The following information is an alphabetized overview of some of the types of long-term care and end-of-life care services that are available in Georgia.
Array of Services
Although defined differently by different providers and different states, in many cases adult day care provides a basic level of support to older and disabled adults.
Services may include watchful oversight, meals, activities, and, in some cases, personal care, often called support for Activities of Daily Living.
Adult Day Care is generally paid for privately, but some areas of the state have centers that offer sliding scale payment and assistance with funding. Some centers are supported by Alzheimer’s organizations, other support groups, and church or civic groups.
Adult day care programs may be episodic and may be offered anywhere from a church to an Assisted Living facility.
The Administration on Aging provides some funding to Area Agencies on Aging for Respite Care at day care centers to give caregivers a break.
A Checklist for Choosing a Community Service Provider can help you know what questions to ask.
In Georgia, Adult Day Health includes all of the above services of Adult Day Care, along with nursing care.
- Adult Day Health in most instances offers the same level of care that a Nursing Center might offer, that is, nursing, therapy, and activities, as well as personal care (bathing, grooming, toileting, etc.)
- In Georgia, the rate of pay for Adult Day Health may be based on the level of services required.
- Adult Day Health may be paid for by private payers, long term care insurance, and some Medicaid programs, including the Community Care Service Provider and SOURCE programs. Some Veterans Administration offices also provide funding for Adult Day Health programs.
General information about Adult Day Health programs is available by calling your local Area Agency on Aging office. A Checklist for Choosing a Community Service Provider can help you know what questions to ask
Area Agencies on Aging provide a database of providers and services that are accessible to seniors and disabled persons throughout the state. Look for your region for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Northwest Georgia
- 800-759-2963 or 1-800-759-2963
- Counties served: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker, Whitfield
Legacy Link/Georgia Mountains
- 770-538-2650 or 1-800-845-5465
- Counties served: Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, White
Atlanta Regional Commission
- 404-463-3333
- Counties served: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Rockdale
Southern Crescent
- 706-675-6721 or 1-866-854-5652
- Counties served: Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup, Upson
Northeast Georgia
- 706-369-5650 or 1-800-474-7540
- Counties served: Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Walton
Lower Chattahoochee
- 706-256-2910 or 1-800-249-7468
- Counties served: Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooley, Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor Webster
Middle Georgia
- 478-751-6489 or 1-888-548-1456
- Counties served: Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs. Wilkinson
Central Savannah River
- 706-210-2029 or 1-888-922-4464
- Counties served: Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington, Wilkes
Heart of Georgia/Altamaha
- 1-888-367-9913
- Counties served: Appling, Bleckley, Candler, Dodge, Emanual, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler, Wilcox
Southwest Georgia
- 229-432-1131 or 1-800-282-6612
- Counties served: Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Worth
Southeast Georgia
- 912-287-5888 or 1-888-732-4464
- Counties served: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, Ware
Coastal Georgia
- 912-264-7363 ext. 226 or 1-800-580-6860
- Counties served: Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh
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In Georgia, Assisted Living homes may be referred to as Personal Care Homes, Alternative Living, or Assisted Living. Assisted Living facilities must be licensed in Georgia. In general, they provide supportive living services, including personal care, often referred to as support for Activities of Daily Living. Nursing care is generally limited to oversight of services.
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Most Assisted Living is funded by private pay.
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While Medicaid does not currently pay for room and board at Assisted Living facilities, some people may be eligible for a personal care support allowance, which may make such care possible.
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A full list of licensed Assisted Living Facilities appears on the
Georgia Department of Human Resources website.
A Checklist for Choosing an Assisted Living Facility may help you know what questions to ask.
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Case Management services are those that help people navigate the system of health and social services.
- Medicaid funds several types of Care Management services, including programs for mental health and mental retardation, programs for the elderly and disabled, and programs for children.
- Recipients of some Medicaid Case Management services may have access to a variety of home and community services, which include meals, personal care, skilled care, adult day health, Assisted Living, and Respite Care.
