GenerationsGeorgia

Published quarterly by Georgia’s Area Agencies on Aging

TMSummer 2003

Also in This Issue: ■ The Physician-Caregiver Connection■ A Look at Georgia’s AAAs

SENIORBusiness Discovers

SENIORTHE

MarketAlso in This Issue:

■ The Physician-Caregiver Connection■ A Look at Georgia’s AAAs

DiscoversBusiness

2 Georgia Generations

Northwest GeorgiaLegacy LinkAtlanta Regional

CommissionSouthern CrescentNortheast GeorgiaLower ChattahoocheeMiddle GeorgiaCentral Savannah RiverHeart of Georgia

AltamahaSouthwest GeorgiaSoutheast GeorgiaCoastal Georgia

Area Agencies on Aging – Gateways to Community Resources

123

54

78

6

9

12

1011

1

10

Georgia is divided into 12 AAAs, each serving a different part of the state.They are:

2

35

4

7

8

69

12

11

SUMMER 2003 Published quarterlythrough a cooperative effort of Georgia’sArea Agencies on Aging.

For information contact:Atlanta Regional CommissionAging Services Division40 Courtland St., NE, Atlanta, GA 30303404-463-3239jkauffman@atlantaregional.com

Editorial Project Development:JAM Communications, Atlanta, GA

Design and Production:Wells-Smith Partners, Lilburn, GA

On the Cover:Shirley Ginsburg of Roswell enjoysreceiving an Atlanta Journal-Constitutionnewpaper along with her Meals-On-Wheels delivery from volunteer LeslieMcKee. The program, called Feed theBody/Feed the Mind, is an example ofhow Georgia businesses are reaching outto seniors. See story, page 4.

Photo by Caroline Joe.

GenerationsGeorgia

Summer 2003, Volume 2, #4 © 2003 bythe Atlanta Regional Commission. Theinformation contained herein has beenobtained from sources believed to bereliable. However, the Atlanta RegionalCommission and JAM Communicationsmake no warranty to the accuracy or reliability of this information. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by any meanswithout written permission. All rightsreserved.

Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) were established under the OlderAmericans Act in 1973 to respond to the needs of older adultsaged 60 and over in every community. To read more about eachof Georgia’s AAAs and the services available, turn to a statewidemap and news from each agency, beginning on page 9.

THIS SUMMER, ARE YOU TRAVELING to see an elderlyrelative whom you seldom visit? Take advantage of theface-to-face contact to help him or her put their affairs inorder. Take time to review important information and documents, including:

1. All bank accounts, account numbers and the location of banks.

2. Insurance policies, policy numbers, type of insurance(health, life, long term care, automobile, etc.) and beneficiary as stated on the policies.

3. Deed and titles to ALL property. 4. Loan/lien information, who holds them and if there are

any death provisions.5. Social Security and Medicare numbers. 6. Military history, affiliations and papers (including

discharge papers). 7. Up-to-date will in a safe place. 8. Living will or other advanced directive. 9. Durable power of attorney.

10. Instructions for funeral services, information aboutcemetery plots.

It’s not uncommon to experi-ence a loss of appetite during

the hot summer months. Butwhen an elderly person startseating less over a period oftime, the results can be serious.

It may be just the heat thathas caused the problem. Or per-haps the person you are caringfor has a loss of appetite simplyfrom not feeling well. Thechange might also be attributedto medications, cancer treat-ments, or psychological prob-lems like depression.

How can you be assuredthat your care recipient is eatingenough food to supply adequatevitamins and nutrients? Nutri-tionists suggest that instead ofthree large meals a day, whichcan look overwhelming to some-one in poor health, you serve sixsmall meals a day. Also, servesoft foods such as pudding, icecream or fruit smoothies

because they can be tasty andeasy to digest.

When possible, give the person you are caring for thedecision-making power todecide what they would like toeat; it helps them to feel in con-trol. Also, make the dining experience pleasant for the per-son you are caring for by playingmusic or talking to them aboutthe day’s events while they areeating.

Keep a food diary andinclude what they eat every dayand what food they have prob-lems or complications digesting.Review it with their doctor ordietician for feedback.

Water, Water, Water — Make sure the person you arecaring for drinks plenty ofwater to avoid dehydration,which can lead toappetite suppression.

