But what does a credit score have to do with how you — whether a senior citizen or young adult — drive your car or treat your property? There are many reasons people have low credit scores, including natural disasters, medical bankruptcy, or lack of access to credit institutions. The impact of this inequity can span generations. READ MORE..

The truth is, a pill is not just a pill. A pill that was made in a top-notch factory with a spotless track record is better than one that was made in a plant that barely passed inspection Click here to read more.

COVID-19 forced more people to get all their social needs met online and created an unprecedented opportunity for scammers to prey on isolated and lonely Washingtonians, who lost at least $14,839,297 to romance scammers in 2020. READ MORE

It isn’t easy to get a Washington State Senate bill passed, but that’s just what Dean Olson of Edmonds did. Senate Bill 5027 — requiring closed-captions on televisions in all places of public accommodation in Washington state –was unanimously adopted and signed by Gov. Jay Inslee May 10, benefiting people who are hearing impaired. Read More

Transportation emissions are 44.9% of Washington state’s greenhouse gas emissions, more than half of which come from gas-powered cars. From a climate perspective, switching to electric vehicles is not enough. Washington has to reduce how much we drive every day if we are to reduce our climate emissions to survivable levels. So as we envision a society that is less reliant on driving, who better to learn from than people who already don’t

This year, due to the COVID quarantine, the Washington State Legislature’s open public meetings will be held online. That means that everybody—legislators, lobbyists, advocates, and constituents—will meet the same way: via Zoom. Now everyone, regardless of distance and access to transportation, can participate as often as they wish. In many ways, it’s never been easier to advocate on behalf of our issues in Olympia. https://www.agewisekingcounty.org/publications/agewisekingcounty/january-2021/virtual-advocacy-making-a-difference-in-olympia-this-year/

Vaccinations against Covid-19 continue to rollout in Washington state, with the first residents and staff of senior living communities getting doses this week. In Seattle’s Madison Park neighborhood, Parkshore was the first retirement community to begin vaccinations. No one has gotten Covid at Parkshore, but cases continue to rise in long-term care facilities across Washington. Over 1,580 residents of long-term care facilities have died from Covid

It's estimated there are about half a million people who are deaf or hard of hearing in Washington and Idaho. Short of everyone wearing face masks with clear windows, or using clear face shields, it can be difficult for them to communicate, even with each other. https://www.inlander.com/spokane/mask-mandates-help-reduce-covid-but-can-make-it-harder-for-deaf-people-to-communicate/Content?oid=20205747

Social Security improves economic security for more than 1.3 million Washington residents and their families, and contributes significantly to economic stability and growth across the state. While it is currently on sound fiscal footing, federal lawmakers should act now to remove Social Security’s cap on taxable earnings, raise benefits, and make other improvements to ensure it meets the needs of today’s workers, families, and retirees.http://www.opportunityinstitute.org/research/post/social-security-works-for-washington/

According to DSHS and the governor’s office there are new guidelines for visitations to Long Term Care facilities

The Trump administration’s pledge to protect Covid-19 patients from massive medical bills is falling short for a growing number of survivors who experience long-term complications from the virus. Doctors are discovering life-threatening and costly long-term health effects ranging from kidney failure to heart and lung damage. That’s exposing a major gap in the federal government’s strategy for ensuring patients won’t go broke because of a

Thousands of Washingtonians care for loved ones with dementia. During the coronavirus pandemic, some have never felt more alone. Meanwhile, Maldowska-Leek is one of the 350,000-plus unpaid family caregivers in Washington supporting a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia during a pandemic that is particularly dangerous for such people — typically in the 65-and-older age group, forgetful of masks and social-distance protocols,

Regular updates can be found on DOH’s Public Health Connection blog, or you can subscribe to daily bulletins and other updates from DOH and the state’s Joint Information Center at Camp Murray. https://www.coronavirus.wa.gov/news

DSHS/ALTSA has a COVID-19 Dashboard which is updated biweekly: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/covid-19-dashboard New resources provide COVID-19 information to family members of residents within the care of DSHS  OLYMPIA – The Department of Social and Health Services is offering new resources during the COVID-19 response for people with loved ones within in a DSHS owned, operated, or community facility. These resources help people get information

WASHINGTON — This was the year the Census Bureau was primed for a gargantuan task — remaking the census of nearly 330 million Americans for the digital age at a time of enormous national division and obstacles to an accurate count. Then came the coronavirus. https://www.nytimes.com/article/census-2020.html