Assisted Living In Georgia

Georgia is more than just the home of one of the southeast’s largest and busiest city centers. This state boasts mountainous national parks, miles of clean, rural coastline, and historical elements of antebellum charm not often seen in the South. Combine all of that with Georgia’s many tax advantages for people over 60, and it’s clear that this state is a beautiful and affordable option for retirees.

Directory of Assisted Living Facilities in Georgia

Careful research is a necessity in finding the right facility for yourself or a loved one. To save you time and simplify your research process, we have compiled a directory of assisted living facilities in the state of Georgia. Below you will find 678 of Georgia’s facilities listed with their pertinent details, such as amenities, Medicaid acceptance status, and care provided.

How to Pay for Assisted Living in Georgia

Determining how to finance assisted living often starts with the question, “What’s the cost?” In today’s economy, where inflation plays a significant role, having current data is crucial for senior living financial planning. AssistedLiving.org has gathered cost information from its expansive network of over 75,000 senior living providers. This data offers a glimpse into the average expenses for assisted living in Georgia and 73 additional cities within Georgia.

How Inflation Has Impacted the Cost of Assisted Living in Georgia

Assisted living prices in Georgia have risen by about 6% in 2022-2023. This figure is actually less than the nearly 10% increase nationally. Georgia’s rates are projected to decrease by about 1.5% in 2024, while U.S. costs may rise again by about 8%.

Neighboring states are showing consistent cost increases for assisted living. South Carolina’s rates have jumped by 17.5% and Tennessee’s by almost 24.5%. Inflation is affecting Alabama, too, with its current costs of $3,798 per month, and Florida, which show higher rates of $4,067. Seniors, therefore, need to budget carefully as they choose their living options.

Assisted Living Costs in Georgia's Top Cities

The cost of living and resources available in a particular city affect its assisted living prices. While the average assisted living rate in Georgia is $3,952 per month, some Georgia cities offer lower prices. Costs in Savannah are $3,420, while Augusta’s rates stand at about $3,572. In other cities, prices come in above average. Rates in Athens, for instance, are $4,499, while those in Marietta jump to $4,912.

The Cost of Other Types of Senior Living

Georgia’s seniors have several senior living options. Those who feel comfortable living on their own may select independent living for $3,030 per month. Assisted living offers help with personal care and household tasks, so it costs more at $3,952. Memory care rates are highest at $4,196 because it provides specialized care and guidance for people struggling with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in Georgia

ABD Medicaid Coverage

Georgia’s Medicaid coverage for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled can cover personal care services provided by assisted living facilities or home health aides. Recipients of ABD coverage must be assessed by a physician as eligible for a nursing home level of care, and services can only be covered under a particular set of circumstances. If an assisted living resident has a specific health condition and a physician has assigned a plan of care with the aim of ultimately healing that condition, then ABD Medicaid may cover the basic care services associated with the healing process.

Who is Eligible?

• People who are 65 or older or blind
• A U.S. citizen and resident of Georgia
• Those who meet financial Medicaid eligibility requirements

How to Apply

For application assistance, interested parties can contact their local Area Agency on Aging to be connected with a GeorgiaCares Medicaid counselor. Consult the directory in this guide to find an AAA office serving your county. Applications can be submitted to any DFCS office by mail, fax, or in person. For more information on eligibility or what is offered under the ABD program, view the ABD Medicaid fact sheet.

The CCSP Waiver

Georgia’s Department of Community Health partners with the state’s Area Agencies on Aging to administer the Community Care Services waiver program. This waiver is for nursing home-eligible Medicaid recipients who do not need 24-hour care, and wish to continue receiving their benefits in their own home or community setting, such as an assisted living facility.

The CCSP waiver offers coverage of home- and community-based services, including the following:

• Adult day healthcare
• Alternative living services
• Emergency response services
• Home-delivered meals/services
• Caregiver respite
• Personal care services for assistance with activities of daily living

Who is Eligible?

People who are assessed by a physician as being eligible for a nursing home level of care and who also meet Medicaid eligibility requirements may qualify for the CCSP waiver. State funding for the program is subject to budgetary limitations and enrollment is limited accordingly. Preference is given to applicants with the greatest medical and/or financial need.

How to Apply

To initiate a physician’s diagnosis of your nursing home eligibility, contact your local Area Agency on Aging by consulting the directory included in this guide. For more information on what is offered under this waiver, view the CCSP Fact Sheet online.