&NEWS NOTESCAREGIVING

Summer 2003 3

Surfing the NetEach issue of Georgia Generations offers several Web

sites devoted to caregiving information and resources:

www.friendly4seniors.com is comprised of adatabase of over 2000 senior-related listings. Pick acategory and click “Go.”

www.aoa.gov keeps you up-to-date on news fromthe U.S. Administration on Aging. In addition, here’s

where to learn more about the Older Americans Act.www.ahca.org, the homepage for the American Health Care

Assn., spotlights health news and events, plus staying current onlong-term care news.

www.elderhostel.org tells everything about this educational/travel organization for older adults — from frequently asked questions to details on hundreds of programs.

Look for more helpful Web sites in the next issue of Georgia Generations.

ELDERHOSTEL, A NONPROFIT

educational travel organization forseniors, has something new thissummer. The group is offeringdozens of programs for grandpar-ents and grandchildren, as well asfamily programs that bring threegenerations togetherfor shared learning.

The intergenera-tional experiences are part of Elderhostel’s nearly 10,000 dif-ferent programs, which 200,000 older adults participate inyearly. For more information, check out Elderhostel’s Web site(see Surfing the Net, below).

A Reminder When Visiting Loved Ones

Protect Medicare and Medicaid BenefitsReport suspected fraud and errors.

Call your Senior Medicare Patrol Project for details and to request a presentation.

Metro Atlanta: 404-463-0763Outside Metro Atlanta: GeorgiaCares 1-800-669-8387

E l d e r h o s t e l

What’s New atElderhostel?

When Summer Appetites Wane

hey dine out four to five times a week. They accountfor nearly 80 percent of all leisure travel spending.They buy more than 40 percent of all new cars pur-chased. They have a total net worth of $20 trillion.

Who are these power consumers? They are seniors. Americans age 50 and older make

up the fastest growing and most affluent population seg-ment in the U.S. Little wonder that businesses rangingfrom mom-and-pop delis to global pharmaceutical giantsare wooing this increasingly critical market. In fact, whatsurprises industry observers is that some businesses stilldon’t seem to recognize the awesome potential of the senior market.

“Twenty years ago, I would have expected that wewould have seen more changes in how businesses targetseniors,” said Nancy Luttropp, corporate director of learn-ing for Kisco Senior Living in Carlsbad, Calif, and formerthe manager of Business and Aging Programs for theAmerican Society on Aging. “I’m surprised change isn’tcoming more quickly, but it is coming.”

The lag can be explained fairly simply — old habits diehard. “For over 40 years, baby boomers and the youth cul-ture ruled the roost,” said Gary Onks, CEO of Sold on

Seniors, a senior marketing consul-tancy in Fredericksburg, Va.“Corporations don’t change quickly.And PR, marketing and advertisingdepartments tend to be staffed by peo-ple in their 20s and early 30s. Theyhave no understanding of seniors.”

These 20-something marketersmight be surprised to discover, forexample, that seniors have been thefastest growing segment of Internetusers for the past three years. Andthat seniors are huge purchasers oftoys, spending nearly $30 million ongrandchildren last year. And that thetop grossing concerts last year wereby performers in their late 50s/early60s who lured audiences of late40s/early 50s — Paul McCartney, theRolling Stones and Cher.

“Seniors buy everything thateveryone else buys — and thensome,” said Onks.

None of that surprises LarissaNelson. The market developmentmanager for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution launched the “Feed theBody/Feed the Mind” program last

May, which delivers free copies of the newspaper toMeals-on-Wheels recipients. “Seniors are a very importantmarket for us,” said Nelson. “This is a group that stillreads and values the newspaper.”

Currently, Meals-on-Wheels volunteers deliver news-papers along with a meal to 251 seniors in Henry and Fulton Counties. Nelson hopes to implement it in all 10metro Atlanta counties.

4 Georgia Generations4 Georgia Generations

Business

SENIORAmericans age

50 and older make

up the fastest

growing and

most affluent

population segment

in the U.S.

By Martha Nolan McKenzie

BusinessDiscovers

SENIORMarket

T

THE

Market

Summer 2003 5

The newspaper was recognized for its efforts by the Metro-politan Partnership in Aging at its fifth annual Business andAging Awards Breakfast last December. “While it is importantto feed the body, experts on aging know its equally importantto feed the mind,” said Maureen Kelly, community liaison forthe Aging Division of the Atlanta Regional Commission, whichis a member of the MPIA. “Many of those receiving home-delivered meals are unable to pay for the daily newspaper asthey live on extremely limited budgets. The daily newspaperprovides up-to-date information to keep these citizens men-tally agile and aware of what is going on in the world aroundthem.”