- The Community Care Service Provider Program is a Medicaid waiver program operated out of the Department of Human Resources. Recipients who have income above the SSI level may qualify for Medicaid services by paying for a portion of the services they receive. CCSP recipients must have a chronic disease and be eligible for Nursing Center placement to qualify for services. The Area Agency on Aging in your area accepts referrals for the Community Care Program.
- The SOURCE program is a state plan service for Medicaid recipients on SSI who have chronic diseases and are at risk of Nursing Center placement. SOURCE’s hallmarks are physician involvement and intensive Case Management. More information about SOURCE is available by calling 1-888-762-2420.
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While Disease Management has traditionally been the function of the primary care provider, the health care system is increasingly seeing additional oversight for Disease Management provided by qualified nurses and other care providers. Many insurance companies, including managed care organizations, use Disease Management to help control the costs of the care for which they are paying and to improve the outcomes for the patient. Disease managers track utilization of health care services and medications, confer with primary care providers when there is a question about orders, and follow-up with patients to ensure that everyone is working together to control the chronic disease process.
- In Georgia, SOURCE includes a Disease Management component in which the case manager works with the physician to ensure that evidence-based best practices are followed and with the client on self-management goals established by the primary care provider.
- Georgia also has a contractor that provides Disease Management services to Medicaid-only (no Medicare coverage) recipients who are not covered by another program. Additional information about the state’s Disease Management program for the aged, blind, and disabled population is available though the Department of Community Health .
- Recent growth in Medicare managed care provides another layer of Disease Management to dual eligible (Medicare-Medicaid) people.
For additional information about Disease Management options, you may call 1-888-762-2420 or the Area Agency on Aging in your area.
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The act of preparing an advance directive can be an act of consideration for worried loved ones facing difficult decisions. Knowing the type of care one would want when dying and what one would choose following death can remove the burden of decision-making from grieving family members.
PATIENT SELF-DETERMINATION ACT
The "Patient Self-Determination Act" of 1990 is a federal law that went into effect on December 1, 1991. The legislation was created to ensure the legal right of each competent adult, 18 years and older, to make his/her own medical decisions. The act mandates Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing facilities, as well as other agencies, to give patients information about their right to make decisions concerning medical care including the right to accept or refuse medical or surgical treatment and the right to complete advance directives.
In order to make informed decisions, patients are entitled to adequate information about their condition, treatment alternatives, likely risks and benefits of the alternatives, and possible consequences.
ADVANCE DIRECTIVES
Advance Directives are written documents that are set up in advance in case a person is unable to communicate his or her desires about medical treatment. These are documents that state your choices about medical treatment and/or name someone to make choices about medical treatment for you, if you become unable to make decisions. Advance directives only come into effect when the individual is unable to make medical decisions on their own. The intent of the advance directives provisions is to enhance an adult individual’s control over medical treatment decisions. Whether you choose to execute an advance directive is a personal matter and will never be a condition of whether you receive services from a health care provider.
There are two primary purposes of advance directives that are recognized in Georgia:
1) A document which appoints a health care agent, and
2) A document that directs treatment preferences when a person is in a terminal condition or state of permanent unconsciousness
The Advance Directive for Health Care form provides a document that allows one or both of these purposes for advance directives to be completed on one form.
HEALTH CARE AGENT
A person can appoint a “health care agent” to act for and on their behalf to make decisions related to consent, refusal or withdrawal of any type of health care when the person is unable or chooses not to make health care decisions for him or herself. You should sit down with this agent and discuss your views; thus, giving your health care agent instructions or guidelines, you want them to follow.
As long as you are competent and able to communicate, you make your own decisions. Your health care agent is involved only when and if it is determined that you are unable to understand or communicate your decisions. You can make changes in or revoke or cancel the document at any time.
In Georgia, the current statutory form is the Advance Directive for Health Care and Part One of this form allows a person to appoint a health care agent and back-up agents. Other forms of advance directives for health care that substantially comply with this form may be used. If a person has completed a validly executed Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care on or before June 30, 2007, this advance directive document will remain valid unless you decide to revoke it.
