Argentum is thrilled to share that yesterday, U.S. Representatives Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Bryan Steil (R-WI), and Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) introduced H.R. 6835, the Care Across Generations Act. This Argentum-led bill would help more seniors and children interact with one another, providing health and well-being benefits and addressing the epidemic of loneliness facing our nation, while also potentially helping reduce workforce shortages by improving caregiver retention.
Argentum worked directly with the Congressional offices to draft the legislative language of the Care Across Generations Act. The bill would establish grants for long-term care communities to operate a child care facility within their community, coordinate multigenerational activities, or develop or expand new or existing facilities for the specific purpose of fostering intergenerational connections.
The legislation is intended to address what U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has called an “epidemic of loneliness.” The National Institute on Aging estimates that the adverse health effects of loneliness equal that of smoking 15 cigarettes per day, and the National Academy of Sciences found that social isolation contributed to a 50% increased risk of developing dementia and a 59% increased risk of functional decline.
Intergenerational connection could help combat the loneliness epidemic, by combining long-term care settings with childcare services. This has demonstrated to increase the health and well-being of both young and older participants, reduce social isolation, and create cost efficiencies, and 92% of Americans believe intergenerational activities can reduce loneliness across all ages.
Argentum appreciates the broad support across the long-term care spectrum on this bill, including Direct Supply, and Argentum State Partners the Washington Health Care Association, and the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association.
