Published quarterly by Georgia’s Area Agencies on Aging

GeorgiaGenerationsTMSummer 2008

Also in This Issue: n   Caregiving News & Notesn   A Look at Georgia’s AAAs

F r o m a l l c o r n e r s o F t h e g l o b e

Changingthe

faCe oF georgia’sseniors

�� Georgia Generations

Area Agencies on Aging – Gateways to Community Resources

Northwest GeorgiaLegacy Link Atlanta Regional

CommissionSouthern CrescentNortheast GeorgiaLower ChattahoocheeMiddle GeorgiaCentral Savannah RiverHeart of Georgia

AltamahaSouthwest GeorgiaSoutheast GeorgiaCoastal Georgia

123

54

78

6

9

12

1011

Georgia is divided into 12 AAAs, each serving a different part of the state. They are:

1

10

2

35

4

7

8

69

12

11

SUMMER 2008  Published quarterly through a cooperative effort of Georgia’s Area Agencies on Aging.

For information contact:Atlanta Regional CommissionAging Services Division40 Courtland St., NE, Atlanta, GA 30303404-463-3239jkauffman@atlantaregional.com

Editorial Project Development:JAM Communications, Atlanta, GA

Design and Production:Wells-Smith Partners, Lilburn, GA

Georgia Generations is a:

On the Cover:America’s foreign-born senior popula-tion will grow nearly 70% from 1995 to 2010. In our own state, these new Georgians bring a variety of languages, customs and needs. Here’s a look at the challenges they face. See story, page 4.

Cover and feature photography by Ben Brown.

GenerationsGeorgia

Summer 2008, Volume 7, #4 © 2008 by the Atlanta Regional Commission. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, the Atlanta Regional Commission and JAM Communications make no warranty to the accuracy or reliability of this information. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission. All rights reserved.

Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) were established under the Older Americans Act in 1973 to respond to the needs of older adults age 60 and over in every community. To read more about each of Georgia’s AAAs and the services available, turn to a statewide map and news from each agency, beginning on page 9.

Selecting the right

if you or a loved one is sidelined because of a mobility problem, a

wheelchair or scooter can actually give you the freedom to get out and experience life again.

Scooter prices can range from $500 to $3,600, while power wheelchairs start at $1,200 and can run up to $3,500. Medicare may cover 80% of the cost with a letter of necessity from your doctor.

Before you buy, spend plenty of time trying out the device. Sit in it and make sure that it feels good, is easy to use and meets your needs. Keep your physical therapist informed as you’re making your selection. He or she will be able to offer guidance.

mobility device

Surfing the NetEach issue of Georgia Generations offers several

Web sites devoted to caregiving information and resources:

www.reversemortgage.org is a site for con-sumers interested in learning more about

reverse mortgages. The information on this site is provided by the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA).

www.rxassist.org provides a com-prehensive directory of patient assistance

programs that are run by pharmaceutical companies to provide free medications to people who cannot afford to buy their medicine.

Most grocery stores don’t make healthy shopping very easy. 

Products in the best locations — at eye level, ends of aisles and near cash registers — are usually the best sellers. Unfortunately, they are also most likely to be low in nutrition and high in sugar. Here are a few rules from nutritionist Marion Nestle to make your shopping experience smarter — and healthier:

•  Don’t buy any packaged foods with more than five ingredients.

•  If you can’t pronounce the ingredients on the package label, don’t buy it.

•  Don’t buy anything with a cartoon on it — it’s being directed toward your grandchildren.

•  If you don’t want your grandchildren eating junk food, then don’t have it in your house.

•  Don’t buy artificial anything — it’s just disguis-ing bad taste.

Also, look out for items that seem like health foods, but really aren’t. Just because candy comes covered with yogurt, for example, doesn’t make it good for you.

SmarterShopping

I f someone in your family has been diagnosed with 

Alzheimer’s disease, are they still able to handle their finances? A recent study says no.

A rapid decline in financial skills often accompanies Alzheimer’s disease, the study shows. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry reports that researchers evaluated the ability of 55 people with mild Alzheimer’s disease to perform 18 financial tasks, including identifying currency, paying bills and understanding a bank statement. People with mild Alzheimer’s disease showed a 20% decline in overall 

financial ability compared to a control group of 63 healthy people. After one year, the Alzheimer’s group dropped another 10%. Researchers 

cautioned that people with Alzheimer’s disease were less able to detect mail or telephone fraud, which suggests the importance of providing oversight and transferring financial responsibilities once a diagnosis is made.

How Alzheimer’s Affects financial competence

CAREGIVINGNEWS&NOTES

Protect Medicare andMedicaid Benefits

Report suspected fraud and errors.Call your Senior Medicare Fraud Project

for details and to request a presentation.

Metro Atlanta: 404-463-0763Outside Metro Atlanta:GeorgiaCares 1-800-669-8387

Do you want to know more about the prescription drugs you or your family members are taking? Go to

www.CRBestBuyDrugs.org, Consumer Reports’ new Web site, to learn more about the cost, effectiveness and safety of prescription drugs. This Web site is available at no cost to the consumer.

� Georgia Generations� Georgia Generations

Looking out over the diners eating LunCh at the

Norcross Senior Center, you might be hard-pressed to figure out

what country you are in. Indeed, seated at the tables are seniors

who hail from Liberia, Taiwan, China, Trinidad, Guyana, Colombia,

Peru, Ecuador, India, Jamaica and Tanzania. “We’ve got a regular

United Nations here,” says Tammy Blakely, the center’s manager.

By Martha Nolan McKenzie

i n c r e a s e d d i v e r s i t y b r i n g s n e w n e e d s .