Another type of advance directive is a document that directs treatment preferences when and only when a person is in a terminal condition or state of permanent unconsciousness. One of the two conditions would have to be established by having two physicians personally examine and certify in writing that the condition exists. Statements about the withholding and withdrawal of life support as well as statements concerning whether the individual would want nourishment or hydration may be declared. The withholding or withdrawal of certain medical procedures does not include the administration of medication to alleviate pain or the performance of any medical procedure deemed necessary to alleviate pain.
In Georgia, the Treatment Preferences section of the Advance Directive for Health Care form allows you to state your treatment preferences if you have a terminal condition or if you are in a state of permanent unconsciousness. Other forms of advance directives for health care that substantially comply with this form may be used. If a person has completed a validly executed Living Will on or before June 30, 2007, this advance directive document will remain valid unless you decide to revoke it.
These documents can be changed or revoked at anytime. If you choose to complete the new Advance Directive for Health Care, it will replace any other advance directive form that is currently in place.
Georgia has recently updated previous Advanced Directive documents into one easy-to-understand and complete Advance Directive Form.
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While many Americans choose traditional burial, Americans are increasingly choosing cremation for their remains. Part of the reason is cost. Funerals often cost $10,000 or more, and cremation services may be purchased for less than $1000. “Funerals: A Consumer Guide,” a publication of the General Services Administration, is available at http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov .
- Veterans and their immediate family members may be buried in a national cemetery and provided a marker at no cost to the family.
- Discussing funerals with your family prior to death helps family members honor your wishes.
Additional information is available at the Cremation Association of North America, and at Funeral Consumers Alliance.
Elderly and disabled persons who live alone or who have no one who can provide urgent care during certain hours of the day or night may appreciate the security of an Emergency Response or Medical Monitoring System. These systems are most often paid for privately, but some Medicaid waiver programs and SOURCE may make these available to their members, sometimes for a cost share.
- Emergency response systems (ERS) require a phone line. They will not work if the phone is in use.
- The client pushes a button, which summons an operator who will direct the appropriate helper—a relative or neighbor, firefighter, ambulance, or law enforcement-- to the client’s home.
- Good ERS companies update client information regularly and check to ensure that equipment is working.
- ERS systems can reduce death and disability because help can be summoned rapidly.
For general information about Emergency Response Systems, call 1-800-922-5487. A Checklist for Choosing a Community Service Provider may help you know what questions to ask about Emergency Response Systems.
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Some companies provide bill-paying and other Financial Services to clients.
- Many accounting and bookkeeping companies provide this service for their elderly and/or disabled clients who are not able to manage their financial matters. Be sure that the agency is reputable and is bonded. Get references from others before turning over finances to an agency.
- While most financial services are provided by family members, some are paid for privately. Private Home Care companies may offer bill-paying services if a special request is made by the client. The agency should be bonded or have theft insurance. It will also be important to have someone review the financial activities to make sure that the assistant is competent and honest.
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Some volunteer organizations, churches, and civic groups organize “Friendly Visitor” or “telephone check-ins” for older adults and disabled persons. Chambers of Commerce, area ministerial associations, church senior groups, local senior services programs, or the Area Agency on Aging may provide contact information about available services. These services are generally provided by volunteers without charge.
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Home Health is designed to meet the needs of patients who are recovering from an illness or who have a chronic medical condition that requires the care of a nurse and/or a physical, occupational, or speech therapist. Diagnostic testing, wound care, therapy, and skilled nursing are Home Health Services. In most cases, Home Health patients are homebound. Home Health is generally a short-term service, designed to meet the needs of patients who have suffered an acute illness or injury or who have newly diagnosed health problems. Home Health patients covered by Medicare must be recertified by the physician every two months.
Home Health providers may also offer Home Health aides to provide additional services for clients on a short-term basis. Aides can provide supportive services, bathing and meal preparation, for example, that help ensure that the client is able to remain in his or her home.
Home Health may be funded by insurance companies, private payers, VA, Workers’ Compensation, Medicare, and Medicaid. Some long term care policies cover Home Health.
Home Health agencies in Georgia must have a Certificate of Need and a License from the Office of Regulatory Services.
Home Health agencies do not generally provide around-the-clock care.
A full list of Home Health Providers in Georgia and survey data appear on the Department of Human Resources website.
