A new study has listed Georgia as among the worst places for seniors to age in place.
To “age in place” is a popular concept for those in retirement, with many seeking to stay in their homes rather than transition to assisted living facilities.
Seniorly compared data in 10 categories, such as seniors’ risk of isolation and home health care quality, to compile a ranking of states’ ability to support the elderly. Other categories included emergency care timeliness, smart home adoption, housing costs, road safety, and weather hazards.
Georgia rounded out the bottom five with Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. In categories such as walkability, home health aide availability, and annual precipitation, the state placed in the bottom 10, leading to its extremely low overall ranking. The top states on the list included Utah, North Dakota, New Jersey, and Texas.
However, Georgia’s listing primarily stems from its lack of meal delivery access for the majority of elder residents. It ranked at #50 for this service, signaling its lack of local infrastructure to address this necessity for many seniors.
“Georgia struggles with meal delivery for seniors, providing services to only 957 per 100,000 older adults under the Older Americans Act,” according to the study.
According to the state’s official website, over 14.6% of its residents are 65 or older. Georgia’s elderly population in rural areas is also expected to grow rapidly over the next two decades, making its inefficacy for aging in place concerning. Furthermore, Georgia has ranked in the top 10 in the number of food-insecure seniors.
This news may especially impact Black seniors. According to the “2020 Profile Of African Americans 65 and Older,” Georgia is one of eight states that host over half of all Black seniors in the country. Georgia had approximately 362,535 Black elderly people living there as of 2019.
Given the shift of more retirement-age Americans choosing to reside at home, food insecurity remains an ongoing issue for Georgia as its elderly population grows.
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