Changing faCegeorgia’s

seniors

the

oF

AN INTERNATIONAL GAME OF DOMINOES: Seniors from around the world enjoy meeting at the H.H. Brigham Senior Center in Augusta. This group of dominoes players has emigrated from Honduras, Jamaica, Germany, the Czech Republic, Thailand, Panama, Canada and the Philippines.

scenes such as this one will become increasingly com-mon in Georgia and across the country in the coming years as the senior population becomes more and more 

racially, ethnically and culturally diverse. The foreign-born elder population is growing particularly quickly. From 1995 to 2010, foreign-born seniors will increase by nearly 69%, com-pared to a 17% increase for native-born seniors, according to the Migration Policy Institute. 

In Georgia, the foreign-born population grew nearly 49% between 2000 and 2006. In the latter year, nearly 10% of all foreign-born residents were seniors. 

These seniors come to Georgia from all corners of the globe and from all walks of life. They are immigrants — those who willingly leave their country for another — and refugees — those who flee their country because of persecution or fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality or political opinion. They bring with them a stunning variety of languages, beliefs and customs. Once here, their needs and concerns are the same as those for native seniors — housing, transporta-tion, access to health care, social connection. But for this group, adapting to a new country, new culture and new lan-guage, the challenge can be daunting.

Language ChaLLengesClearly, the biggest hurdle many diverse seniors face is 

language. Many foreign-born seniors arrive in Georgia speak-ing no English. Communicating their needs and accessing services then becomes a Herculean task. “Refugees have seven years to learn the language and gain U.S. citizenship,” says John O’Kelley, executive director of the Clarkston Com-munity Center. “That’s because refugees automatically get Medicaid, SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and food stamps, but all those services stop after seven years if they have not become citizens. For those who do not know how to read or write in their own languages, learning English to gain citizenship is an enormous obstacle.”

In America, citizenship holds the key to the kingdom. “Without citizenship, they can’t access public services,” says Chaiwon Kim, executive director for the Center for Pan-Asian Community Services, Inc. (CPACS) in Doraville. “So if they get sick, for example, they are really in trouble if they can’t afford a hospital here.”

Beyond life-and-death issues, common language is needed to connect with the community and other seniors. Beth Stalvey sees that need every day. Stalvey is a consultant with the Aging Divi-sion at the Atlanta Regional Commission. She works with the Marian Road NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Commu-nity), a high-rise senior apartment building in Atlanta. Marian Road is home to Korean, Chinese, Russian, Latino and American seniors. The Marian Road NORC is a partnership between the Atlanta Housing Authority, Habitat Management Company, Jew-ish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Atlanta Regional Commission, Visiting Nurse Health System, Jewish Family & Career Services, and Piedmont Hospital’s Sixty Plus Program.

“The residents would like to talk to each other,” says Stalvey. “There’s a group who play pool in the evenings,  

and they are trying to learn some phrases in each other’s language.”

Since the cost of hiring interpreters is prohibitive, Stalvey has launched an innovative voucher program. Residents who speak another language as well as English can offer their services. Other residents can hire them for a modest sum to write a letter, translate a phone call or accompany them to a meeting. “This allows residents to get the translation services they need without feeling like they are being a burden to another resident, and the bilingual resident can feel helpful and make a bit of money as well,” says Stalvey. 

CuLturaL differenCesWhile language can be the widest divide for diverse 

seniors, beliefs, customs and traditions from their homeland can also set them apart. “You’ve got to understand where people come from and what their customs are,” says Stalvey. “For example, some Russian-speaking people have a very strong tone that others might misinterpret. But it’s just their manner of speaking.”

Cultural norms also affect what services seniors expect or are willing to accept. “We serve a lot of native Russian speakers, and they come from a society where most things were provided through the government,” says Carrie Bell-ware, director of AVIV Older Adult Services for Jewish Family & Career Services (JFCS). “They have an expectation that all these services will come to you automatically, but it’s not so easy in this country. You really have to navigate through all the agencies to get what you need.”

Other cultures are reluctant to access any services at all. “In some cultures, there is a really strong tradition of fami-lies taking care of their elderly without any support from the outside,” says Linda Bailey, manager of Gwinnett County Senior Services. “We want to make sure they know what ser-vices are available, but at the same time, we don’t want to infringe on their cultural upbringing.”

And some cultures will only avail themselves of service if they are offered by a particular gender. “We were trying to assess the needs and arrange services for a Pakistani woman,” says Bailey. “However, most of our workers are women, and the Pakistani woman’s son would not talk to, or even make eye contact with, women. We basically had to wait until he was not around and then go through his wife to make the assessment and secure the services.”

Perhaps the easiest cultural landscape to navigate is food. More and more senior centers and housing facilities are adapting their menus to accommodate many food traditions. “We have a lot of Muslims who are vegetarians, so we have added extra vegetable services to our meals,” says Bailey. “We do a porkless menu, and we keep rice as a side dish nearly all of the time. We try to accommodate the different cultures as best we can.”

The Clarkston Community Center, which serves a large senior Somali and Vietnamese refugee population, offers coupons to area restaurants. “We don’t serve meals here at  the center,” says O’Kelley. “So we’ll give them coupons for 

Summer 2008 �

faCe

ethnically appropriate restaurants. That gets them out to socialize with others.”

aCCessing heaLth CareAccess to health care is a pressing issue faced 

by diverse seniors. Many came from countries that didn’t offer the immunizations and routine health care that we enjoy here, so they arrive with numerous medical problems. However, if they arrived after August 22, 1996 (when laws were passed limiting particular public benefits to cer-tain legal immigrants), their eligibility for government-funded health insurance is limited. Access to employer-related insurance is also unlikely, since working members of the family tend to work in low-paying jobs that do not offer coverage. Indeed, nearly 46% of non-citizens lack health coverage, compared with 15% of the citizen population, according to the 2005 Current Popula-tion Survey by the U.S. Dept. of Labor. In addition, immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid until they have lived in the U.S. for five years, and even then they may be ineligible for public coverage. 