A Checklist for Choosing a Community Provider can help you know what questions to ask.
Private Home Care providers may provide companions, personal care aides, and nurses to clients who require supportive services.
Companions : In Georgia, companions or sitters employed by a Private Home Care agency may provide light housekeeping, run errands, prepare meals, and monitor safety, but they may not perform hands-on care.
Personal Care Aide/Assistants : Most care delivered by Private Home Care agencies is provided by Personal Care Assistants, who may or may not be certified. Agencies are required to credential aides. Aides may provide companion services, personal care, and homemaker and errand services.
Skilled Nursing : Skilled nursing can also be provided by Private Home Care LPNs and RNs, if the agency is licensed to provide this service.
Private Home Care is primarily a private pay service, but some long-term care insurance will cover this level of care when provided through an agency. Other payers include Medicaid for persons enrolled in certain programs, including the Community Care Service Provider program (CCSP), SOURCE, the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP), and others. Some people with Workers’ Compensation injuries may qualify for Private Home Care. The Veterans Administration also offers limited personal care assistance. The Administration on Aging through the Area Agencies on Aging also makes some funds available to help offset the cost of care for a limited number of eligible people.
A full list of home care providers by community appears on the Department of Human Resources website.
General information about the range of services provided by Private Home Care providers is available at 1-866-269-0174. A Checklist for Choosing a Community Service Provider can help you know what questions to ask.
Some companies offer chore and homemaker services, though many families may privately employ or contract with individuals who can perform these duties.
In some instances, these services may be provided by Home Health or Private Home Care agencies as part of the overall care plan for the client.
Most chore and homemaker services are arranged by clients and families and are paid for privately. The Administration on Aging does have some funds to offset the costs for a very limited number of eligible people. The Area Agency on Aging has information about such services.
Housekeeping service agencies do not have to be licensed in Georgia, but customers may wish to check references and determine if the agency has insurance and a means of conducting employee and contractor background checks and drug screens.
If such services are offered by a Private Home Care agency, the agency must be licensed and use qualified staff.
General information about the chore and homemaker services is available by calling 1-866-269-0174. A Checklist for Choosing a Community Service Provider can help you know what questions to ask.
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving is an excellent resource for family caregivers.
- Some support organizations, like the Alzheimer’s Association do have limited funding for Respite Care for family caregivers.
- Medicaid programs, including SOURCE and the Community Care Service Provider programs, provide some funding for short-term Respite Care, when that care fosters continued community residence.
- Area Agencies on Aging can provide contact information for caregivers who need respite.
- Support groups can also offer an opportunity to share experiences with other caregivers. Caregiver support groups include the following:
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Many Georgians are able to remain in their homes, thanks to Home Delivered Meals. Congregate meals are also served at most county Senior Citizen Programs, but services are limited to the center’s capacity.
- Home Delivered Meals may be arranged through multiple resources, but the first stop should be the local Senior Center or the Area Agency on Aging (jump within article) in your area for information about enrollment. A list of Senior Center meal programs is available.
- Home Delivered Meals may be available to persons who need the service and are enrolled in the Community Care Service Provider or SOURCE programs. Most Home Delivered Meals programs will deliver to homebound self-pay clients, but for those who cannot pay the full cost of the meals, United Way and some private fund-raising resources help support these programs.
- Meals come in a variety of formats, from hot to shelf-stable to frozen.
For more information about meal delivery or congregate meals in your area, call your local Senior Center or the Area Agency on Aging serving your home county. A Checklist for Choosing a Community Service Provider offers a helpful list of questions to ask.
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Hospice programs are designed to provide palliative or comfort care to persons who are at the end of life. Generally speaking, Hospice candidates are those who physicians believe have six months or less to live.
- Hospice can be paid for by insurance, Veteran’s benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, or private payers.
- Hospice is available in the community, in Nursing Centers and in special inpatient Hospice units. Some Hospices also provide Respite Care when family caregivers need a break from their duties.
- Hospice does not pay for room and board. It does pay for the full-range of nursing and aide services and for medical supplies and medications and treatments that are related to the terminal illness. Social services and the care of a chaplain and volunteers are also part of most Hospice programs.
