Senate Hearing Puts Senior Loneliness on the Agenda: What It Means for Activity Programs

Loneliness and social isolation among older adults were the subject of a recent Senate Special Committee on Aging field hearing in Pittsburgh, led by Senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman (Argentum). Witnesses, including a county aging agency, a university aging center, a health foundation and a Meals on Wheels program, cited an estimated $6.7 billion a year in Medicare costs tied to isolation (Argentum).

For senior living teams, it is a useful moment to look at how your own activity calendar supports social connection.

The witnesses' recommendations centered on 4 things: completing the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, increasing its nutrition funding, passing the SENIOR Act, and linking health care more closely with social services (Argentum).

As of Argentum's report, the Older Americans Act reauthorization had passed the Senate unanimously and was waiting for action in the House (Argentum). Argentum says it will keep urging the House to act and will work to make sure senior living communities are part of the conversation, describing them as places where daily social connection is built into the model (Argentum).

Start with attendance: note which residents rarely join group events, and ask them what they would enjoy.

Mix seated and standing options in the same session, so residents with different abilities can take part together. Plan some activities that work during family visits, so a visit can include something to do together. Keep sessions short and simple enough that staff can repeat them across the week.

EyeClick's games are activity tools for group play and engagement, not a health intervention. One staff member can lead a group game session for several residents at once. Residents can play the games together with visiting family members.

Games have adjustable difficulty levels so staff can match an activity to each resident's abilities. BEAM Mobile uses a wheeled stand for floor and table projection, without a ceiling-mounted installation, so it can move between rooms. There are no VR headsets, wearables or controllers, and the projection responds to simple touch or motion.

If you are adding more group and family activities to your calendar, you can see how it works here: See EyeClick's activity systems for senior living.

Argentum, published 2026-11-02