Addressing senior hunger through Today’s Seniors

The information here provides background information, key resources and ways to address the needs of today’s seniors. You will gain knowledge about today’s seniors, how you can help and where to refer seniors for resources and services.

Key statistics on Today’s Seniors in Georgia

Your first stop in understanding today’s seniors in Georgia is looking at the statistics we shared in Key Statistics on Senior Hunger. There you had the opportunity to see some key state level demographics of older Georgians. Here are a few more that you should know:

• 41,000 grandparents 60 and older are raising their grandchildren. (4)
• The broadband gap between younger and older Georgians is 15.3% - 17.5%. (6)
• 80% of seniors 65 and over own cell phones. (6)
• 42% of seniors own smartphones. (6)
• 15.6% of older Georgians are veterans. (3)
• 27.5% are employed or receiving unemployment benefits. (3)

Strategies to Address the Needs of Today’s Seniors in Georgia

In identifying and understanding today’s older adults, we must recognize the many roles and responsibilities older Georgian’s claim, one being grandparents raising grandchildren. As we look to find solutions to address the needs of vulnerable older adults, we must recognize that serving as a caregiver to children significantly impacts this effort. We encourage you to visit the Kinship Care Portal, Georgia’s one-stop shop for information, resources and support for kinship caregivers. This is a great transition into your empowerment in identifying resources and services in your area.

Services and resources available in Georgia for Today’s Seniors

• The Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) provides information and referrals on local food banks and other benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, utility assistance and utility discount programs, like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which put money back in seniors' pockets to help buy food.
• Georgia SHIP provides free, unbiased and factual information and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers with health and drug plans. Furthermore, Georgia SHIP connects them to Extra Help and Medicare Secondary Payer (MSPs), potentially giving them more than $100/month back in their pockets, not to mention annual savings on evaluating Medigap and Part D options.
• Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) (866-552-4464): AAAs are located throughout Georgia to offer support in every county. Part of the services offered are nutritious home delivered meals and weekday congregate meals in a group setting.
• The Forensic Special Investigations Initiatives Unit (FSIU), critical support in preventing senior hunger, is looking out for cases of elder abuse that could include preventing access to food through financial abuse and neglect. The Forensic Special Initiatives Unit (FSIU) provides support to the Georgia Division of Aging Services (DAS) and other local, state and federal partners by identifying and addressing system gaps and developing process improvements to protect Georgia’s at-risk adults from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
• State-Supported Caregiver Services from the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and the Division of Aging Services (DAS) provide support and sponsor activities for kinship families. Visit the Kinship Care Portal, Georgia's one-stop shop for information, resources and support for kinship caregivers here: DHS Kinship Portal. Support groups and other community resources for kinship caregivers are available here: Community-Based Support for Kinship Caregivers

 

Sources

3. United States Census Bureau. (2022). American Community Survey 5-year Estimates available at S0102: POPULATION 60 YEARS AND OVER... - Census Bureau Table.

4. United States Census Bureau. (2022). American Community Survey 5-year Estimates available at S1002: GRANDPARENTS - Census Bureau Table.

5. Older Adults Technology Services. (2021, January). Aging Connected: Exposing the Hidden

Connectivity Crisis for Older Adults. Retrieved from Aging-Connected_Exposing-the-Hidden-Connectivity-Crisis-for-Older-Adults.pdf (agingconnected.org).

6. Monica Anderson, M., and Andrew Perrin, A. (May 2017). “Tech Adoption Climbs Among Older Adults.” Available from the Pew Research Center: PI_2017.05.17_Older-Americans-Tech_FINAL.pdf.

Addressing senior hunger through the Health Impact of Senior Hunger in Georgia

The information here provides healthcare providers, dietitians, pharmacists, dentists and caregivers with background information, key resources and ways to help seniors in the cross-section of health and hunger. Regardless of the role you play in helping older adults in your line of work or service, you will gain knowledge about how hunger and health connect, the severity of food insecurity and some recommended solutions. Ultimately, you will learn how you can help the seniors you serve and where to refer seniors to resources and services right where they live.

Key Statistics on the Health Impact of Senior Hunger in Georgia

Your first stop in understanding the health impact of senior hunger in Georgia is looking at the statistics we shared in Key Statistics of Senior Hunger. There you had the opportunity to see some key state level demographics of older Georgians.

