McKnights Senior Living

Legislation targeting the parallel senior and child care workforce shortages was introduced Friday to address the epidemic of loneliness by fostering intergenerational connections.

The Care Across Generations Act, HR 6835, would provide resources to create and maintain childcare programs within assisted living communities. Research shows that intergenerational settings increase the health and well-being of both young and old participants, reduces social isolation and creates cost efficiencies, according to Argentum, but only a handful of communities offer this type of interaction. 

The nation’s 31,400 assisted living communities are home to nearly 2 million older adults and employ 1 million caregivers, many of whom report difficulties with finding reliable childcare, according to Argentum. 

“Assisted living, as a residential care setting where seniors live with dignity and independence while receiving help with daily activities, offers the ideal setting to embrace intergenerational care,” Argentum Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Maggie Elehwany said in a statement. “The Care Across Generation Act can help assisted living communities retain these vital caregivers by increasing childcare options at a time when high quality care can be hard to find.”