Health care concerns extend to mental health. Isolation and depression are problems that can plague any senior, but immigrants and refugees are at even higher risk. “Many of the refugees who come here have experienced trauma or tor-ture in their homeland,” says Gwen-Dolyn Cutter, coordinator of the state’s Refugee Resettlement Program. “They have had to leave their homes. They may have lived in a refugee camp for years before coming here. In recognition of this, we have expanded our social adjustment services to include mental health screening.”

Many Asian seniors grapple with another fac-tor. “In most Asian countries, the elders are revered,” says Kim. “But they come here, and we worship youth. That is very difficult for them to take, and depression is a big issue in our commu-nity. We have two clinical psychologists on our staff who are available to help. And we offer senior wellness programs, which give them a chance to be with other seniors in social activities at least once a week.”

Meeting the needs of MuLtiCuLturaL seniors

As the number of ethnically diverse seniors has grown in Georgia, so have the services geared to meet their needs. Here is a look at a few:

Refugee Resettlement Program Run through the Georgia Department of 

Human Resources, the resettlement program is a 

federally funded program that provides cash assistance, medical assistance, health screenings and social services to refugees. The cash and medical assistance are available to refugees dur-ing their first eight months in the United States. 

Last year, the program resettled 1,580 refugees in Georgia, almost 450 of whom were seniors. Many seniors come with younger family members, often as caregivers for younger children. Others come alone. The majority of the refugees who arrived in Atlanta last year came from Myanmar in Southeast Asia. “As soon as they get here, we get health screenings for them and help them get adjusted to their new environment,” says Cutter. “Many times we have to teach them things as simple as how to turn on a light, how to use a stove, how to turn the heat on. All of this is new and foreign to them. And we work with them to qualify for services such as Medicaid and SSI. Our goal is to help them become self-sufficient as soon as possible.”

The role of religious groupsMany foreign-born seniors turn to churches  

to meet their needs in their new home, and churches are responding to the growing diversity of their congregations. St. Joseph Catholic Church in Augusta, for example, offers services in Span-ish and Korean to accommodate the large Spanish- and Korean-speaking population in the area. In Macon, St. Peter Claver Catholic Church addresses Hispanic congregants’ social needs as well as their spiritual ones. “Many of the Hispanics tend to turn to the church when they are in need,” says Sister Grace Calvisi, the church’s Hispanic minister. “We help them find a place to live and get them into the system for food or other social needs.”

Sister Grace often finds herself outside her area of expertise. She recently helped a 61-year-old Latino legal immigrant who has diabetes and advanced cataracts, for example. He was told he would need to pay at least $2,000 for a badly needed eye exam. So, though she has no experi-ence with such things, Sister Grace helped him fill out forms for Medicaid and Medicare. “My work is in pastoral care, and I don’t have any background in government agencies and pro-grams,” she says. “But you do what you can.”

Religious organizations also offer needed  services. When a large influx of Russian Jews, many of whom were Holocaust survivors, fled their homeland and came to Atlanta in the early 1990s, Jewish Family & Career Services stepped up to help them. The agency offers services including kosher meal delivery, counseling, in-home support, transportation, translation and a discussion group for Holocaust survivors.

Georgia Generations

“We are very lucky to have a native Russian-speaking case worker,” says JFCS’ Bellware. “She provides assistance on the phone and also goes out into the community, including visiting nursing homes. She runs a Medicare-fraud prevention program for the seniors, which has been very successful.”

Aging agencies and senior centersSenior centers are adjusting their activities as the clients 

they serve become increasingly diverse. The H.H. Brigham Senior Center in Augusta, for example, caters to seniors who hail from Africa, Thailand, Germany, Korea and many Latin-American nations. “We’ve added an international day, where we encourage the seniors to dress up in traditional costumes and bring in food from their countries,” says Pat Jenner, nutrition coordinator at the center. “We now celebrate Kwan-zaa and Chinese New Year. You’d think language would be a big problem, but everyone figures out what everyone else is saying. They get along very well and they all really care about one another.”

A center in Gwinnett County tried modifying its schedule to attract area Hispanic seniors. “We were not having any luck attracting Hispanics to the center, and I found out it’s because the grandmothers are the family babysitters, so they are at home with the children all day,” says Senior Services’ Bailey. “So we tried opening a center one night a week, and we did have several Hispanics come. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the funding to keep it going.”

Ethnic-centered groupsThere are various programs around the state, ranging 

widely in size and sophistication, to aid specific ethnic groups. Kenneth Suddeth helped form the Korean Association in Columbus in the 1970s. “We worked with the Department of Public Safety to translate the driving test into Korean,” says Suddeth, now 62. “We were the first place in the state to do this, and it was very successful. It allowed many Korean immigrants to get their driver’s license, which allowed them to be much more independent.”

In addition, the Korean Association worked to crack down on crime against Korean-owned business, to connect immigrants to health care and social services and to endorse local political candidates who were sympathetic to their issues. “It can be very hard to adjust to life here in the United States,” says Suddeth. “We just tried to smooth that transition whenever we could.”

In Atlanta, the Center for Pan-Asian Community Services offers a wide array of services, from senior wellness pro-grams to in-home care services and from social service assistance to a predominantly Asian senior high-rise apart-ment building called Rainbow Heights. “We serve about 1,300 people a month in the Atlanta area, and that does not include people in our ongoing programs,” says CPACS’ Kim. “The big-gest challenge most of these people face is language. About 70% of Asian-American seniors in Atlanta are not proficient in English. It’s up to 90% in the Vietnamese population. Social isolation is another challenge. That’s why our senior wellness programs are so important. We offer classes in exercise, computer, knitting, origami and checkers. It gives them a 

chance to be with other seniors who are in the same situation that they are.”

