Argentum’s SVP of Public Policy, Maggie Elehwany, and VP of Government Relations, Paul Williams, recently joined McKnight's Senior Living's Newsmakers Podcast to discuss key advocacy efforts for the 119th Congress and updates to Argentum’s public policy paper on the Value of Assisted Living in America.

They shared insights on navigating the shifting federal landscape and highlighted opportunities to champion the role of senior living—especially in supporting those with dementia and Alzheimer’s while reducing costs on the healthcare system.

Senior living advocates from 30 states came together this past week for Argentum's Public Policy Institute, where they held more than 100 meetings with Congressional offices to advance pro-active legislation that will make senior living communities thrive.

On Wednesday, Argentum President and CEO James Balda testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging for a hearing, "Breaking the Cycle of Senior Loneliness: Strengthening Family and Community Support." Argentum's testimony focused on the critical role of senior living communities in promoting socialization and combatting isolation among seniors (watch our testimony, the full hearing or view clips of our response on social determinants of health, long-term care insurance, and strategies to combat loneliness).

Argentum President and CEO James Balda testified before the Senate Aging Committee. Public Policy Institute attendees were able to join in-person or watch a live-stream session at our event.

Advocates sought support for the Caring for Seniors Act, which Representative Lori Trahan (D-MA) announced she would be introducing with Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The Argentum-supported legislation includes a cost-reduction program for low-income seniors to afford assisted living as well as expansion of workforce programs to meet the growing need for caregivers.

U.S. Representative Lori Trahan (D-MA) announced plans to introduce the Caring for Seniors Act with Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).

Advocates also promoted the the Care Across Generations Act (H.R. 1812), the Social Engagement and Network Initiatives for Older Relief (SENIOR) Act (S. 473), the Credit for Caring Act (H.R. 2036 and S. 925), tax-reforms to include the use of flexible funding to pay for long-term care needs such as refundable tax credits and existing savings accounts, and encouraging additional flexibility for veterans care choices.

The Senate Aging Committee is holding a hearing at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon, "Breaking the Cycle of Senior Loneliness: Strengthening Family and Community Support." Argentum President and CEO James Balda will testify on the critical role of senior living communities in promoting socialization and combatting isolation among seniors.

Watch Live!

Ahead of the hearing, U.S. News & World Report released a report on showing that moving into a senior living community can improve a person's social isolation and loneliness. The report found that 61% say their feelings of loneliness or isolation improved after moving into a senior living community, and 85% of seniors have made friends since moving into a senior living community.

Argentum released an updated edition of The Value of Assisted Living in America. The industry-leading report makes clear the critical role that assisted living plays in caring our nation’s seniors, in offering significantly lower costs, improved quality of life, better health outcomes, and reduced health care costs for public programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans’ care.

The report includes a host of findings and offers several policy solutions, including:

• Improve access to assisted living for veterans. Current Veteran benefit programs created to assist veteran populations are under-utilized and in need of reform. If the Aid and Attendance benefit is effectively utilized, veterans could receive the care they need in the setting of their choice instead of having no choice but to go into the Medicaid program.
• Increase access and affordability and expand workforce training programs. Federal legislation would establish a cost-reduction program for lower-income seniors and workforce training programs to offer specializations in senior care to meet the needs of older adults.
• Promote socialization and support our caregiver’s family care needs. The Social Engagement and Network Initiatives for Older Relief (SENIOR) Act and the Care Across Generations Act would help seniors stay more connected and offer caregivers with children of childcare age on-site placement, as many workers report difficulties with finding reliable childcare.
• Promote tax reforms to invest in workforce development. The  Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act would help more long-term care communities hire caregivers.
• Support Foreign-born Workforce Programs. Increasing immigrant flows into the US may be one actionable policy solution to ensure there is an adequate workforce to ensure the rapidly aging population has access to quality long-term care.
• Strengthen Long-Term Care Insurance. Several measures have been proposed to improve the viability of private long-term care insurance.
• Increase Public Program Reimbursements. Inadequate reimbursements have limited the ability for assisted living communities to participate.

Among the reports findings include:

Argentum's Public Policy Institute (PPI) kicks off tomorrow, where more than 100 senior living advocates are joining us in Washington, D.C. to to help tell the story of senior living.

This year's event comes with a critical need for advocacy on issues impacting senior living providers, with sweeping reforms coming to Medicare and Medicaid, immigration policies leading to tighter labor markets for our workforce, and the newly enacted traffics and other economic uncertainty disrupting critical development and investment.

And with new attention on increasing government efficiency, there is significant opportunity to promote assisted living, as the most cost-effective long-term care setting, for policymakers to support in helping more seniors choose our communities for their care needs.

This week, U.S. Representatives Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) and Bryan Steil (R-WI) introduced H.R. 1812, the Care Across Generations Act. This legislation would provide grants for long-term care communities to establish on-site childcare centers or to partner with nearby childcare centers to promote intergenerational connection between seniors and children. These settings provide health and well-being benefits, address the epidemic of loneliness, and also provide on-site childcare opportunities for senior living workers with childcare needs.

The legislation is a reintroduction of H.R. 6835 introduced in 2023, of which Argentum worked directly with the Congressional offices to draft the legislative language.

At noon today, Donald Trump will take the oath of office for his second term as President. The incoming administration is expected to focus its initial attention at immigration and border security, the economy (including renewal of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and imposing tariffs), and rolling back Biden-era regulations, with a slew of executive orders anticipated this week. In advance of his inauguration, Argentum sent the incoming president a letter today outlining our priorities.

The California Assisted Living Association (CALA) is supporting senior living providers and their residents regarding fires affecting Los Angeles and surrounding areas and is in regular communication with the California Department of Social Services about emergency response.

Providers are keeping the Department of Social Services informed on their specific evacuation status. Please communicate any needs you have to CALA directly. Argentum will remain in communication with CALA and ready to assist if needed.

Argentum capped off a productive 2024 in advocacy with the enactment of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. That legislation, signed into law by President Biden on January 2, 2025, will establish a pilot program to allow veterans to choose assisted living for their long-term care needs.

That's not all! Over the past year, Argentum led a nationwide campaign to counter misleading reporting and thwarted a related Congressional effort against the senior living industry, protected against onerous federal regulation, and advanced meaningful legislation to promote the value of assisted living, increase access and affordability, and expand workforce development programs.

For its efforts, Argentum's advocacy once again earned national recognition, being named for the fourth consecutive year as one of The Hill newspaper's top lobbyists of 2024.

Yesterday, President Biden signed into law the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which includes an Argentum-backed measure to expand access of assisted living for veterans.