The SOURCE Waiver

The Source Options Using Resources in a Community Environment waiver is an evidence-based approach to care delivery that has been shown to improve health outcomes for the very frail elderly. The program allows Medicaid and SSI reimbursement for enrolled individuals to support a less fragmented, more cohesive approach to their healthcare by bringing primary care physicians together with home- and community-based service coordinators. Medicaid- or SSI-eligible people who qualify for this waiver may receive their Medicaid benefits in a community setting such as an assisted living facility.

Primary care physicians in this program become central figures in an enrollee’s customized care plan, ensuring the following benefits:

• Reduced instances of avoidable medical emergencies
• Integration of primary care, specialty care, and home-based care
• Stabilization of health and lifestyle factors that affect quality of life
• Fewer problems caused by Medicaid gaps
• Reduced need for long-term institutional placement

This waiver is intended for frail and medically needy people, so it reimburses for fewer independent living assistance services than Georgia’s CCSP waiver, mentioned above. For more information, view the SOURCE fact sheet.

Who is Eligible?

People who are eligible for Medicaid and/or Supplemental Security Insurance may apply for SOURCE if they are assessed as eligible for a nursing home level of care. The SOURCE program is multi-tiered to provide a more individualized plan of care for all recipients, so eligibility requirements can vary. Enrollment in this program is capped, which means that enrollment may involve being added to a waitlist for services. The program currently serves 19,000 Georgians.

How to Apply

Applications may be initiated with your local Area Agency on Aging, which can be found by consulting the directory in this guide. Completed applications may be mailed to The Georgia Department of Community Health, Aging and Special Populations Unit located at 2 Peachtree Street NW, 37th Floor, Atlanta GA 30303. Mailed applications should be marked “Attention SOURCE specialist.” For additional information, call (404) 463-6570 or (404) 653-8365.

PACE

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly is a nationally implemented Medicare/Medicaid program. The goal of PACE is to provide community-based services and complete coverage of all medical care for especially frail seniors who are facing institutionalization. Enrollment in PACE is limited, and applicants to the program are likely to see their name added to a waitlist for services. Only residents of select counties in a PACE provider’s local area can be served, and most providers can only support between 150 and 300 active participants. Georgia hosts eight PACE providers, each of them offering a limited suite of services and coverage.

Who is Eligible?

• People 55 years of age and older
• Those who are nursing home-eligible
• Residents of a PACE service area
• People who can live safely in their community with the help of PACE

Medicaid eligibility is not a prerequisite of PACE coverage. Anyone who meets the above qualifications may apply for services, though people who are not Medicaid-eligible are charged a fee for service that is lower than the average cost of nursing home care in Georgia.

How to Apply

To begin the application process and add your name to a PACE waitlist, contact your local Area Agency on Aging by consulting the directory included in this guide. For more information about the mission of PACE and what it can offer, visit Medicare.gov. For a complete list of PACE providers and service areas in Georgia, visit NPIDB.org.

More Ways to Finance Assisted Living

Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

Free Assisted Living Resources in Georgia

In Georgia, a multitude of resources are available to support seniors during their retirement years. AssistedLiving.org has gathered data on various local entities, initiatives, and agencies, and organized them according to the type of care they provide for effortless navigation.

Area Agency on Aging

Retirees can find support and advice on various senior-related issues from their local Area Agency on Aging. The agency provides advice on topics such as financial assistance programs, in-home care and long-term care planning. It also connects seniors and caregivers with community-based resources.

Cash Assistance Programs

Cash assistance programs in Georgia provide financial support to help low-income retirees remain in their own homes for as long as possible. Seniors and caregivers can apply for tax rebates and reductions, discounts on vital services and help covering the cost of heating and cooling their home.

Financial Assistance for Senior Care and Senior Living

Whether living in their own home or in a senior living community, Georgia seniors can find financial assistance from numerous local resources. These organizations help residents cover some of the costs associated with in-home or long-term care and connect them with other helpful community-based resources.

Food Assistance Programs

Local organizations help ensure elderly citizens have a balanced diet and receive essential vitamins and minerals to remain healthy. Through nutrition programs, congregate meals, home-delivered meals and food pantries, these programs help Georgia seniors afford the nutritious food they need.

Home Repair and Modifications

Seniors and those with disabilities can access a variety of local resources to help them pay for home repairs and modifications. Programs in Georgia have different eligibility criteria and often assist retirees by providing grants or loans.

Legal Resources

Many organizations offer free or low-cost legal services to Georgia seniors. Older adults can access advice on issues such as estate planning, living wills and power of attorney. Some firms also act as long-term care ombudsmen, advocating for the rights of seniors in senior living communities.

Medicaid Resources

Navigating the Medicaid system is often difficult and confusing. Several Georgia resources help older adults by providing advice on Medicaid options, waiver programs and eligibility criteria to help seniors receive the right health care benefits.