In Calhoun, the Latinos for Education and Justice Organi-zation, Inc. (LEJO) was founded in 2002 to serve a growing Latino population. By and large, the Latino population in Calhoun, and in the state, is a younger population who came here to work. The relatively few seniors are primarily the family babysitters. However, these seniors can find them-selves in an entirely different role if they suddenly need to become heads of households. “I know of a grandmother who was left here to raise her five grandchildren when the chil-dren’s parents were forced to leave the United States,” says Roberta Warmack, president and founder of LEJO. “But the grandmother did not have power of attorney or power of attorney for health care, so she wasn’t able to take them to the doctor, enroll them in school — any of those things. We have worked with an attorney to have these documents trans-lated into Spanish and we are encouraging everyone with children to fill them out.”

Services such as those listed above will continue to  grow as Georgia’s senior population becomes even more diverse. “The United States has always been considered the great melting pot,” says O’Kelley. “Now it’s true of our senior population as well.” GG

Summer 2008 �

Clarkston’s Unique DiversityThe City of Clarkston is 20 minutes from the world’s busiest airport,

but it has neither a bank nor a fast-food chain in its city limits. It does have, however, a Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple, multiple Islamic mosques and many ethnically identified churches. In this unique community, within what is perhaps the most densely populated and diverse square mile in the United States, the Clarkston Community Center serves as a bridge to the new world.

Some 26,000 refugees from Bosnia, India, Afghanistan, Turkey, Sudan, Iraq, Liberia, Russia, Sierre Leone, Cuba and many other places around the world have settled in Clarkston, including groups of seniors from Somalia and Vietnam. The Clarkston Community Center Refugee Senior Program was created to serve this group. It offers social activities from gardening to games, as well as educational seminars and presentations on topics including public transportation, housing and Medicare.

“We serve a very diverse group,” says John O’Kelley, executive director of the center. “Some have doctorate degrees from their home countries, and others never learned to read or write in their home language.”

To help them learn English and prepare for the citizenship exam, the center has partnered with Georgia Perimeter College and Emory University to create Project SHINE (Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders).

Students pair up with refugee elderly adults to assist with tutoring in English and citizenship requirements. In turn, the students gain real-world experience that they can take back to the classroom. In many cases, the students themselves are second-generation immigrants.

“We’re hoping to expand the services we offer to seniors, and we’d like to serve other refugee and non-refugee populations,” says O’Kelley. “We’ve got a unique situation here in Clarkston and we want to grow our programs to better serve the community.”

� Georgia Generations

GUEST CLOSE-UP

By Donna Jennings, Executive Director SecureHorizons

If you are one of more than 906,000 people over the age of 65 in Georgia, this year might be the right time to review and 

consider going beyond Original Medicare. Because there are a number of options available, making a smart choice — a choice that really meets your individual health needs — requires a little bit of homework. 

Many seniors are looking to the diverse and flexible options available through Medicare Part C, also referred to as Medicare Advantage plans. Provided through private companies, Medicare Advantage plans were created to give seniors more health care services and can have lower out-of-pocket costs than Original Medicare. These plans cover everything in Medicare Parts A and B, excluding hospice care, and some plans even offer Part D prescription drug coverage with no additional premium. Medicare Advantage plans replace your traditional Medicare Parts A and B.

Medicare Advantage plans allow beneficiaries to enjoy the convenience of a single plan, covering hospital stays, doctor’s visits and sometimes additional preventive services such as annual check-ups and also prescription drug coverage. Many plans offer access to medical care through a local network of contracted doctors, specialists and hospitals. 

To meet diverse beneficiary needs, several different types of Medicare Advantage plans were introduced into the market-place, including Private Fee-For-Service (PFFS) plans and managed care plans such as PPOs and HMOs. HMO managed care plans are sometimes called coordinated care plans because they are designed to coordinate medical care through a 

primary physician who manages the treatment that beneficiaries receive from specialists and hospitals. With coordinated care plans, beneficiaries have the opportunity for doctors and hospitals to work together to make sure the right care is being delivered at the right time.

PFFS plans are one of the more recent additions to Medicare Advantage, and they differ from coordinated plans in that beneficiaries can visit any physician or hospital that accepts Medicare and also agrees to bill the Medicare Advantage plan. PFFS plans can also offer additional services, and it is best to compare your choices with your needs.

To enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you must be eligible for Medicare Parts A and B, and continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium each month, unless it is covered by Medicaid or by another party. Medicare then pays the Medicare Advantage plan a specific dollar amount to cover your care. You may not be eligible to enroll in a plan if you have end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

You can join or switch Medicare Advantage plans during open enrollment from January 1 to March 31 each year, but certain limitations may apply. To find out more about Medicare Advan-tage plans and compare Medicare Advantage plans available in your area, visit www.medicare.gov, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 or, in Georgia, call GeorgiaCares at 1-800-669-8387. GG

What�Is�the

AdvantageMedicare Advantage?to

A reverse mortgage is a plan in which a bank loans you part of the equity you

own in your home. There is a cost plus monthly interest, but this does not have to be paid back until the house is no longer your primary home. The money you get from the reverse mortgage is non-taxable, and may be disbursed in a lump sum, monthly payments, a line of credit or a combination of these methods. The mini-mum age to qualify is 62.

If you want to leave your home to your children, you may prefer not to take out a reverse mortgage. But if your house has appreciated in value over the years and your income is low, the funds from a reverse mortgage can help you to pay bills, purchase long-term care insurance, make a trip around the world (or to see the

grandchildren), remodel or supplement daily living expenses. There are no restrictions on how the money you receive may be used. One of the main drawbacks of a reverse mortgage is the

high fee for securing one; however, HUD (Housing and Urban Development — the federal agency in charge of the reverse mortgage industry) is now in the process of changing some of the rules so that the cost may be lowered.

