June 17th 2025.
According to a recent study, Georgia has been ranked as one of the worst states for seniors to age in place. For those in retirement, the idea of "aging in place" has become increasingly popular, with many individuals choosing to stay in their own homes instead of moving into assisted living facilities.
The study, conducted by Seniorly, looked at data from 10 different categories including risk of isolation, quality of home health care, emergency care timeliness, smart home adoption, housing costs, road safety, and weather hazards. Based on these factors, a ranking was created to determine which states are best equipped to support the elderly. Unfortunately, Georgia landed in the bottom five alongside Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama, and Florida.
When it came to specific categories like walkability, availability of home health aides, and annual precipitation, Georgia ranked in the bottom 10, ultimately leading to its low overall ranking. On the other hand, states like Utah, North Dakota, New Jersey, and Texas ranked highest on the list.
One of the main reasons for Georgia's poor ranking is its lack of meal delivery access for the majority of its elderly residents. According to the study, Georgia only provides meal delivery services to 957 out of every 100,000 older adults under the Older Americans Act. This highlights the state's limited infrastructure in addressing this crucial need for many seniors.
According to the official website of Georgia, over 14.6% of its residents are 65 years or older. This number is expected to increase significantly in rural areas over the next two decades, highlighting the urgency of addressing the state's inefficiency in supporting aging in place. Additionally, Georgia has consistently ranked in the top 10 for the number of food-insecure seniors.
The impact of this news is especially concerning for Black seniors. According to the "2020 Profile of African Americans 65 and Older," Georgia is one of eight states that is home to over half of all Black seniors in the country. As of 2019, there were approximately 362,535 Black elderly individuals living in Georgia.
As more retirement-age Americans choose to remain in their own homes, food insecurity remains an ongoing issue for Georgia's growing elderly population. This is particularly alarming given the state's inability to adequately address this issue as it becomes more prevalent. It is clear that something needs to be done to improve the living conditions for Georgia's elderly, especially those in marginalized communities.
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