Shirley Ginsburg of Roswell looks forward to the daily visitfrom a volunteer who brings her a meal and newspaper. “Oneday they just gave me the newspaper, and it was free,” shesaid. “It was a wonderful gift.”

Her favorite sections: home and garden and politics. “Imay not agree with all the politics,” she commented, “but I enjoy reading the columns.”

Real EstateOne industry that has been out front in recognizing the chang-ing needs of an aging population is real estate. Assisted livingfacilities and retirement communities have proliferated overthe past decade, and single-family homebuilders are incorpo-rating new designs to allow residents to age in place.

Four years ago, the Homebuilders Association of Georgiateamed up with Concrete Change and a host of partners,including the Atlanta Regional Commission, Statewide Indepen-dent Living Council of Georgia, AARP Georgia and the GeorgiaDepartment of Community Affairs, to create EasyLiving Home,a certification program for builders. To qualify for certificationthe homes must include three basic features that are conven-iences for all residents regardless of age or ability. However,the features make it a visitable home and allow people to agein place as well. The three features include a bedroom and fullbath on the main floor, wide interior doorways and entranceswith no steps.

“We have 13 builders on board right now and we’ve certi-fied about 18 houses,” said Bonnie Bonham, program directorof EasyLiving Home. “We expect it to really snowball nextyear — we think we’ll see 400 to 500 homes being built.They’ll be in Savannah, Valdosta, Snellville, Powder Springs,Alpharetta and Woodstock.”

Roy Wendt was one of the first builders to get the Easy-Living certification, and he has built 20 EasyLiving homes todate. “Just about everything we do now is EasyLiving,” saidWendt, owner of Wendt Builders in Snellville.

Wendt’s homes meet the program requirements — and thensome. For example, appliances and electrical outlets are raisedso residents don’t have to bend over as much. Each house fea-tures a 911 light switch that makes the garage lights strobe,enabling paramedics to readily find the home in case of an emer-gency. Garages are equipped with a stoplight, which turns redwhen the car gets within six inches of the wall.

To help seniors find elder-friendly homes, many realtorshave started training programs for their agents. Century 21and Re/Max offer such training, as does the Senior Advantage

Real Estate Council. From the latter, Realtors can earn aSeniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) certification.

Traci Amick got her SRES certification two years ago. Therealtor for Southbridge Realty in Savannah wanted to under-stand the special needs of her senior customers. “My seniorcustomers are very active,” said Amick. “They want single-story homes. They want less square footage than they used tohave, but they still want nice amenities. And perhaps the mainthing they want is a service that takes care of the exteriorlandscaping so they don’t have to bother with it. They want tospend their time traveling, golfing or walking. These types ofhomes are selling like wildfire here.”

RetailingRetailers, too, have discovered the enormous buying potentialof seniors. In an effort to attract this market, many retailersoffer the most popular of lures — the senior discount. Fromcruise lines to movie theaters, from restaurants to groceries,retailers routinely give seniors a break in the price in returnfor patronage.

“Discounts are a very effective marketing tool,” said Onks.“Seniors are a frugal bunch. They have to make sure theirmoney is going to last their lifetime. And AARP has drilled intoseniors that getting a discount is their right of passage — theyare entitled to it.”

Many retailers, however, go beyond offering discounts.Kroger, for example, offers a five percent discount to seniorsevery Wednesday. But many stores offer free coffee and danishon senior days, and some even host bingo games.

The Kroger in Waycross has had a bingo game everyWednesday morning for the past six years. On a good day, 60to 75 seniors turn out to socialize, sip coffee and cover theirBingo cards with tokens. Winners get assorted prizes from thestore — a plant, a toiletry item, a gift certificate — and every-one gets a chance to catch up with old friends.

“They always come up and hug my neck and say thank youfor having the bingo game,” said Cindy Hughes, the store man-ager. “I love it. It’s like having 60 grandparents.”