If you’d like more information on reverse mortgages, call the Lifelong Planning representative at your Area Agency on Aging. These representatives do not sell or recommend a product, but educate individuals about long-term care issues so that clients may make their own informed decisions.

For more information, contact the AAA of Northwest Georgia, P.O. Box 1798, Rome, GA 30162-1798; 706-802-5506 or toll-free 1-800-759-2963.

NORThweST GeORGiA eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker, Whitfield

Northwest�Georgia

Summer 2008 �

Reverse mortgages may add to your income

A Look at Area Agencieson Aging Around GeorgiaIn communities across the country, Area

Agencies on Aging (AAAs) serve as gateways to

local resources, planning efforts and services

that help older adults remain independent.

On the following pages are the programs and

services offered by Georgia’s AAAs.

NorthwestGeorgia

AtlantaRegionalCommission

SouthernCrescent

legacylink

NortheastGeorgia

CentralSavannahRiver

MiddleGeorgia

SouthwestGeorgia Southeast

Georgia

heart ofGeorgiaAltamaha Coastal

Georgia

lowerChattahoochee

NorthwestGeorgia

AtlantaRegionalCommission

SouthernCrescent

legacylink

NortheastGeorgia

CentralSavannahRiver

MiddleGeorgia

lowerChattahoochee

SouthwestGeorgia Southeast

Georgia

heart ofGeorgiaAltamaha Coastal

Georgia

Covers a 15-county area surrounding Rome, Dallas, Dalton, Cartersville

Income from a reverse mortgage may allow you to remain in your own home for a longer period of time.

Choice. It’s something that many of us take for granted. However, for

millions of older Americans who are at risk of nursing home placement, the choice to age in place is not easy. People at risk of nursing home placement generally require a significant level of support to safely remain at home. And these supports can be expensive. As a result, most caregivers are unpaid family members. The physical and emotional stresses of caring for a loved one at home can run high, and juggling the care of a loved one in addition to the demands of everyday life can be challenging.

Sharon Lofton understands this challenge. She cares for her mother, Nettie Barnes, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Sharon’s day begins at 5 a.m. and ends at around midnight. In addition to working full-time, Sharon spends two to three hours caring for her mother each day, both before and after work. She spends at least eight hours each Saturday and Sunday with her mother as well. “The impact to my personal life is major…” says Sharon. “I have not been able to effectively balance work, marriage, family and caring for my mother…. I don’t have any time for myself, my husband or my children.”

Sharon’s mother has spent some time in a nursing home, but Sharon and her family felt this wasn’t the best fit. Sharon says, “I am certain that [my mother]

would receive better care at home in a loving and safe environment. I feel that she could flourish and be more responsive in familiar surroundings with family and other individuals that can properly care for her. I would be very much at peace knowing that she can remain at home being properly taken care of and shown the love, attention and care that she deserves.”

Support Options is a program that can help. This new program, currently

being piloted in the Atlanta region, assists people age 60 or older and at risk of nursing home placement, offering self-directed support that may help them to remain in their homes and communities. By giving clients a budget that they manage themselves, a menu of services and goods

that they can purchase, and the ability to choose who can provide those services, the program has removed some of the barriers that may have made it difficult to stay at home.

People who qualify for and are accepted into this program can choose from a list of ser-vices that includes in-home care, respite care, treatment and training, and environmental modifications and provisions. In self-directing their own supports, people also use a fiscal intermediary service that

helps them manage their monthly established budget and the associated billing and disbursement activities. People can hire staff through professional agencies or decide to employ family (excluding spouses) and friends who have been providing unpaid care all along.

Sharon is excited about Support Options. “The flexibility of Support Options is great, as it allows the family to redefine services based on what is best for my mother’s well-being and care. I see this as an excellent opportunity to enhance the quality of life for my mother and for the family.”

Now that’s a choice we all can live with. For more information on this innovative

new program, call 404-463-3157. Support Options is sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission, Area Agency on Aging; the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services; and the United States Administration on Aging.

ATlANTA ReGiONAl COMMiSSiON eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Rockdale

10 Georgia Generations

Atlanta�Regional�CommissionCovers a 10-county area surrounding Atlanta

New program provides individuals with more choices

Cherokee County Cherokee County Senior Services, 770-345-5312

Clayton County Clayton County Aging Program, 770-603-4050

Cobb County Cobb Senior Services, 770-528-5364

DeKalb County Office of Senior Affairs, 770-322-2950

Douglas County Douglas Senior Services, 770-489-3100

Fayette County Fayette Senior Services, 770-461-0813

Fulton County Fulton County Aging Program, 404-730-6000

Gwinnett County Gwinnett County Senior Services, 678-377-4150

henry County Henry County Senior Services, 770-288-7001

Rockdale County Rockdale County Senior Services, 770-922-4633

™

if you need caregiving information, contact an Agewise Connection partner:

Atlanta Regional Commission, 404-463-3333 www.agewiseconnection.com

Sharon Lofton and her mother, Nettie Barnes.

The Lower Chattahoochee RDC/Area Agency on Aging participated in

the Annual Health Expo on Saturday, January 26, at the Columbus Trade and Convention Center. The Health Expo offers free health screenings, from blood glucose to cholesterol to cancer, just to name a few. Program organiz-ers say that about 1,000 people came to this year’s Health Expo and had their annual check-up.

The Area Agency on Aging (AAA)

exhibited during this event for the fourth year. In addition to information and education, the AAA had the opportunity

to provide A1C and blood glucose screening. Novo Nordisk provided funding for the blood tests through a grant, and the tests were administered by the Diabetes Technologies group. The A1C test provides

information on overall blood sugar values for the last 90–120 days and is an excellent diagnostic tool. Diabetes is a major

problem among seniors and largely undiagnosed. Scientific data suggests that a person can have diabetes for eight years before he or she is diagnosed.