Senior Engagement

Senior engagement resources and programs in Georgia help older adults remain active and ensure they contribute to the community. Resources include wellness programs, volunteer opportunities, support groups and organizations that help residents connect with the community to live fulfilling lives.

Social Security Offices

Social Security offices in Georgia help seniors and disabled people access the benefits they’re entitled to. Older adults can contact their local office for information about receiving retirement benefits, disability allowance and Supplemental Security Income.

Tax Assistance

Seniors can apply for tax assistance from several Georgia resources. Elderly residents and those with disabilities could be eligible for tax exemptions on medical expenses, reductions on property tax and other tax assistance programs.

Utility & Energy Bill Assistance

Low-income seniors who are struggling to meet the costs of maintaining their homes can find support from organizations that offer assistance with utility and energy bills. Georgia retirees could also qualify for emergency funding programs if they’re in danger of losing utility services due to unpaid invoices.

Veteran’s Services

Georgia retirees who have served in the U.S. military can find support from local veteran services. These offices and organizations help vets access the benefits they’re eligible for and provide advice and information on a variety of issues.

Assisted Living Laws and Regulations in Georgia

Georgia’s Division of Healthcare Facility Regulation is responsible for licensing and regulating assisted living facilities in the state. Facilities must meet certain quality and logistical standards to maintain their licensure. The following are some of the most important ALF regulations for Georgia seniors to be aware of.

Assisted Living Service Plans

The service plan is an important part of the health, safety, and happiness of assisted living facility residents. It functions as an acknowledgement of residents’ medical and physical needs and care preferences, as well as an outline of how a facility can best meet those needs and plan for contingencies.

Within the first month of residency at an assisted living facility, new residents must meet with facility staff for an interview to establish their service plan. On a yearly basis, or whenever there are major changes in a resident’s life, the service plan must be updated pending a reassessment of a resident’s needs. In ALFs that house memory care units, service plans for residents of those units must be reassessed on a quarterly basis.

Additionally, A residential agreement will usually be drawn up that will present the resident with all pricing information for services at their facility and inform them of their rights and responsibilities as tenants of the community.

Assisted Living Admission Requirements

No assisted living facility can admit or retain residents who may require the use of restraints or isolation, or who require a level of care that is beyond that facility’s means of accommodation. Personal care homes and assisted living communities have differing capabilities where care is concerned.

Personal care homes can admit people who are capable of standing and walking on their own or with minimal assistance, and who can administer their own medications with minimal assistance. PCH residents cannot have active tuberculosis, and must be deemed capable of participating in lifestyle activities offered by the facility.

Assisted living communities can accommodate residents who have very limited mobility and who require the help of others to take their medicines. Prospective residents will be assessed by assisted living community administrators and nurses/physicians in the 30 days prior to admittance. If it is determined that an applicant for residency has active tuberculosis or requires round-the-clock nursing care, then residency cannot be offered. There are times when an emergency placement must be accommodated by referral from Adult Protective Services. In these cases, the physical examination for residency can be delayed by two weeks.

Assisted Living Scope of Care

The scope of care offered by Georgia assisted living facilities is divided into two categories, and facilities are designated accordingly. The two types of Georgia ALFs are assisted living communities (ALC) and personal care homes (PCH). The key differences between the two facility types are in the amount of assistance they are legally permitted to provide where medication administration and emergency evacuation are concerned.

While personal care homes can provide limited assistance to residents in self-administering their medicines, Georgia assisted living communities employ certified medication aides and consulting pharmacists to offer medication administration to residents who cannot self-administer, or who choose not to. Evacuation procedures for the two facility types differ as well. A more limited amount of physical assistance can be provided by staff at a personal care home, so residents of PCHs must be capable of a certain measure of personal mobility and must be able to understand and remember evacuation directions. Assisted living communities may provide bodily transference for less capable residents in order to get them to safety in emergencies.

Assisted Living Medicaid Policy

Georgia ALFs can be reimbursed by Medicaid for things like personal care services, which involve basic assistance with activities of daily living, and for other activities, like minor homemaking chores or non-emergency transportation. Medicaid funding is only offered to long-term care facility residents who are eligible for a nursing home level of care, and only through the use of Medicaid waivers or Aged, Blind, and Disabled (ABD) Medicaid plans. Recipients of Supplemental Security Insurance pay capped rates for room and board at assisted living facilities, with the maximum cost to the resident set in accordance with the Federal Benefit Rate, which is currently $771 for individuals and $1,157 for couples.