Services and resources available in Georgia to address the Health Impact of Senior Hunger

• The Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) provides information and referrals on local food banks and other benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, utility assistance and utility discount programs, like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which put money back in seniors' pockets to help buy food.
• Georgia Health Matters: Many food insecure older Georgians have poor chronic disease management. A critical program offered across the state is the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. If you would like to see what courses may be available for an older adult you know, visit GeorgiaHealthMatters.org.

 

Sources:

1) Alana Rhone, Michele Ver Ploeg, Ryan Williams, and Vince Breneman. Understanding Low-Income and Low-Access Census Tracts Across the Nation: Subnational and Subpopulation Estimates of Access to Healthy Food, EIB-209, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, May 2019

Addressing senior hunger through Food Access 

The information here provides background information, key resources and ways to address the needs of today’s seniors. You will gain knowledge about today’s seniors, how you can help and where to refer seniors for resources and services in their communities. Let us address the opportunities to leverage the unique experience of seniors in Georgia and to identify the risk factors for senior hunger.

Key statistics on the health impact of senior hunger in Georgia

Your first stop in understanding the health impact of senior hunger in Georgia is looking at the statistics we shared in Key Statistics of Senior Hunger.  There you had the opportunity to see some key state level demographics of older Georgians. Here are a few more that you should know:

• 214,885 seniors, 60 and over, received SNAP benefits in SFY 2020. (7)
• 211 senior centers in Georgia receive Older Americans Act funding. (8)
• 5,214,276 meals were served to Georgia’s seniors and disabled adults in SFY 2021. (9)
• Georgia ranks 9th in states with low access tracts to key food resources. (10)
• 21.4% of seniors eat fast food on any given day. (11)

Strategies to address the needs of Food Access in Georgia

Perhaps the solution to improving food access for seniors in Georgia lies in understanding the barriers to accessing food. Some barriers to accessing food are:

• Costs of food
• Dietary restrictions due to chronic conditions
• Lack of awareness of programs and resources
• Food deserts and lack of affordable groceries
• Lack of transportation
• Sharing limited resources with extended family such as the case for grandparents providing for grandchildren

Services and resources available in Georgia to improve Food Access

• Resources listed on the Federal and State Programs Addressing Senior Hunger page
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Community and home-delivered meals
  • Senior food boxes
  • Food banks
• Farmers Markets
  • The Georgia Department of Agriculture offers a list of community farmers markets located throughout Georgia (located under Divisions → Marketing Division → Community Farmers Market).
• Transportation
  • The Georgia Department of Transportation offers a list of commute options both inside the metropolitan Atlanta area and outside this area.
  • The American Transportation Association offers a list of Georgia transit agencies by county. 

Get involved to help address the needs of today’s seniors

• Volunteer with an Aging Services meal provider: Sort and package food, assist with a mobile pantry and/or deliver meals.
• Deliver meals: Serve seniors who do not have transportation access or are classified at the hunger level.
• Provide help in applying for and utilizing food assistance: Organizations have an opportunity to volunteer as Community Partners. Registered Georgia Gateway Community Partners are shown on the Georgia Gateway Homepage as a resource for individuals needing help with using the online system. Registered Georgia Gateway Community Partners are listed by county of residence and agree to help with using the online system to anyone who requests assistance. Registered Georgia Gateway Community Partners must assist with the transaction submission for all programs (SNAP, Medicaid, TANF and Child Care). There is no compensation for registration as a Georgia Gateway Community Partner. Registration as a Georgia Gateway Community Partner allows individuals, in this time of limited resources and increasing demand of DHS services, to benefit through a choice of access points in the community, therefore increasing participation and accessibility to benefits. For more information about becoming a community partner, click here.

 

Sources:

7. DHS' Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. (August 2021).

8. DHS' Georgia Division of Aging Services. (May 2022).

9. Georgia Department of Human Services. (2022). Annual Report. Available from Department of Human Services: Annual Report SFY21 | Georgia Department of Human Services.

