Posted on: Feb 19, 2018
Finding the right long-term services and supports can be challenging for individuals and families unfamiliar with programs designed to help older Georgians.
As the Area Agency for Aging (AAA) for the 10-county Atlanta region, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) operates the Atlanta Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC), which connects individuals to a range of services from transportation to medical appointments, to home-delivered meals. Â These services allow many older individuals to remain and thrive in their own homes instead of moving to costly institutional settings, such as nursing homes.
Last year, the metro Atlanta ADRC phone-line and website served nearly 70,000 clients, responding to more than 94,000 requests for assistance.
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Now, that lifeline is threatened.  Federal funding in the current fiscal year is cut, resulting in an 89 percent drop in dedicated funding for the ADRC in metro Atlanta. The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) has allotted just $37,000 to ARC for operating the ADRC—an amount that’s insufficient to even fund one full-time staff person.
The proposed state budget falls short of what is needed to bridge this gap and address the needs of this quickly growing population. The General Assembly can remedy the situation during the 2018 legislative session by including ADRC funding in the final FY 19 budget.
To learn more and become involved, visit the Georgia Council on Aging.