Aging At Home. Living With Dignity. Independent Women And Amac Launch National Campaign To Address America’s Caregiving Crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. — America is facing a full-blown caregiving crisis. In-home elder care costs have risen three times faster than inflation, and by 2030, more than 73 million Americans will be 65 or older. Yet outdated federal rules have made legal, affordable senior care increasingly out of reach—pushing families towards informal, “under-the-table” arrangements that leave seniors and caregivers alike without stability. 

Today, Independent Women and the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) announced the launch of a collaborative project, “Aging at Home. Living with Dignity.” The multi-layer strategic partnership is designed to elevate real-life senior caregiving experiences and build demand for home-care freedom for seniors, and advance policy reforms that expand freedom and choice to make aging in place more in reach for every family. 

Through first-person stories from seniors, families, and caregivers nationwide, Independent Women and AMAC are illustrating how innovative, market-based solutions to support seniors—one that draws on proven models like the State Department’s au pair program to make at-home support accessible, flexible, and affordable—can restore access to affordable, trusted in-home care.

“It’s time for policymakers to cut back on the red tape that makes in-home companionship needlessly costly and bureaucratic. We believe it’s time to explore safe, compassionate, affordable solutions that connect seniors with carefully vetted companions who provide support, friendship, and help with daily tasks,” Independent Women and AMAC said about the goals of this partnership.

America is Experiencing a Caregiving Crisis.

An American Companion Program is the Solution.

Share your caregiving story with us!

Independent Women  | AMAC

At the center of the campaign is the concept of an American Companion Program—a modernized framework that would expand lawful pathways for vetted companions to provide non-medical support, daily assistance, and—most importantly—human connection for seniors who want to age at home.

Carrie Lukas, president of Independent Women, recently wrote in The Washington Post: “An ‘American Companion Program’ could relieve pressure on families, create new work and housing opportunities for workers, and help millions of seniors remain independent. America’s caregiving challenge won’t be solved by more regulation or reliance on under-the-table, imported labor but by trusting markets and families to do what they do best: solve problems when government gets out of the way.”

“This initiative is about restoring independence and real choice for America’s seniors and the families who care for them,” said AMAC CEO Rebecca Weber. “For too long, Washington has allowed outdated rules to limit options and drive up costs, making it more difficult for families to do what they know is best for their loved ones. The proper role of government is not to micromanage care from afar, but to empower people to live with dignity and expand access to flexible, affordable models that actually work in the real world. By elevating the voices of seniors and caregivers, this partnership points the way toward reforms that put families back in control.”

Why Reform Is Urgently Needed

The desire to age in place is overwhelming. Eighty eight percent of seniors say they want to remain in their homes for as long as possible as they grow older rather than relocating to a senior living facility. For working parents and those in the “sandwich generation”—those raising young children and caring for aging parents—flexible and affordable caregiving options are crucial to balance work and family responsibilities. 

One major barrier is the 2013 Home Care Rule, which narrowed the long-standing “companionship exemption” and imposed wage and overtime rules that drove up live-in caregiving costs and pushed many families to rely on informal “under-the-table” arrangements.

“Companionship is at the heart of aging with dignity,” said Heather Madden, policy staff director of Independent Women. “Seniors want to stay in their homes and remain connected with their loved ones and their communities, but current regulations make that unnecessarily difficult. Americans across the country are facing real hardship as they try to support aging loved ones, underscoring the need for more flexible, affordable options that  prioritize the human connection older Americans depend on.”

Stories will be vetted and shared by Independent Women’s Features, the grassroots storytelling and original journalism arm of Independent Women, and AMAC Newsline, the official daily news publication of AMAC, and incorporated into broader policy and advocacy efforts by both organizations, including:

• Spotlighting the real lives of seniors and families;
• Illuminating america’s home-care affordability crisis;
• Shaping national conversations about aging in place;
• Championing human-centered, flexible caregiving solutions;
• Showing why current policies are failing families;
• Pushing back on red tape that hurts, not helps;
• Advancing innovative models like au pair–style elder companions; and
• Building broad, bipartisan momentum for caregiving reform.

Learn More:

• A National Storytelling Drive to Showcase the Need for Home Care Freedom: Aging at Home. Living with Dignity.
• Share your Voice with AMAC

Direct media inquiries and booking requests to press@independentwomen.com or info@amac.us

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