Housing
Housing Options for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
Housing Options 101
Everyone deserves a place to live and thrive that’s accessible, affordable, and feels like home. Housing Options for older adults: Everyone deserves a place to live and thrive that’s accessible, affordable and feels like home. If you’re experiencing housing challenges as you age, there are some options that may help.
Independent living may mean staying in your own home or moving to a downsized home or apartment. There are also several independent living communities (sometimes known as independent retirement communities, retirement communities, or senior living communities) around metro Atlanta that may be an option for you if you’re considering moving. It is important to note that independent living means that hands-on assistance (sometimes called “personal care” or nursing services are not provided. Amenities and services at independent living communities vary with some offering hot meals and housekeeping only and others offering lots of other options including laundry service, social and leisure activities, fitness facilities, and more. Independent senior living communities are not licensed by the State of Georgia and have no regular inspections to ensure that the setting is meeting minimum service standards. If you can afford to pay the full amount for your housing and plan to move into a complex designed for independent living, you’ll find many options. If you cannot afford to pay the full amount for your housing, there are several subsidized independent senior living options available. In these settings (typically apartments), residents pay a reduced rent rate and often in these subsidized housing units, social service staff are available on site to offer social activities. Often, these housing options require that residents meet age, physical disability, or income criteria to qualify for the subsidy.
Personal Care homes and assisted living communities are options for individuals who’d like some help with day-to-day living. These services are provided directly (or arranged for) by the housing provider. In both cases, individuals receive help with personal services including individual assistance with or supervision of self-administered medication as well as other essential daily activities such as eating, bathing, grooming, dressing, and toileting. Neither of these housing options provide round-the-clock nursing services, however.
Personal Care Home is a residential setting which provides or arranges for housing, meals, and personal services for two or more adults unrelated to the home’s owner or administrator. Link to PCH checklist here.
Assisted Living Community is a residential setting which provides personal services and medication administration by a certified medication assistant for 25 residents or more.
Personal care homes and assisted living communities are licensed by the State of Georgia. You can search for these options and learn about their inspection history.
Residents of personal care homes and assisted living communities usually pay the rent and other fees privately. Depending on the type of home and amenities, fees can cost several thousand dollars per month.
Individuals who qualify for the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (link to EDWP page) have the choice of living in specially enrolled personal care homes called “alternative living services”. These individuals receive 24-hour supervision, medically oriented personal care, periodic nursing supervision, and health-related support services.
Life Plan Communities also known as “continuing care retirement communities or CCRC’s” are a special category of residential communities designed for people age 62 and older, which include independent living, assisted living, and nursing homes on the same campus. Life plan communities typically require a large up-front fee which ensures that you will receive a variety of living options and services on the same campus, designed to address your changing needs. Link to Learn about Life Plan Communities https://leadingage.org/life-plan-com...tion-now-open/
Are you trying to find housing that accommodates you appropriately?
You have the right to accessible housing; federal nondiscrimination laws provide protections for individuals with disabilities. This includes the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits housing discrimination because of disability. If you think you are being discriminated against because of your impairment, the Southeast ADA Center can help answer your questions. They provide information, training, and guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and disability access to individuals as well as businesses and governments.
Very low-income adults with disabilities may be eligible for the “Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program”. In Georgia, Section 811 provides subsidized rental housing that provides access to supportive services for very low-income individuals with a disability between the ages of 18 and 61. Supportive services can include assistance with cooking, cleaning, and maintaining the household; medication management and counseling; assistance in finding a job; orientation to transportation; and other services to ensure an individual’s stability, independence, and dignity. Participation in services is designed to meet the needs of each resident.
A similar program for very low-income households with at least one member age 62 years or older is known as the “Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program”. Eligible people may qualify for rental assistance funds in housing facilities that offer support activities such as cooking, cleaning, and transportation.
If you do not require supportive housing with services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers many other housing options for low-income individuals that are accessible for wheelchairs and other disabilities.