Between now and 2020, when more than 1.5 million Georgians who will be 65 years or older, a powerful demographic shift will change the face of Georgia and have implications for every family and community in the state.
This change will affect every facet of community life, including housing, transportation, employment, health care, social services and education.
To help Georgia communities prepare for this incredible surge of older adults, the Georgia Council on Aging launched Georgia for a Lifetime in partnership with the Georgia Division of Aging Services, the state’s 12 area agencies on aging and other public and private entities. This initiative will provide the research, policy analysis, ideas and practical tools necessary to help local Georgia communities become more livable and workable for older adults.
In March 2008, the General Assembly passed legislation establishing Georgia for a Lifetime and endorsing and authorizing the Council on Aging to partner with all state departments and others in helping communities prepare to serve the needs of an expanding older population. These partners will chart the course our state needs to follow to enable older residents to have more choices, more independence and more opportunity to live the kind of lives they desire in the communities they call home.
Through the initiative, the Council will:
§ Review existing resources, programs and capacities relating to older adult needs at the various levels of government, academic institutions, non-profit and private business in Georgia and beyond.
§ Identify research about older adult issues in Georgia and elsewhere.
§ Identify options for making communities livable for all ages, helping aging adults remain independent and productive as long as possible, and using community resources in the most cost-effective way.
§ Bring new models, technical assistance, consulting expertise and execution tools to community planners so they can maximize their communities’ strengths and minimize their weaknesses with respect to older adults and their families.
Since 2008, a research team comprised of the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, AARP, and Morehouse School of Medicine has focused the initiative’s research and policy analysis primarily on the following priorities: transportation and mobility, workforce and economic self-sufficiency, housing and living arrangements, health and caregiving, and civic engagement. The result of this research is an interim report presented to Georgia’s Governor and General Assembly in December, 2009, which summarizes the findings and makes recommendations on immediate legislative actions.
Continuing through 2011, the Council will partner with a broader array of stakeholders from the private and public arena to produce a final report in December, 2010, to offer technical assistance and tools for local and state planning, and to pilot innovative solutions and opportunities.
Today there are more than 900,000 Georgians 65 or older. Over the next decade, growth in the 65+ age group will outstrip general population growth by 250%. If we’re going to be prepared for this demographic change, we need to act now. Please join in supporting Georgia for a Lifetime. Every Georgian has a stake in the outcomes of this far-reaching effort.