Understanding the Network of Aging Services in Georgia

 

Assisted Living—A supportive facility designed for those who need extra help with their daily living activities but do not require 24 hour nursing care. Assisted Living housing is generally an apartment, either single or shared, and would not be covered by Medicare or Medicaid.

Affordable Housing - (also called public housing and subsidized housing) - The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD's) affordable housing program was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Eligibility is determined by the following criteria: (1) annual gross income; (2) whether a person qualifies as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family; and (3) U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status. Income limits vary from area to area. All affordable housing communities comply with federal fair housing regulations, accepting income-qualified residents without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.

Retirement (Market Rate Housing)-- Retirement homes are privately owned and operated, some by for-profit companies and others by non-profit groups. Retirement housing is an umbrella term for many types of housing and services. Reasonable independent mobility is a requirement for entry to many homes. The different types of housing offer a range of services for a variety of ages and activity levels; furthermore, and there are several ways to pay for these types of housing, including market-rate rental or purchase. Residential accommodations may also offer government subsidized units or rent-geared-to-income (RGI) accommodation. Tenants who qualify will have their rent adjusted so that a maximum of 30% of monthly income is spent on rent

Active adult communities, which generally cater to people age 55 to 64, typically offer the amenities associated with resort-type living. For example, residents can purchase or rent units, and minimal services such as building maintenance and security may be available for a fee.

Independent living communities integrate different levels of health care. They typically offer meals, housekeeping, transportation, and recreational activities, along with the basic services found in active adult communities. These services are covered by monthly fees that are paid in addition to rent.

Nursing Home-- a residential facility for persons with chronic illness or disability and require 24 hour nursing assistance. Also called a convalescent home, long-term care facility, care includes room and board, basic and skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, and a full range of other therapies, treatments, and programs. People who live in nursing homes are referred to as residents.

CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Communities)-- A Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), provides the security of a coordinated system of services designed to address the comfort, health, wellness, and developing needs of adults as they grow older. CCRCs provide a continuum of care, including residential living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care, all at one site.

Hospice-- Care designed to give supportive care to people in the final phase of a terminal illness and focus on comfort and quality of life, rather than cure (called palliative care that relieves discomfort but does not improve the patient's condition or cure the disease). The goal is to enable patients to be comfortable and free of pain, so that they live each day as fully as possible. Aggressive methods of pain control may be used. Hospice programs generally are home-based, but they sometimes provide services away from home -- in freestanding facilities, in nursing homes, or within hospitals. The philosophy of hospice is to provide support for the patient's emotional, social, and spiritual needs as well as medical symptoms as part of treating the whole person.

Respite care --is the provision of short-term, temporary relief to those who are caring for family members who might otherwise require permanent placement in a facility outside the home. Respite care may include in-home assistance, a short-term nursing home stay or adult day care and can vary from a few hours to several weeks.

 

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