Introduction
There are many issues that challenge human beings and force them to look for ways to solve them. This paper explores the benefits and reasons why people join the Association of Advancement for Retired Persons (AARP). This interest group was formed more than 50 years ago to ensure the rights of the old Americans are respected (www.aarp.org). Members of this group must be aged 50 years and above and this means that most of them have retired and are in their sunset years.
This association was formed to do the following functions. First, old people are usually faced with the problem of hunger because they are not involved in income generating activities and nobody seems to care about them. Some of them are neglected by their family members and suffer from malnutrition due to poor diet (Kraft 2012). They lack enough food to support their weak bodies and this exposes them to diseases. However, this organization has projects to ensure these people have enough food for survival.
Secondly, everybody needs money for various reasons and old people need money to finance their daily activities. However, since most of them do not have sources of income due to old age, they start begging and becoming a burden to their children, neighbors and other relatives.
People detest this behavior since it is against the expectations of the society (Kraft 2012). However, since these people lack other ways of survival, they resort to begging to get money for food and other needs. This association ensures that all members get money every month from their savings.
Thirdly, housing is a major challenge facing many workers after they become old and retire and most of those who live in government or company houses are forced to vacate immediately. They must rent or buy houses since the previous ones will be occupied by the new staff.
On the other hand, most of them do not usually have enough money to buy or rent good houses and this becomes a major concern for them (Kraft 2012). However, this association ensures members start saving immediately they join it so that when they retire they will have enough money to rent or buy good houses.
In addition, since most people are not usually active, they rarely interact with other members of the society. They are always confined in their houses or old age facilities that control their movements. This makes most of them develop stress since they think that their family members have neglected them. This association ensures members participate in community activities like charity walks to bond with the society and improve the lives of other unprivileged groups like orphans and widows
Lastly, it champions for the rights of old Americans regarding legal issues and processes that may be of interest to them. The association plays important roles in determining government policies regarding the aged population in terms of Medicaid and Medicare regulations (Kraft 2012). In addition, it is actively involved in many legal processes that regarding the aged population in America. Therefore, I will not hesitate to join this association to ensure my future is protected from any form of abuse or suffering.
Conclusion
Old people usually face various challenges and feel isolated by the society. Therefore, this group was formed to ensure the rights of its members are considered and the society appreciates their presence even though they cannot participate in active development projects.
Reference
Kraft, M. (2012). Public Policy: Politics, Analysis, and Alternatives. Washington, D.C: CQ Press.