Improving the Quality of Life for Residents of All Ages and Abilities
The Issue
Today, 792,000 people age 60 or older live in metro Atlanta — that’s 1 in 6 of us.
By 2030, our older-adult population is expected to grow to 1.2 million, or about 1 in 4 of the region’s residents.
Most of us want to stay in our communities as we age, but we need easy access to transportation, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, and housing that is affordable and accessible for every stage of life.
This is where our work comes in.
Learn About
What We Do
Connecting People to Services and Support Through empowerline
Maximizing Health & Independence Through a Range of Services
Ongoing Planning Efforts to Help People Age in Place
Helping People Stay Active & Engaged Through Volunteering and Senior Centers
A New Way of Thinking about Growing Older
You Can Make a Difference, Too: Policy Briefs and Advocacy
Our Mission and Who We Are
Atlanta Regional Commission’s Aging & Independence Services Group works to prepare the 10-county metropolitan area to address the future needs of our changing society while ensuring adequate services and support are available to individuals and their families living in our community today. See our annual report.
As the federally designated Area Agency on Aging (AAA), ARC receives funding through the federal Older Americans Act for much of the work performed by the agency’s Aging & Independence Services Group and partners within the counties of Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale. Additional funding is provided by the federal Social Services Block Grant, Medicaid waiver programs, federal corporation for National and Community Service, and a range of state programs, along with a variety of public and private grants. We also provide services through public/private partnerships with health care providers and insurers and housing providers.
Visit Eldercare Locator to find other AAAs in the nation.
Connecting People to Services and Support Through empowerline
Empowerline’s phone and online counselors link people with trusted community services — such as meals, transportation, resources to help care for a loved one, housing, assistance at home, and healthcare providers — to help them live their best lives.
Empowerline also helps to educate. Via our empowerline website and social media and through community and professional outreach events, empowerline provides crucial information about a variety of issues, from preparing for retirement, to Medicare and Medicaid help, to finding volunteer opportunities to remain socially engaged and plugged in.
If you’re a pro, consider empowerlinePro
Subscription service to empowerlinePro provides access to Georgia’s most comprehensive database of aging, long-term care, and disabilities resources for professionals. We include thousands of providers and resources in empowerlinePro.
We work with:
- Non Profits
- Hospitals
- Health Centers
- Case Managers
Maximizing Health & Independence
ARC’s Aging & Independence Services group awards federal, state, and local funding to metro Atlanta organizations that provide services to older people, individuals with disabilities, and their caregivers, helping them lead healthier, more independent lives while avoiding costly institutional settings.
- Managing Care
ARC helps people navigate the complexity of their health and daily living needs through collaborative programs that help coordinate care. - Getting Around
We all need reliable transportation in order to maintain a high quality of life. ARC supports programs to get older people to where they need to go and help them to live independently. - Delivering Meals
For people who cannot leave their homes, having food and companionship delivered is invaluable. - Wellness Programs
From managing chronic conditions to preventing a dangerous fall, these programs promote health of older adults and people caring for them. - Legal Assistance
Older adults are at particular risk of financial exploitation. Legal assistance helps to protect their independence and security. - Providing Support to Caregivers
More and more people find themselves in the role of caring for others. It can be rewarding, but also stressful. ARC helps fund programs that relieve some of that burden.
Ongoing Planning Efforts to Help People Age in Place
ARC is dedicated to interdisciplinary work to help people of all ages and abilities remain in their homes and communities.
ARC serves thousands of older people in metro Atlanta each year, but the demand remains great — and growing. ARC has developed a set of policy briefs that offer important information and context on key issues such as caregiving, transportation, and housing in metro Atlanta, as well as specific planning, policy, and programmatic solutions.
Our Lifelong Communities Partnership advocates for communities that support persons of all ages and abilities, especially considering the growing number of older people who call metro Atlanta home.
Helping People Stay Active & Engaged Through Volunteering and Senior Centers
ARC’s Aging & Independence Services Group is committed to providing new ways for older people to stay involved, give back, and meet new people. ARC allocates funding to help keep people nourished and engaged by providing meals and recreational activities at senior centers across the region.
Meanwhile, volunteers with metro Atlanta’s RSVP program provide free educational presentations, community events, and counseling for their fellow older adults — all geared to help them remain healthy, active, and independent.
Interested in learning more? Read more about volunteering with RSVP.
A New Way of Thinking about Growing Older
As a regional provider of aging and disability services as well as a convener of government, partners, and residents, ARC strives to both reframe the way people think about aging in our region and engage others in this effort.
We invite you to reframe the way you think and talk about aging. Check out this evidence-based report from the Frameworks Institute, “Finding the Frame: An Empirical Approach to Reframing Aging and Ageism.” The report is based on extensive research on the how aging is understood in the U.S. The Institute has also created this helpful toolkit.
You Can Make a Difference, Too: Policy Briefs and Advocacy
ARC and our community partners serve thousands of older people in metro Atlanta each year, but the demand remains great — and growing. Learn even more about the issues affecting older people and those living with disabilities with these policy briefs. Ready to make a difference? Learn the A-B-Cs of advocating in your community.