For Kroger, those grandparents mean good business. “Theyare a very valuable part of our customer base,” said SusieBrower, manager of consumer affairs for Kroger. “They aresome of our most loyal customers, and some of the most vocal.If they are unhappy with something, they let you know it. That’smuch better than not saying anything and switching stores.”

Up the Creek restaurants in Atlanta keep their senior diners happy with a special Seniors’ Catch Menu. In responseto comments from seniors that many restaurants serve toomuch food at prices higher than they want to pay, the restau-rant began to offer patrons age 65 and older smaller servingsat reduced prices. The menu is printed in large type and isavailable between 3 and 6 p.m. Senior customers receive amembership card, which they present each time they visit therestaurant.

“We started the program about a year ago, and it hasbeen very well received,” said Stan Klaus, executive vicepresident of operations for AppleCreek Management, whichmanages four Up the Creek restaurants and 36 Applebees inthe Atlanta area.

6 Georgia Generations

Like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Up the Creek’sefforts were honored by the MPIA at its Business and AgingAwards Breakfast. “Aging advocates believe this is a betterapproach than other senior discounts, which generally includeonly one or two discounted menu items, because it offersappropriate portions at lower prices,” said ARC’s Kelly.

Other examples of senior-conscious retailers abound. Colonial Lakeshore Mall in Gainesville offers complimentarywheelchairs. It leases space to Legacy Link, the Area Agencyon Aging, at a substantially reduced rate. The Legacy Linkspace provides a spot for seniors to relax, have coffee andattend seminars or pick up materials on services availableto them. The mall opens four hours earlier than the stores— at 6 a.m. — so seniors can walk the corridors.

“We have close to 200 seniors who walk every morning,”said Donna Montgomery, marketing director of the mall. “Wemap out the mileage for them, so they know how far they are

walking. Once a month we host a meeting for the walkerswith a free breakfast and talks on various health topics.”

Crossroads Deli owner Jean Cornett uses love and atten-tion to keep her senior customers coming back. “We don’t offerany discounts, but we always go over and speak to them andcatch up — just give them some attention,” said Cornett, whois also in Gainesville. “They love it!”

Crossroads Deli is also a certified Elder Friendly business.The certification is awarded by Legacy Link, which sends

trained volunteers to area businesses to deter-mine if an establishment is elder friendly.

“We have a lot of criteria we look at,” saidRoger Ray, community education director forLegacy Link. “For example, we start by lookingup the business in the yellow pages to seehow easy it is to locate. Then we call and askfor directions to see how they respond to anolder person on the phone. We look at theease of entry. Are aisles wide enough forwheelchairs? Are there benches to rest on?Are signs and menus readable? Howfriendly are the workers to elderly customers?

“Then we score the business, and ifthey score high enough, they get an ElderFriendly business decal to display in theirwindow,” continued Ray.

The Coastal Georgia AAA in Brunswickis launching a similar certification pro-

gram. “We are just beginning to recruit volunteers,” said GraceOwens, aging services coordinator for the agency. “We hope tohave it up and running by July. We plan to create a bookletlisting all businesses in the area that are Elder Friendly certified.”

Pharmaceuticals and DrugstoresPharmaceutical companies and drugstores are keenly

interested in the senior market — and with good reason.Seniors consume one-third of all prescription drugs.

In Atlanta, the Atlanta Regional Commission has formed apartnership with CVS Pharmacy to develop and implement a“Vial of Life” program in the 10-county metro area. The “Vialof Life” program is a medical emergency information program,which also includes medication education and medicationreviews. The project will target seniors who attend the multi-purpose senior centers, neighborhood senior centers, seniorcommunity groups and seniors receiving in-home services.

Each senior participant will receive a medication kit,review of their medications by a registered pharmacist, assis-tance with completing a medication summary sheet and abrief overview of the program. Next the seniors will be invitedto attend a medication management class, which will be taughtby a pharmacist. If a pharmacist encounters a medicationproblem, the participant’s doctor will be notified.

In May, Pfizer Inc, along with the Fulton County Office ofAging, the Atlanta Regional Commission and area health pro-fessionals, launched a program to help older adults managecholesterol. “Taking Health to Heart” goes beyond screening,enrolling interested seniors in a two-year, multi-pronged cho-lesterol management program. During the two years, they willreceive educational materials, including tips on managing cho-lesterol through diet and exercise.