- Hospices are licensed in Georgia. A full list of Georgia Hospice organizations may be found on the Department of Human Resources website.
- Several Hospice programs serve most counties in Georgia.
For general information about Hospice programs, you may call the Georgia Hospice and Palliative Care Organization at 1-877-924-6073 or refer to www.hospicefoundation.org . A Checklist for Choosing a Community Service Provider offers may provide help in knowing what questions to ask when you are selecting a Hospice agency.
Independent Living
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While there could be many definitions for Independent Living, in most cases, residents of a defined “neighborhood” pay a fee for access to certain services, which may or may not include security, meals or restaurant dining, housekeeping and laundry. Generally speaking, most people who reside in Independent Living Communities remain able to function on their own but enjoy the security of the neighborhood or campus.
- Independent Living is nearly always privately funded.
- The concept of “catered living” is relatively new. It refers to living independently while having access to a “concierge” who can make arrangements for needed services. Package arrangements may be purchased at a flat rate or services may be purchased from an “a la carte” menu at a somewhat higher rate. This concept is designed to appeal to higher income seniors.
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) often have an Independent Living Component.
- Some government programs provide Case Management services for people who live in subsidized housing to help them access needed services. This is sometimes called “supported housing.”
- Section 8, a federally-funded housing assistance program, provides vouchers to qualified low-income people who need rental assistance. This program is designed to foster independent living for those with incomes below 50% of their area’s median income. It is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The HUD website provides information about properties that are available for rent or purchase and instructions on applying for vouchers.
Legal Services for Older Georgians
Legal Services are provided to elderly and disabled persons through the Area Agencies on Aging. According to the Department of Human Resources website, the Georgia Legal Services Program can provide the following services:
- Document preparation (i.e., advanced directives, etc.);
- Legal information;
- Legal counseling ;
- Case representation; and
- Legal education sessions to help older Georgians prevent more costly, time-consuming legal problems.”
- Some funding may be provided through the Administration on Aging, but most Legal Services are privately funded. For further information about help with Legal Services, you may call the main office of the Georgia Legal Services Program at 1-800-498-9469 or the Pro Bono Project of the State Bar of Georgia at 1-800-334-6835. The Department of Human Resources website also has helpful information on legal assistance for older adults.
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For many older adults, medication management can be challenging. The first rule is to ensure that the primary care provider is aware of all medications, including those prescribed by other doctors. Compounding the difficulty of sorting out prescriptions and the cost is the implementation of Part D, which provides some cost savings for prescription drugs to Medicare recipients in certain income brackets.
- Management of medication has become somewhat easier thanks to creative forms of packaging, which take the guesswork out of what to take when. Ask your pharmacist about options for packaging.
- For people who have difficulty managing their medications, help may be available through Private Home Care agencies. Nurses can set up pill boxes on a regular basis and monitor the client’s ability to take medicine correctly. The cost of this care is inexpensive when one considers the cost of a dangerous drug interaction. Private Home Care can be paid for privately or through certain Medicaid programs, including Community Care and SOURCE.
- Pharmacists can also be consulted to learn about drug interactions, including interactions from over-the-counter medicines and herbal supplements.
- Contrary to what most people think, drug and alcohol abuse are common among the elderly, especially those who are isolated. Go to www.samhsa.gov for information about misuse of prescription drugs.
The website, www.ahrq.gov/consumer , has a video called “Tips for Taking Medicines Safely” as well as general information about medication management, prescription drug safety issues, and Part D. Medicare also provides prescription drug information at www.medicare.gov/AssistancePrograms/home.asp . The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists has an excellent, reader-friendly consumer section that provides much information on medication safety at http://www.ascp.com/consumers/tips/ . Elder Care Pharmacy also has helpful information.
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Nursing Centers provide around-the-clock care to long-term and short-term care patients with an interdisciplinary team approach, including direct care givers, nurses, physical, occupational, and speech therapists, registered dietitians, and pharmacy consultants, with oversight by a Medical Director. Social service and activity programs are an integral part of care, and housekeeping and laundry services are available to all residents.
