and $14 for classroom sessions.
Twenty-five percent of members wanted health and fitness information in an AARP survey, prompting the association to offer members a discount on personal trainers who evaluate members' lifestyles and improve their health. Certified trainers assess the personal needs of those 50 and over and customize an individual health and fitness program to prevent disease and disability.
AARP started placing low income 55-plus members in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in 1969. It has increased from six project sites and 313 people to sites in 28 states with 10,000 job seekers enrolled. Seniors acquire new skills, confidence and experience by filling vacant jobs with government agencies and non-profits or companies. Funded by the AARP Foundation, they get paid while training for a better job.
Seniors who need help preparing their taxes get it from AARP-trained volunteers. Administered through the AARP Foundation, the AARP Tax-Aide Program trains volunteers to help more than 1.7 million middle- and low-income seniors file their income tax return annually. They are trained to meet the needs of those 60 and older.