“We want to be recognized as a company that addresseshealth solutions, and we want to react to the needs of specificgeographies,” said Jill Williams, managed market manager forPfizer. “Because the senior population in Atlanta is growing sosignificantly, we want to make sure that seniors are aware of

Seniors enjoy walking at Colonial Lakeshore Mall in Gainesville.

Americans age 50 and older:

Spend over $29 Billion yearly on grandchildren’s gifts

Own 79% of America’s financial assets

the importance of managing cholesterol and are able to getmore actively involved in the management of their own care.”

Merck & Co.’s plant in Albany worked with the SouthwestGeorgia Area Agency on Aging as well as local pharmacy techand nursing colleges to host a “brown bag” seminar last May.Rather than tuna sandwiches and chips, seniors filled theirbrown bags with the medications they take on a regular basisand a pharmacist went through the bag with them.

“A lot of elderly people have multiple doctors, and everydoctor does not necessarily know what every other doctor isprescribing,” said Eamon Fitzmaurice, plant controller forMerck.

Fitzmaurice said Merck plans to host another brown bagseminar in Thomasville sometime this year.

Merck also partnered with the Southwest Georgia AAA tooffer free osteoporosis screening in January. “We made themachines available and funded it,” said Fitzmaurice. “In 10 days,we screened about 600 people.”

The MediaOne industry that has been criticized for its treatment of

seniors is the media. But even this industry is garnering somepraise for improved portrayal of seniors — again, an acknowl-edgement of the growing importance of this demographic audience.

“In the world of comedy, seniors are still almost alwaysportrayed for laughs,” said Barbara Corday, chair of the pro-duction division of the Cinema-Television School at the Univer-sity of Southern California. “But in drama, there has beenquite a bit of change. A lot of movies and TV shows are featur-ing older actors in poignant and interesting roles.”

Seniors will even get their slice of the reality TV pie thisseason. NBC, which has prided itself on targeting the 18-to-49-year-old audience, will air “Second Chance: America’s MostTalented Senior” later this year. Similar to America’s Most Talented Kid, American Idol or Star Search, the program,which will air in two one-hour episodes, will highlight talented

seniors. The network has already done casting calls in 10cities, but it has not yet released the air date.

Financial InstitutionsThe aging population has given rise to a new specialty

within the financial industry — financial gerontology. In Janu-ary, the American Society on Aging and Widener Universityestablished the American Institute of Financial Gerontology(www.aifg.org), a financial services education program, to helpmeet the specific financial needs of seniors. Financial adviserscan earn a Certified Financial Gerontologist (CFG) designationfrom the Institute.

“The issue of retirement planning is coming into the fore-front because boomers now have it on their radar screen,” saidJohn Migliaccio, president of the Institute. “What the financialinstitutions have been very good at is helping customers collect their money. They haven’t been very good at helping themdisperse their money over a longer lifespan. Financial institu-tions need to be more proactive in helping people finance theirlongevity, and to do that they need knowledge of the agingprocess and the issues that come along with that. With financial

gerontology, we have formalized the intersection of health,wealth and aging for the first time.”

Financial institutions are also the No. 2 users — behind thehealth care industry — of a program designed to increase sensitivity to the needs of seniors. The Secure Project for Sensi-

tivity Training was developed by Lee Memor-ial Health System in Ft. Myers, Fla. Clientsreceive a training kit that includes glasses tosimulate common eye problems of olderadults, gloves to simulate arthritis, an audiotape to simulate degrees of hearing loss, andcolor slides to illustrate functional andorganic brain disorders.

“It’s a very hands-on program,” saidTeresa Frank, program manager of the OlderAdult Service Department at Lee Memorial.“Financial firms are our second largestusers. The better their brokers understandseniors, which is their exact market, the bet-ter they can provide customer care.”

All businesses would do well to adoptthat marketing strategy. “Every seven sec-onds, someone in America turns 50,” saidOnks. “It’s a hugely important market, and

no business can afford to ignore it.” GG

Americans age 50 and older:

Shop online (92%) and make purchases online (78%)

Account for over 40%of total consumer demand

Pfizer draws crowds to its cholesterol management program.