Nursing Centers are increasingly used for short-term rehabilitation following an acute illness, but these facilities also provide long-term care.
In Georgia, most Nursing Center stays are funded by Medicaid, although traditional Medicare will cover up to 100 days of skilled care in Medicare-certified facilities. Some Nursing Centers have contracts with the Veterans Administration and accept VA patients. There are also some facilities dedicated to the long-term care of veterans. Long-term care insurance may also cover a Nursing Center stay. Potential residents who have Medicare Advantage Plans should check with their plans to determine benefits, since each plan is different. Some short-term rehab stays are funded by insurance companies.
Some Nursing Centers specialize in an intermediate level of care for persons with mental health or developmental disability issues.
Hospice services are available in some Nursing Centers, but Hospice does not cover the costs of room and board.
A complete list of Nursing Centers and survey results for each can be found at www.ors.dhr.georgia.gov .
A Checklist for Choosing a Skilled Nursing Center may help you know what questions to ask.
General information about skilled Nursing Center care is available at 1-478-621-2100. Other good resources for Nursing Center information are the Georgia Heath Care Association and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. The government’s Medicare website also has much information about selecting a Nursing Center.
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Respite Care is designed to give caregivers a break from their normal responsibilities. Care may be provided in the home by personal support aides or companions, at Adult Day Health Centers, and in some Assisted Living Facilities and Nursing Centers.
- Most Respite Care is paid for privately.
- Medicaid will pay for respite in-home or out-of-home if the provider has the appropriate Medicaid credentials and the person receiving the service is a member of one of the Medicaid programs that provides such services. VA also makes some respite funds available, as do some support groups like the Alzheimer’s Association. Some Area Agencies on Aging also have limited funds available to support Respite Care.
- If the person who requires the care needs nursing, including medication administration, then you will need to look for a higher level of care than many respite agencies provide.
A Checklist for Choosing a Community Services Provider may help you know what questions to ask about Respite Care.
Therapy is a vital part of returning to good health and an improved quality of life. All Medicare-certified Nursing Centers offer Therapy, and Therapy is also available on an outpatient basis at independent agencies, hospitals, and from Home Health providers.
There are three general types of Therapy: physical, occupational, and speech-language pathology. For a person who has suffered a major stroke, all three specialties might be involved in helping the person maximize function, but for someone with a broken bone, only one type of Therapy might be involved. Physician’s orders are required for Therapy.
- Physical therapists work with the large muscle groups to help increase mobility.
- Occupational therapists concentrate on small muscle groups to help patients regain function.
- Speech-language pathologists help people with speech issues and swallowing problems.
Medicare rules require that Therapy stop when the person is no longer making progress. When this happens, follow-up care can be provided in Nursing Centers by nurses and nursing assistants to ensure that function is maximized.
Therapy can be paid for in the following ways:
- Medicare will pay for a limited amount of Therapy, based on the annual Therapy cap established for that therapeutic discipline.
- In outpatient settings for Medicaid-only patients, Medicaid will pay for Therapy services.
- VA and private insurance will cover the cost of Therapy, but advance approval must be obtained.
- Workers’ compensation insurance will generally cover Therapy related to the on-the-job injury.
For general information about Therapy services, call 1-706-278-4438
Transportation
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Being able to run errands, meet with friends, or go to church and social events are integral parts of most people’s lives. When a person is no longer able to drive, reliable transportation is a key factor in continuing community residence.
- In more urban areas, many people count on taxis and buses, including special buses for people who have physical handicaps.
- In Georgia, all Medicaid recipients have access to transportation to medical appointments, but a three-day notice is generally required unless the appointment is considered urgent.
- The Department of Human Resources operates some van transport for people who participate in DHR programs and senior centers. In some areas, this service may be available to other area residents.
- Some Georgia cities and counties participate in a Department of Transportation program that provides routine transport by appointment to elders and disabled people. This service does allow pick-up for non-medical appointments.
- Most Private Home Care Agencies provide an errand service, but few companies allow the client to ride in the car with the caregiver.
Most Area Agencies on Aging can provide information about transportation resources in your community.