Creating Change Starts with Intergenerational Work

There are currently six living generations that make up the U.S. population, from the Greatest Generation to Gen Z. While many may see these generations as distinct, at the Humana Foundation, we’ve seen firsthand how bringing these groups together – and having our own multigenerational team – can create meaningful change. After all, our goal of achieving health equity isn’t about a single generation – it’s about achieving equity for all individuals – which means we must give Gen Z an equal seat at the table with their Baby Boomer counterparts.

Here are a few ways we’re working intergenerationally here at the Humana Foundation:

Generations United Grant. The Humana Foundation provided a $100,000 grant to Generations United, an organization committed to improving the lives of children, youth and older adults through intergenerational collaboration, public policies and programs. As part of the grant, Generations United supported the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Information Center of Louisiana to improve access to mental health services for caregivers and children in grandfamilies. This included implementing a “caregiver self-care check-in” as a standard practice in support groups and establishing new support groups across Louisiana.

The Humana Foundation Senior Council. In 2023, the Humana Foundation established the Senior Council, a voluntary group comprised of seniors 65+ alongside high school seniors, to help ideate on how to advance health equity in their local communities. The seniors come from Humana Foundation’s focus geographies – Kentucky, Texas, Florida and Louisiana – and are brought together for quarterly meetings to provide their input on Foundation programs and focus areas, as well as bring ideas to the forefront for consideration by the Foundation for future investments.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Research Grant. Earlier this year, the Humana Foundation awarded researchers from the University of North Carolina a $250,000 research grant to test a pilot program that integrates both a meal delivery service and social engagement for older adults. The program includes in-person visits and wellness checks at the time of meal delivery, along with follow-up calls from college student companions to offer intergenerational social interactions. This is critically important as one in four seniors are considered socially isolated and 43% suffer from loneliness.

There is still much work to be done to bring together different generations to problem solve and advance health equity. We are more than our differences and have much to learn from each other.