Summer 2003 7

GUEST CLOSE-UPGUEST CLOSE-UP

By Adrienne Dern and Angela Heath

Many Georgians are feelingstressed because they pro-

vide assistance to an older rela-tive or friend — stress that canlead to depression and even causethem to get sick. These Georgians are “family caregivers,” butlike many caregivers across the country, many do not identifythemselves as such. According to AARP, in 2001, 15 percent ofactual caregivers did not consider themselves caregivers,even though they provided the kind of help typicallydescribed as “caregiving.” What does that mean for Georgiacaregivers? It means that many who could benefit from helpare not seeking theservices that couldrelieve some of theirphysical and emo-tional stress.

Making the Link:Connecting Care-givers with Servicesthrough Physicians is a program developed by the NationalAssociation of Area Agencies on Aging, funded in part by theU.S. Administration on Aging. The program is designed toidentify caregivers through physicians who will refer them toservices provided by Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs).

Why are we targeting physicians to reach caregivers?Because most caregivers make frequent doctor visits —-either with elders or to address their own health needs. Inaddition, there are several reasons why physicians have aninterest in identifying and supporting caregivers. First, majorphysician organizations acknowledge that caregiving is apotentially serious health risk. Caregivers need to take careof themselves, but too often they don’t. Second, caregivers areoften involved in — but unprepared for — the medical care ofolder adults and unwittingly compromise the care they pro-vide. By helping caregivers, doctors can increase the medicalcompliance of their older patients. Finally, physician practices

can benefit as well, by decreasingstaff time devoted to respondingto caregivers’ concerns.Through Making the Link,physicians can refer caregiv-

ing patients to experts in thelocal community who can offer coun-

seling, services and other resources. To involve more physicians in the care of caregivers,

Making the Link includes a national/local public awarenesscampaign. On the national level, the program is working with anumber of physician and caregiver organizations to raiseawareness of caregiver issues. At the local level, it is workingwith 150 AAAs and Title VI–Native American aging programs

to involve local physicians in identi-fying caregivers and referring themto services. In Georgia, GeorgiaGenerations magazine is being sentto doctors’ offices quarterly to pro-vide information on caregiverresources.

How can Georgia caregiversplay a role in the physician–caregiver connection?

■ First and foremost, contact your local AAA to find outabout the resources available to help you in your community.

■ Ask your local AAA if you can distribute a few copies ofits brochure to physicians that you visit.

■ Tell your doctor that you are a caregiver.■ Let your doctor know how important it is for caregivers

to take care of themselves and to be connected with commu-nity services.

■ Tell your doctor that the local AAA is a great referralfor his/her caregiving patients.

Celebrate! You have just made it easier for the next care-giver who visits your physician. GG

Adrienne Dern is the deputy director, National Associationof Area Agencies on Aging. Angela Heath is a consultantand author of a book on long distance caregiving.

8 Georgia Generations

ConnectingCaregivers withServicesthrough Physicians

MakingtheLINK

Physicians can refer caregivingpatients to experts in the local community who can offer help.

A Look at Area Agencies on Aging Around Georgia

NorthwestNorthwestGeorgiaGeorgia

AtlantaAtlantaRegionalRegionalCommissionCommission

SouthernSouthernCrescentCrescent

LegacyLegacyLinkLink

NortheastNortheastGeorgia Georgia

CentralCentralSavannahSavannahRiver River

MiddleMiddleGeorgia Georgia

SouthwestSouthwestGeorgia Georgia SoutheastSoutheast

GeorgiaGeorgia

Heart ofHeart ofGeorgiaGeorgiaAltamahaAltamaha CoastalCoastal

GeorgiaGeorgia

LowerLowerChattahoochee Chattahoochee

NorthwestGeorgia

AtlantaRegionalCommission

SouthernCrescent

LegacyLink

NortheastGeorgia

CentralSavannahRiver

MiddleGeorgia

LowerChattahoochee

SouthwestGeorgia Southeast

Georgia

Heart ofGeorgiaAltamaha Coastal

Georgia

In communities across the country, Area

Agencies on Aging (AAAs) serve as gateways to

local resources, planning efforts and services

that help older adults remain independent. On

the following pages are the programs and

services offered by Georgia’s AAAs.

One of the biggest problems facing seniors today is paying for expensive prescription medicines. Many of these med-ications treat diseases that are the resultof lifestyle choices, such as improper diet,lack of exercise, lack of socialization andothers. Studies support this with evidencethat many chronic diseases could be pre-vented or delayed by proper diet and exer-cise. As a result, Area Agencies on Agingthroughout Georgia have implementedwellness programs to prevent and/or delaythe onset of many chronic life-threateningconditions and thus reduce the need forexpensive prescription medicines.

