As Irma Raged, ARC Helped Keep Older Adults Safe

Posted on: Sep 14, 2017

For most metro Atlanta residents, Tropical Storm Irma meant inconveniences: long lines at the gas station, mad rushes to the grocery store, and frustrating waits for the lights to go back on.

But the risks were much greater for the region’s older adults and persons with disabilities who depend on in-home services for their health and well-being.

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Fortunately, the metro Atlanta Area Agency on Aging (AAA), which is staffed by the Atlanta Regional Commission, worked with its service providers to ensure these residents were prepared for the storm and stayed safe.

ARC staff and service provider Visiting Nurse Health Systems conducted extra “emergency” checks on more than 3,000 older adult clients, some of whom had recently moved out of nursing homes, to make sure they had enough food and medicine on hand and had the caregiver support they needed.
One Decatur client was home alone and hungry on Monday after her caregiver had to cancel when MARTA shut down its service. A home-care coordinator delivered food to her home.
ARC also took on the charge of answering phone calls from Coastal Georgia AAA clients, to ensure that residents in the hard hit area continued to receive the services they needed during this emergency.

“We work every day to ensure that our clients have what they need to remain in their homes and communities, which we know leads to better health outcomes. Of course, in an emergency situation, connectivity becomes more important than ever,” said Becky Kurtz, Manager of Aging & Independence Services group at ARC and Director of the Metro Atlanta Area Agency on Aging.

Explore ARC’s Aging & Health section for more information about services and planning.

For information about the Atlanta Area Agency on Aging, visit ARC’s Agewise Connection website, or call 404.463.3333.