Through a partnership with the Columbus Diabetes Research Foundation and the Medicare Diabetes Screening Project, 135 participants were screened for diabetes at the Health Expo. Prelimi-nary results suggested that of these clients, 34% either have diabetes or will develop it very shortly. Newly diagnosed diabetics received a free glucose meter provided by Johnson & Johnson as well as training on its use.

For more information, contact the Lower Chattahoochee AAA at 1-800-615-4379, 1428 Second Avenue, Columbus, GA 31901.

lOweR ChATTAhOOChee eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Webster

Lower�ChattahoocheeCovers a 16-county area surrounding Columbus, Americus, Butler, Montezuma, Cuthbert

2008 Men’s and women’s health expo

Summer 2008 11

Northeast�GeorgiaCovers a 12-county area surrounding Athens, winder, Monroe, Covington, Madison

Often referred to as the best-kept secret in long-term care, adult day

care provides an alternative for caregivers. Participants benefit from medical monitor-ing, personal care, nutritious meals and therapeutic activities. As a result of this support, they remain healthier, happier and independent longer. At the same time, caregivers are given the opportunity to continue to work, relax or run errands with the knowledge that their loved one is in a safe and supportive setting. Support groups can also provide assistance, encouragement and education to those facing the challenges of caregiving.

The Athens Community Council on Aging (ACCA) began offering adult day care in 1975. Since that time, ACCA has expanded their program to serve residents

throughout Northeast Georgia. The Athens site moved into the Francis and Upshaw Bentley Center in April 2007. This

new facility offers open activity spaces, a salon and an enclosed Memory Garden. The Winder-Barrow Center also moved to a new facility this year. This facility offers

large activity areas, a media room and a secure outdoor recreation area.

ACCA recognized the need for respite care in the rural communities of North-east Georgia and piloted a mobile adult day care program in 1997. Partnering with

local senior centers, this program provides respite care, activities and nutritious meals one day each week in Elbert, Greene, Morgan, Newton and Walton counties.

For information, contact the Northeast Georgia AAA, 305 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30605; 706-583-2546 or 1-800-474-7540.

NORTheAST GeORGiA eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Walton

Adult day care — the best-kept secret

AAA display board provided valuable information at this year’s Health Expo.

Southeast�GeorgiaCovers an 18-county area surrounding waycross, Valdosta, Tifton, Douglas, Folkston

1� Georgia Generations

What’s a code enforcement officer to do? That was the question

Ware County’s Chief Code Enforcement Officer Terry Green asked when he had too much compassion to simply write citations for elderly and disabled residents who were already overwhelmed. He wanted a real solution. So instead, he and Chief Building Inspector Dell Brown paid a visit to the Southeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging, where they met Gateway Screening Specialist Evelyn Mixon. As a result, Project PROMISE (People Reaching Out Motivated in Service to the Elderly) was born. Project PROMISE’s mission is to assist elderly/disabled Waycross and Ware County residents who face code violations but lack adequate resources to address them.

Project PROMISE has attracted the attention and involvement of various agencies, local officials, volunteers and businesses, including Southland Waste Management. Working in conjunc-tion with the Keep Georgia Beautiful Campaign, the group’s first work detail provided property clean-up, scrap wood/metal removal and trash debris disposal. Approximately 35 volunteers, including Ware County 4-H Club members, AAA and Elderly Legal Assistance Program staff members, and county employees contributed to the

effort. The group’s enthusiasm for the project is contagious and future work details are planned.

If you are willing to donate some time and energy to a project with PROMISE,

contact the South-east Georgia Area Agency on Aging at 1-888-732-4464 or contact Keep Waycross-Ware County Beautiful at 912-287-4394.

For more infor-mation on the Project PROMISE program,

call 1-800-435-9042 or GeorgiaCares at 1-800-669-8387.

SOUTheAST GeORGiA eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, Ware

Making a pROMiSe — and a difference

Heart�of�Georgia�Altamaha

Advocates for Alzheimer’s Care (AFAC) was founded six years ago to

help families and caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease. AFAC opened the Lighthouse, an adult day care center in Dublin, which now has 29 clients enrolled from Johnson, Laurens, Treutlen, Dodge, Telfair and Bleckley counties.

Funded by the Heart of Georgia Altamaha RDC AAA, United Way and multiple public and private partnerships/donations, the Lighthouse offers day care services for

frail elders and persons of all ages with multiple/special needs associated with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, mental illness, vision or hearing

impairment, COPD, diabetes and other needs.

A typical day for clients includes break-fast, fellowship, socialization, devotions, exercise, nutritious food, music, pet

therapy, arts/crafts and outdoor activities. A nurse and a solid core of volunteers

staff the agency and provide a one-to-four ratio of staff to client care.

“We hope to give families a break so they can continue a normal life,” says Executive Director Tammy Pate. “We try to prevent people from quitting their jobs to care for family members. Two of our clients drop off their spouses on the way to work, and one granddaughter drops off her grandfather, as she currently attends classes at the local technical college. Our goal is to reduce caregiver burden, delay institution-alization and promote quality of life.”

For more information about AFAC, call 478-274-0003. For information about other programs, contact Heart of Georgia Altamaha RDC, 331 W. Parker St., Baxley, GA 31513; 912-367-3648 or toll-free 1-888-367-9913.

heART OF GeORGiA eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Appling, Bleckley, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler, Wilcox

The lighthouse — a bright beacon of hope

Covers a 17-county area surrounding Baxley, Dublin, Vidalia, Jesup, Swainsboro

Clients of AFAC and Executive Director Tammy Pate enjoy music therapy.

Project PROMISE workers clean up property.

