FAST FACTS
- Georgia has the 11th fastest growing 60-plus population in U.S.
- More than 13,700 seniors statewide — 2,253 in metro Atlanta — are on waiting lists for government-subsidized in-home care to keep them out of nursing homes.
- In 2014, more than 470 seniors on waiting lists could wait no longer and went into nursing homes.
- Georgia pays $19,200 toward the annual cost of a nursing home resident on Medicaid.
Source: Georgia Council on Aging
HOME- AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES FOR SENIORS
Home-delivered meals, or congregate meals
Emergency response services
Respite care
Home visits to reduce isolation
Regular phone calls to reduce isolation and check on safety
Homemaker services of light housekeeping and meal preparation
Chore services
Personal care assistance
Home modification and repair
Adult day care
Transportation
Source: Georgia Division of Aging Services
Georgia, which has the nation’s 11th fastest growing 60-plus population, hasn’t kept up with the need for senior services, advocates for the aging say.
They point to a large waiting list of elderly who need supportive services such as delivered meals, light housekeeping or home modifications to remain in their homes. Having these services can mean the difference between aging in place or moving into a nursing home, said Georgia Council on Aging Executive Director Kathy Floyd.
“Georgia has to catch up with priorities on funding, and in-home care is cheaper than a nursing home,” Floyd said.
The average annual cost of a nursing home resident on Medicaid is $59,000, and the state will pick up $19,200 toward that bill, Floyd said. By contrast, home-based services would cost the state one-tenth of what it pays for the nursing home.
The Georgia Council on Aging is requesting a budget of $10 million for the next fiscal year, which would take about 5,000 people off waiting lists for aging services, Floyd said. Currently, the state allocates about $3.6 million toward these services.
More than 13,700 seniors — including 2,253 in metro Atlanta — are waiting for some type of home or community service. Seniors requesting help are assessed for need, then recommendations are made depending on what’s available in their community.
Services range from having personal care assistants for daily living, to adult day care and transportation. There’s even a service for the elderly who live alone and just need someone to call and check on them on a regular basis. Georgia has almost 350,000 seniors age 60 and older who live by themselves.
The greatest need, and largest waiting list, is for home-delivered meals, Floyd said. Most seniors receiving this service do contribute to help offset the costs.
While waiting to get into these programs, most seniors get by with help from family, neighbors or church groups. While many of these seniors do eventually move into a nursing home, the Georgia Council on Aging estimates that having help can extend their time at home by an average of 50 months.
Last year, 470 seniors on service waiting lists did move into nursing homes, according to the aging council.
“They simply couldn’t wait any longer,” and it cost the state over $9 million, Floyd said.
Service providers try to move seniors off waiting lists for in-home services as fast as possible, especially those needing delivered meals.
Georgia Council on Aging funds trickle down to county senior services, which cobble together money from local taxes, grants and fundraisers to keep programs running. In Cobb County, private donations and other funding sources help keep down a waiting list for Meals on Wheels.
"We do not have anyone go hungry," said Cobb County Senior Services Director Jessica Gill. "If they are on the wait list and need meals, we provide them with frozen meals every two weeks until they can receive services."
In north Fulton, Senior Services operates as a private, nonprofit organization. This allows them to raise funds and take donations so they can serve more seniors, Executive Director Carrie Bellware said.
“We’re very fortunate that we have a generous community and they respond when we have a need,” she said.
“We certainly need more public funding because that’s where the lion’s share of our resources come from, but we’re grateful that we can augment it with fundraising.”
One way they do this is through “Celebrating the Lives of Seniors,” an annual fundraiser slated for February that is expected to raised $100,000. In addition, Senior Services of North Fulton will host other special events and fundraisers throughout 2016 in celebration of its 25th anniversary.
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