After a lifetime spent raising families, building careers, serving their communities, and caring for others, nearly nine in 10 Americans over the age of 50 hope to remain in their own homes as they age. For many, aging gracefully within the confines of their own home is an opportunity to continue living independently in the homes and communities they know and love, surrounded by familiar faces, such as family, friends, and neighbors. As policymakers look for ways to support families, they should recognize that helping older Americans remain safely and with dignity in their own homes is essential to helping families flourish.
While aging at home is not always the right option for everyone, public policy should make it a realistic option for older Americans who can do so safely. Many older Americans do not require skilled nursing care, but simply need help with everyday tasks such as meal preparation, transportation, light housekeeping, assistance getting to medical appointments, and companionship. Yet options for that type of support are limited. Too often, families are forced into more costly or restrictive arrangements simply because there is no practical alternative.
Fortunately, initial progress is already underway through the Department of Labor’s proposed rule to rescind the 2013 Home Care Rule, reducing unnecessary barriers and the cost of companionship-based, in-home care — all of which make it easier for more older Americans to remain safely at home while giving families greater flexibility to care for aging loved ones.
While undoubtedly a step in the right direction, removing unnecessary barriers alone will not fully solve the problem. A more comprehensive solution can be found in the American Caregivers Act — model legislation based on an innovative policy first proposed by Independent Women in 2024 — which would expand the supply of affordable, non-medical caregiving and help make this type of support more accessible to families who currently have few practical options.
The American Caregivers Act builds on the long-established structure of the au pair program, which has operated successfully for decades. Under the legislation, qualified sponsoring organizations would recruit, screen, train, match, and oversee eligible college and university students who provide companionship and non-medical assistance to older Americans. Participating households would cover the cost of the program rather than taxpayers, making it a budget-neutral way to expand access to affordable, in-home care.
Enabling more seniors to age with dignity should be a bipartisan priority, particularly for those who value worker protections and oversight.
Today, too many families face poor choices: hiring help under the table, going without the support an aging loved one needs, or turning to more intensive and expensive care simply because there is no practical option in between. By expanding the supply of vetted caregivers through a structured, sponsor-led model, the American Caregivers Act would make non-medical in-home care more accessible and affordable, giving more households a practical alternative to informal caregiving arrangements through a lawful, transparent system. Greater availability of caregivers could also help some families delay or avoid nursing home care, which often exceeds $100,000 annually, when that level of care is not necessary.
Other policies can complement seniors’ independence. For example, emerging technologies such as ridesharing and even autonomous vehicles preserve mobility, reduce isolation, and help older Americans remain connected to the people and places that matter most. Housing reforms that allow homeowners to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs), such as converting finished basements or in-law suites into apartment units, can facilitate multi-generational living or provide living spaces for caregivers to be with seniors.
Strong families are built by the people who know and love them best, not by the government. That principle applies just as much to caring for aging loved ones as it does to raising children. Public policy should expand families’ choices rather than narrow them, making it easier for more older Americans to remain safely at home for as long as possible. Finalizing the rescission of the 2013 Home Care Rule, advancing the American Caregivers Act, and pursuing complementary reforms that support aging in place would help move us in that direction.
Helping more older Americans remain safely at home is not just good elder care policy. It is good family policy.
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This is part of a series of op-eds based on Independent Women’s new report, “Flourishing Families: An Agenda to Help Families Thrive.” The report, found here, details ways to support families without direct government subsidies or radically distorting the tax code to redistribute resources to families.
Heather Madden is the vice president for policy initiatives at Independent Women.
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