Southern�CrescentCovers a 10-county area surrounding Franklin, Newnan, laGrange, Griffin, Carrollton

The Southern Crescent AAA’s GeorgiaCares program applied for a

grant to provide outreach and counseling in Carroll County for low-income assistance, better known as “Extra Help” through Social Security. GeorgiaCares was awarded the grant on October 19 and has agreed to be a member of the National Aging Services Network Coordinating Campaign Council. The Low-Income Subsidy is offered through Social Security by the Medicare Modernization Act and helps pay for some of the premiums, deductibles and co-pays in the Medicare Part D program.

GeorgiaCares will provide outreach and enrollment assistance through June 30, 2008, to eligible Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for the Low-Income Subsidy in

Bowdon, Carrollton, Mount Zion, Roopville, Temple, Villa Rica and Whites-burg. The AAA will offer this help at senior centers, churches and community groups through planned events, and will bring in Medicare beneficiaries in the Carroll County area by advertising in the local newspapers and on the radio. At each event, staff will hand out educational

materials and brochures on such topics as preventive services, Medicare, What Is GeorgiaCares? and Take Charge of Your Health. The GeorgiaCares staff will also offer Low-Income Subsidy enrollment assistance at the different event locations.

The agency plans to have at least 15 events and reach 400 Medicare beneficiaries with one-on-one counseling. If you have questions, please call the GeorgiaCares staff at 1-800-669-8387.

For additional information, contact the Southern Crescent AAA, P.O. Box 1600, Franklin, GA 30217-1600; 706-675-6721, 770-854-6026 or toll-free 1-866-854-5652.

SOUTheRN CReSCeNT eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup, Upson

GeorgiaCares awarded grant opportunity

Summer 2008 13

Legacy�LinkCovers a 13-county area surrounding Gainesville, Cumming, Clarkesville, Toccoa, hiawassee

Take control now. Life doesn’t come with guarantees, but you can plan

ahead for long-term care needs by learning about services and how to prepare. Should you have done this in your thirties or forties? Yes, but now, when you are beginning to leave the workforce, is a time that will work too.

The GeorgiaCares Lifelong Planning Program, utilizing a dynamic statewide public-private partner-ship, can help you and your family prepare for a range of long-term care needs — from

staying independently at home to living in assisted-living facilities or nursing homes. Legacy Link educators will help you explore common services, understand

private financing options, incorporate tools for objective decision-making and find answers to your questions about public financing. Today a growing range of long-term care products includes long-term care insurance, reverse mortgages, life insurance arrange-ments, annuities and special-needs trusts. In

order to help you make decisions, the educators and counselors at Legacy Link can guide you objectively through the learning and planning processes — all of this at no cost to you.

Counselors will carefully present facts and explain self-help tools such as (1) checklists for comparing features of common planning products; (2) guidelines for assessing product risks; and (3) key questions that will help you identify reputable professionals in insurance, financial services and related fields.

For information, contact Legacy Link, P.O. Box 2534, Gainesville, GA 30503-2534; 770-538-2650 or toll-free 1-800-845-LINK.

leGACy liNK eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, White

Don’t let long-term care needs grab you by surprise….

Central�Savannah�RiverCovers a 14-county area surrounding Augusta, Thomson, Martinez/evans, waynesboro, Sandersville

People with chronic illnesses may never know life without their disease. But

with the help of a new class, they can experience healthier living by managing their symptoms.

The “Living Well Workshop” is a product of Stanford University research and is different from other patient education classes in that it is a learning continuum, with confidence developing as one skill builds upon another.

The “Living Well Workshop” develops the generic skills needed to help the participant deal with a medical regimen and with the life-role changes and emotions that are always part of living with a chronic illness. Thus, emphasis is placed on helping patients manage common problems such as fatigue,

communicating with friends, family and providers, dealing with anger and depres-sion, and designing and maintaining an appropriate exercise program.

In addition, patients learn disease-related decision-making and problem-solving skills. The most important

outcome is that through this practice and group feedback, patients become more confident and are able to combine more

active lives with self-management of their chronic illness.

Participants who have taken the class say: “It helps you realize that it’s not the big steps that count — it’s the small steps that add up that count.”

For more information about the “Living Well Workshop,” call the CSRA Area Agency on Aging at 706-721-5828, Monique Hillman, RN, Health & Wellness Coordinator.

Classes will be held at the Richmond County Health Department, 950 Laney-Walker Boulevard, Augusta, GA 30901.

For information about other CSRA programs, contact the Area Agency on Aging at 706-210-2000 or 1-888-922-4464 or visit www.areaagencyonaging.com.

CeNTRAl SAVANNAh RiVeR eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington, Wilkes

living well workshop

The Middle Georgia Community Action Agency, in partnership with the

Middle Georgia Regional Development Center/Area Agency on Aging, has recently opened an adult day care site in Roberta. A second site is expected to open in Perry within weeks. Providing what’s known as “mobile adult day care,” the staff travel between the sites to serve frail elders in a community setting and to offer a much-needed respite for their caregivers. Robin Doster, Director of Program Operations for the Middle Georgia Community Action Agency, says, “Feedback from one of our families has been very positive. Family members have commented that their mother is happier, and her memory has improved.”

Mobile adult day care is an innovative

approach to providing social day care in communities that may not have the resources to develop a full-time day care program. Both sites are open two days a week, with qualified staff ensuring that loved ones are cared for and have an opportunity for social interac-tion, therapeutic activities and a nutritious meal. Geri Ward, Director of the Area Agency on Aging, comments, “The Middle Georgia Area Agency on Aging is excited to be a partner in the opening of the two adult mobile day care programs in this area. It is rewarding to hear caregivers express how much relief this service offers them and the comfort they find in knowing that they can

continue their normal activities while their loved one is in a safe environment.”

For more information, please call the Middle Georgia Community Action Agency at 478-922-4464 or the Middle Georgia Area Agency on Aging at 478-751-6466 or 1-888-548-1456.

