The statistics suggest it’s a growing trend- for the past two decades the number of three-generation households has doubled in the United States. The possible reasons are many and complex: fewer marriages and more single parents, rising housing costs, increased longevity among seniors and other possibilities. Sometimes these arrangements are involuntary and have negative consequences for all involved. But, as Marc Freedman argues in his new book due out next week, How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations, younger and older people have complimentary qualities and needs that mean connections between the two can be positive for the health and welfare of both.

As we become a society with more people over age 60 than under age 18, we’re going to have to figure out ways to overcome our age-segregated communities and integrate older people in society in new and valuable ways. Maybe we could address problems like senior loneliness while also tackling such issues as childcare shortages or rising housing costs for young adults. In a recent Wall Street Journal essay, Freedman harkens back to the 19th century when Americans usually lived in three-generation households and he highlights the current efforts underway in Singapore to bring back these “3Gen Flats.” And in North America, apps like Nesterly or programs like Symbiosis are pairing young adults with older people for practical living solutions and emotional connection.

As Marc Freedman said in a recent interview in Quartz, “Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about him or her.” So whether it’s a grandchild, or a foster child or a young adult who visits the local senior center, it sounds wise to find a way to regularly spend time with younger people- for their benefit and for yours.