Assisted Living Facility Requirements

Apartment style units are not required in Georgia’s assisted living facilities. Apartment living may be offered, but private and semi-private rooms are also available, and must have at least 80 square feet of usable space per resident. Shared units in personal care homes may house up to four people, whereas assisted living communities can have up to two residents per unit. In both types of assisted living environments, at least one toilet and sink must be provided for every four residents, and for every eight residents, there must be at least one bathing area. Every floor of a facility must have accessible bathing facilities and lavatories, and all handrails, doorways, and corridors must accommodate mobility devices.

Medication Management Regulations

Medication management practices differ between the two main types of assisted living facilities in Georgia. In personal care homes (PCH), the ability of staff to assist residents with their medications is limited. Staff of a PCH may offer assistance by helping residents to read labels, open packaging, and remember to take their medicines, though it is prohibited, in most cases, for PCH staff to determine dosage and directly administer a resident’s medication. However, insulin and epinephrine may be administered by PCH staff under supervision and under established medical protocols. Certified medication aides employed by assisted living communities (ALC) may handle and administer medicines for residents who are incapable of self-administration. ALC and memory care residents may also give their permission to proxy caregivers who are trained to handle medical maintenance tasks to administer their medicines.

Staffing Requirements

All assisted living facilities in Georgia are responsible for retaining sufficient staff to meet the needs of the population which they admit for residence. A staff-to-resident ratio must be maintained at all times, with one facility staff member on the grounds per 15 residents throughout the day, and one staff member on the grounds per 25 people in residence throughout the evenings. Facilities must hire administrators, direct care staff, and in the case of assisted living communities where medication administration is provided, certified medication aides must also be on staff.

Administrators must be on the grounds at all times, or designate a house manager to be present in their absence.

Direct care staff are responsible for providing basic assistance to residents who may need help performing activities of daily living.

Certified medication aides are individuals trained by a licensed healthcare professional to administer scheduled medications for residents who are incapable of doing so for themselves.

In assisted living communities, quarterly drug regimen reviews are conducted by licensed pharmacists to ensure the continued safety of residents. Memory care units in assisted living communities also employ licensed nurses working under the supervision of licensed physicians to oversee the administration of resident medicines and to coordinate dosing schedules. A proxy caregiver, or a staff member who is trained directly by a licensed healthcare professional to perform health maintenance tasks, may also provide medication administration in memory care if a resident gives expressed consent.

Staff Training Requirements

Employees of any assisted living environment in Georgia are required to undergo a mix of initial coursework, in-service training, and continued education. The Department of Community Health determines appropriate topics for new employee coursework and, within 60 days of hire, all staff must complete at least 24 hours of training, with dementia care employees requiring an additional eight hours of training on topics relevant to memory care populations. Direct care staff must also complete additional training in the provision of CPR and emergency first-aid, and all employees must be trained to administer basic first-aid. Continued education for direct care staff is required at a rate of 16 hours per year, with an additional eight hours per year for memory care unit staff.

Background Checks for Assisted Living

Georgia requires that anyone associated with an assisted living facility, including owners, administrators, managers and employees, must pass a federal background check before any licensure or employment can be confirmed. Fingerprint analysis is used to check a person’s identity against the databases of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Crime Information Center.

Non-managerial employees are required to undergo a background check, but are not required to submit to fingerprint analysis. Certain crimes will disqualify an individual from ownership of a licensed facility, administrative powers, or basic employment. These crimes generally include any past convictions or substantiated accusations of abuse, neglect, assault, or exploitation.

Reporting Abuse

The state of Georgia provides discrete means of reporting long-term care facilities for breach of contract and for reporting instances of suspected elder abuse.

An assisted living facility may be reported to the Division of Healthcare Facility Regulation if the establishment fails to uphold contract terms and legal requirements as stated in the residency agreement or service plan. The Division advises that ALF residents who wish to file a complaint first approach facility administrators with their concerns. If no resolution can be reached, then a complaint can be filed online. Complaints may also be initiated by calling (800) 878-6442, or by fax: (404) 657-5731.

It is required by law that any Georgia citizen who witnesses or suspects elder abuse must report it. Abuse can take many forms, such as abandonment, neglect, exploitation, and emotional or physical harm. Adult Protective Services can be reached by phone Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. Call them at (866) 552-4464, or go online to file a report at HarmonyIS.net.

Georgia COVID-19 Rules for Assisted Living Facilities

Note: The following information was compiled and most recently updated on 2/3/22. Since COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving crisis, be sure to contact your assisted living facility or local Area Agency on Aging for the most up-to-date information.

Source: dch.georgia.gov

*Note: This information was not available for this state, contact your local area agency on aging or senior living facility for more information.