MiDDle GeORGiA eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs, Wilkinson

Adult mobile day care comes to Middle Georgia

“Living Well Workshop” participants at the Peabody Apartments in Augusta.

Seniors enjoy games at the adult day care program at the Crawford County Senior Center in Roberta.

1� Georgia Generations

Middle�GeorgiaCovers an 11-county area surrounding Macon, warner Robins, Milledgeville

Coastal�GeorgiaCovers a 9-county area surrounding Brunswick and Savannah

The Coastal Georgia Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is one of four Georgia

AAAs participating in a national study being conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the impact of the Tailored Caregiver Assessment & Referral, or TCARE, an evidence-based model for care managers and specialists working with family caregivers. The goal of TCARE is to better deter-mine caregiver needs, improve access to the timely use of services and enhance caregivers’ decision-making abilities. Case managers using TCARE work with families to develop care plans that lead to lower

levels of depression and burden, thereby reducing or delaying the need to place a loved one in a nursing facility.

The national study began in March and will continue for 30 months. The study sample includes 300 caregivers served by 84 care managers employed by Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) and home health agencies across the U.S. In Coastal Georgia, the Area Agency on Aging is contracting with the Chatham Board of Health and involves two case managers working with 28 caregivers. Outcomes from this study will assist the Coastal AAA to better evaluate its current system for providing caregiver services and to consider the benefits of TCARE for the future delivery of these services.

For further information, contact the Coastal Georgia Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-580-6860.

COASTAl GeORGiA eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh

Coastal caregivers participate in national study

Southwest�GeorgiaCovers a 14-county area surrounding Albany, Bainbridge, Moultrie, Thomasville

As caregivers, we can become bogged down in the humdrum, ordinary

routine that often is not very pleasurable. Looking forward to getting up and doing it again tomorrow lacks inspiration, and it’s not fun for your care receiver either. Celebrations give people something to look forward to, jog memories of similar happy events in the past, and stimulate a joyful outlook. A celebration means that something out of the ordinary will happen.

Family caregivers might find that some simple celebrations will lighten the hearts of both the caregiver and the care receiver. Preparations don’t have to be elaborate or require a lot of additional work. Here are some ideas:v Instead of the usual dish of ice

cream on a hot summer day, invite a friend over and have a Banana Split Party. v Get some “peanuts

and popcorn and Cracker Jacks” and watch your favorite baseball team on TV. v Pick a bouquet of

spring flowers to celebrate May Day; plan a picnic even if it is just sandwiches, chips and lemonade on the back porch. v Adding candles to the

dinner table and using the Sunday dishes on Tuesday can turn an ordinary meal into a special dinner. v Take an hour to play Bingo or

another game you can enjoy together. If your care receiver can’t get out of the house, think about what joy a small change can bring.

Use your imagination and have a little fun. It’s good therapy for caregivers!

For further information, contact the Southwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging at 1105 Palmyra Road, Albany, GA 31701-2508; 229-432-1124 or toll-free 1-800-282-6612.

SOUThweST GeORGiA eNCOMpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Worth

Stuck in a routine? let’s celebrate!

Kelly Munoz, case manager for Coastal Georgia’s Caregiver Assistance Program, works with a family caregiver.

Summer 2008 1�

SponsorsThanks to these Georgia companies and organizations for their generous support

Bridgebuilders, Inc.

Bridgebuilders, Inc.Bridgebuilders, Inc.Personal care in the comfort and privacy of your own home.

Customized services delivered with compassion, integrity and professionalism. 600 S. Central Ave., Hapeville 30354; 404-765-4300.

Care Improvement PlusCare Improvement Plus is a Medicare

Advantage Special Needs Plan with a Medicare Contract designd for people living with diabetes, heart failure, COPD and/or ESRD. Contact us today. 1-866-727-6646 (TTY: 1-866-766-8695).

EasyLiving HomeAccessible, visitable and livable for every-one! Homes built with

the future in mind. A voluntary certification program. www.easylivinghome.org

EvercareEvercare is an award- winning health care

management organization serving aging, vulnerable and chronically ill people. Please visit our website at www.evercarehealthplans.com or call 1-800-634-0127 for more information.

GeorgiaCaresGeorgiaCares is a private public partnership that assists Medicare beneficiaries with health insurance

questions and Medicare problems. GeorgiaCares also seeks to enroll all eligible Medicare beneficiaries in all low-cost prescription assistance programs. For assistance please call 1-800-669-8387.

Georgia Council on AgingThe Georgia Council on Aging advocates on behalf of older Georgians and their families. For more information, please visit

the Web site at www.gcoa.org

Isakson-BarnhartGeorgia’s developer of award-winning senior residential communities,

providing amenity-rich independent living and health-care for discerning adults over age 62, including Park Springs, recipient of the 2005 Platinum Award by the NAHB, and Peachtree Hills Place, which will open in 2008. www.isaksonbarnhart.com

PfizerThe “Health, Medicines & Lifestyles” icon on Pfizer’s Web site will lead you to topics that

include “Profile of Caregiving,” “Exploring Your Health On Line” and many more. www.pfizer.com

ResCare HomeCare

ResCare HomeCare offers personal care and support, homemaking,

respite, professional nursing and more in the home, hospital, or residence. Call 800-558-2797 or visit www.ResCareHomeCare.com

SecureHorizons®

SecureHorizons® by United Healthcare is

dedicated to providing quality health care coverage to people with Medicare. As an innovative leader in the health and well-being industry, we pair outstand-ing clinical insight with consumer-friendly services and advanced technology to help seniors achieve optimal health. Please call 1-800-555-5757 for more information.

16� Georgia Generations

Georgia Generations is published and supported by Georgia’s Area Agencies on Aging. Additional circulation support is provided by the generous sponsors listed here. For more information on becom-

ing a sponsor of Georgia Generations, please call 404-463-3222.