Assemblyman Dante Acosta, R-Santa Clarita, announced a bill to establish a new program to empower young adults to care for elderly Californians in need of care.

Assembly Bill 2101 would create a new program called the California Care Corps, a pilot program to provide a volunteer workforce to provide respite care to persons who are at least 65 years of age or have a cognitive impairment and who need in-home care, according to the bill.

“AB 2101 empowers young people who give a minimum number of hours to receive training and educational benefits in exchange for serving those in need of respite care,” said Acosta.

The program will allow people suffering from disease or challenges related to aging by offering in-home assistance, according to Acosta’s office.

“The result will be a better quality of life,” he said. “Furthermore, it will incentivize young adults to pursue careers in healthcare, greatly expanding the respite care workforce.”

In return, corps-members will receive a small stipend and educational benefits which are maximized if used to achieve a degree in a related medical field, Acosta said.

“AB 2101 will inspire more young people to become doctors and nurses, drive down the cost of healthcare, and avoid costly institutionalized care,” said Acosta. “Perhaps most importantly, however, seniors will be allowed to live at home. With this bill a new generation of young people will generate important relationships with elderly Californians.”

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