The Future of Aging and Longevity - Flipbook - Page 17
families managing care across households and
borders. Shared care pla琀昀orms and mul琀椀lingual
tools could ease care coordina琀椀on, reduce
administra琀椀ve burden, and extend the 4Ms of
the age-friendly care framework (what ma琀琀ers,
medica琀椀on, mind, and mobility) beyond clinical
se琀�ngs.9 AI could help translate across languages in
real 琀椀me, surface local resources, and improve care
planning for popula琀椀ons historically overlooked in
research and design. However, these gains depend
on founda琀椀onal access and trust: broadband,
devices, digital literacy support, a昀昀ordability,
privacy protec琀椀ons, and culturally responsive
design. Without that founda琀椀on, these tools risk
reinforcing bias, deepening mistrust, and widening
dispari琀椀es for immigrant, rural, and Indigenous
communi琀椀es already naviga琀椀ng care at the margins.
One of the clearest ways to make these
communi琀椀es visible is through more granular data.
Broad racial, ethnic, and sexual orienta琀椀on and
gender iden琀椀ty categories can obscure di昀昀erences in
language, migra琀椀on history, health risks, caregiving
norms, and economic security. For AANHPI
communi琀椀es, the call for data disaggrega琀椀on has
persisted for decades, driven by the harm of the
model minority myth and the erasure of subgroup
di昀昀erences in policy and subsequent funding. Similar
urgency exists for La琀椀no communi琀椀es, where
na琀椀onal origin, language, and mixed-immigra琀椀onstatus family reali琀椀es shape aging and caregiving
in profoundly di昀昀erent ways. The US O昀케ce of
Management and Budget’s 2024 revision to
Sta琀椀s琀椀cal Policy Direc琀椀ve No. 15 o昀昀ers an important
opening for more equitable policy, research,
outreach, and innova琀椀on.
For many communi琀椀es of color,
intergenera琀椀onal interdependence is a longstanding way of life shaped by 昀椀lial responsibility
and resource pooling. Immigrant families rely on
family and community networks while remaining
wary of formal systems. Younger genera琀椀ons
o昀琀en become interpreters, care navigators, and
service brokers, absorbing growing 昀椀nancial and
emo琀椀onal responsibility for aging parents. When
older immigrants face delays in access to or
exclusion from social safety net programs because
of immigra琀椀on status, those burdens can deplete
family assets. As housing a昀昀ordability declines,
caregiving costs rise, and families become smaller
with fewer siblings to share responsibili琀椀es, these
pressures will intensify, increasing risk of caregiver
burnout and mental health strain across genera琀椀ons.
“For many communi琀椀es
of color, intergenera琀椀onal
interdependence is a
longstanding way of life
shaped by 昀椀lial responsibility
and resource pooling.”
Within this landscape, community health
workers (CHWs) can serve as a cri琀椀cal bridge
between systems and communi琀椀es. Where
technology may miss cultural nuance or fail to
reach people with limited digital access, CHWs
bring trusted rela琀椀onships, lived experience, and
local knowledge. They help families navigate
health and social service systems, connect
older adults and caregivers to mental health
and community resources, and strengthen
con昀椀dence in care systems. They also democra琀椀ze
gerontological and geriatric knowledge, making it
culturally accessible and valued by the people they
serve, especially in rural areas, where non-English
informa琀椀on about available services is o昀琀en
scarce. Just as importantly, they can bridge digital
health literacy as more care access moves online.
The next decade o昀昀ers a pivotal opportunity
to rebuild trust through be琀琀er data, culturally
responsive technology, and community-rooted
workforce models. Ul琀椀mately, the well-being
of any one community is inseparable from the
well-being of all. If we want a stronger future for
aging, communi琀椀es must be involved in cocrea琀椀ng
systems that they genuinely engage with and
deliver tangible bene昀椀ts.
A D ECA D E O F P RO GRE S S , A D ECA D E TO ACT 13