10. Alana Rhone, Michele Ver Ploeg, Ryan Williams, and Vince Breneman.

(May 2019). Understanding Low-Income and Low-Access Census Tracts Across the

Nation: Subnational and Subpopulation Estimates of Access to Healthy

Food, EIB-209, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Low access (LA) tracts refer to census tracts where at least 500 people live more than one mile (urban areas) or more than 10 miles (rural areas) from the nearest supermarket, supercenter or large grocery store.

11. Fryar CD, Hughes JP, Herrick KA, Ahluwalia, N. Fast food consumption among adults in the United States, 2013–2016. NCHS Data Brief, no 322. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018. Available from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db322.htm

Addressing senior hunger through Food Waste and Reclamation

The information here provides seniors, caregivers, aging services providers, policymakers and the many who work with seniors with background information, key resources and ways to leverage the opportunities of food waste and reclamation. You will gain knowledge about food waste, the severity of food waste and some recommended solutions, how you can help the seniors in your community to address senior hunger and where to refer seniors for resources and services in their communities.

Key statistics on Food Waste and Reclamation in Georgia

Your first stop in understanding Food Waste and Reclamation in Georgia is looking at the statistics we shared in Key Statistics on Senior Hunger. There you had the opportunity to see some key state level demographics of older Georgians. Here are a few more that you should know:

• The U.S. EPA Excess Food Opportunities Map supports nationwide diversion of excess food from landfills. The interactive map identifies and displays facility-specific information about potential generators and recipients of excess food in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors and provides estimates of excess food by generator type. There may be resources available to close this loop in Georgia and create paths toward sustainable food systems. The map displays the locations of nearly 1.2 million potential excess food generators. These include correctional facilities, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, the hospitality industry, food manufacturing and processing facilities, food wholesale and retail, restaurants and food services, anaerobic digestion facilities, composting facilities and food banks.
• Food residuals make up 12% of landfill waste annually. That is nearly 151 pounds of food per Georgian every year, a total of 1.6 billion pounds of trash annually in Georgia. This amount of food waste translates to about $1.92 billion each year. Click here for more information.
• The Georgia Environmental Protection Division's Food Residuals Diversion initiative is housed in the Solid Waste Program's Recovered Materials Unit. According to the most recent data available, food residuals are the largest single category of solid waste being disposed in Georgia’s landfills.

Strategies to address the needs of Food Waste and Reclamation in Georgia

Participate in gleaning.

What is gleaning? There is a great toolkit on gleaning from the USDA. Check it out here.

Donate Excess Food.

The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act provides criminal and civil liability protection for food donors and recipient nonprofit organizations that receive and distribute food to individuals in need. Donors such as farmers, distributors, processors, commercial service food operators, wholesalers or food retailers are protected under the Georgia statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-1-31.

Buy local and support Georgia Grown food.

Not only will you be reducing your food’s carbon footprint by purchasing fresh food, you'll also be supporting local economies and contributing to the growth of sustainable food systems.

Work with local food banks.

The Georgia Food Bank Association maintains a list of Georgia’s food banks and the counties they serve.

Participate in EPA's Food Recovery Challenge.

By joining this challenge, organizations can pledge to improve their sustainable food management practices. EPD’s Recovered Materials Unit hosts Food Paths workshops in conjunction with partner agencies and organizations with the goals of providing education on management strategies for wasted food and, ultimately, diverting organic materials from Georgia’s landfills. If you are interested in hosting a Food Paths workshop in your community, or in becoming a Food Paths partner, click here.

Addressing senior hunger through Meeting the Community’s Needs

The information here provides background information, key resources and ways to meet the community’s needs. You will gain knowledge about assessing the community’s needs, how you can help and where to refer seniors for resources and services in their communities. Let us address the opportunities to leverage the unique experience of seniors in Georgia and to identify the risks factors for senior hunger.

Key Statistics on Meeting the Community’s Needs in Georgia

Your first stop in understanding food access in Georgia outside of the ones you know is looking at the statistics we shared in Key Statistics on Senior Hunger. There you had the opportunity to see some key state level demographics of older Georgians.

Strategies for Meeting the Community’s Needs in Georgia

• Participate in your region’s Senior Hunger Coalition
• Share best practices in addressing senior hunger in your region
• Identify your region’s needs and let the state agency connected to the service or resource need know how they can help
• Engage with seniors who are at risk of hunger and check for available resources
• Get involved to help address the needs of today’s seniors