The nutrition centers in NorthwestGeorgia have active wellness programs

offered on a regular basis. The exercisesthat are part of these programs are lowimpact and aid in the prevention of osteo-porosis. Some of the exercises are donewhile seated, and others are done with

small weights. Individualswork out as they are ableto, with no pressure to gobeyond what they feel theycan handle. To learn if thereis a program in your area,call the Area Agency onAging that serves yourcounty.

For information, contactAAA of Northwest Georgia,P.O. Box 1793, Rome, GA30162-1793; 706-802-5506or toll-free 1-800-759-2963.

Northwest GeorgiaCovers a 15-county area surrounding Rome, Dallas, Dalton, Cartersville

Cathy Colston (left), certified fitness instructor, weight trains with 93-year-old Frances Keith of Rome, a ‘sittercize’ leader.

Promoting healthylifestyles for seniors

NORTHWEST GEORGIA ENCOMPASSES THESE COUNTIES:Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade,Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon,Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens,Polk, Walker, Whitfield

Summer 2003 9

Legacy LinkCovers a 13-county area surrounding Gainesville, Cumming, Clarkesville, Toccoa, Hiawassee

If you’re a parent or grandparent, you’veheard that before. But in Gainesville,

Georgia, we hope to hear mature peoplesay, “Let’s go to themall” to learn moreabout services forolder people, opportu-nities for volunteeringin local communitiesand other information.

Legacy Link, Inc. hasopened a shop at theColonial Lakeshore Mall in Gainesville to make information available in a new way to citizens of the area. Mall manage-ment is very cooperative in taking achance with Legacy that a new kind of shop will meet the needs of many

people in the community and the sur-rounding area.

Want to fill out an application for thenew pharmacy cards? Come to theLegacy Shoppe. Need a list oflicensed personal care homes

and assisted living residences? Need infor-mation about health care services in theregion? Where are the camping areas andRV parks in the area?

How do I find out about volunteeropportunities? Come to the Legacy Shoppe!

Some of the area senior center pro-grams and AARP chapters will be having

“their days” at theshop to promotetheir activities and

programs.Let’s go to the mall!

This is just a taste ofwhat will be going on atthe Colonial Lakeshore

Mall. So, please drop byand see us!

For further information, contact LegacyLink, P.O. Box 2534, Gainesville, GA 30503-2534; 770-538-2650 or toll-free 1-800-845-LINK.

Let’s go to the mall!

In partnership with the Rosalynn CarterInstitute (RCI) for Human Develop-

ment, Southern Crescent formed aCARE-NET in 2003, giving staff an addi-tional tool for carrying out the caregivingmission of the AAA. CARE-NETS assistcommunities in the expansion of thecaregiving capacity by bringing family andprofessional caregivers together toaddress caregiving strengths and needs inthat community. As part of the CARE-NET, an education subcommittee wasformed. The subcommittee planned andimplemented a “Caring for the Caregiver”conference, which was held in Februaryat Heritage Ridge Retirement Commu-nity, Newnan, Georgia. The leader of the

workshop was Dr.David Haigler, deputydirector of RCI. Thetraining was a greatsuccess, with 52 per-sons in attendance

Generously donat-ing meals and snacks,Wal-Mart, Subway andAtlanta Bread Com-pany partnered with Southern Crescent tokeep the cost of the program low forattendees.

The subcommittee is planning a secondcaregiver conference, called “Train theTrainer,” to be held in early summer. Thisprogram will train interested persons onhow to take caregiver support programskills and information into individual com-munities to assist with caregiver needs.

If you are interested in attending the

upcoming caregiver training, call any of the numbers listed below.

For further information, contact SouthernCrescent AAA, P.O. Box 1600, Franklin, GA30217-1600; 706-675-6721, 770-854-6026,or toll-free 1-866-854-5652.

Caregiver conferencesoffer training

Dr. David Haigler, of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for HumanDevelopment, leads workshop at the “Caring for the Caregiver”Conference.

SOUTHERN CRESCENT ENCOMPASSES THESE COUNTIES:Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Lamar,Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup,Upson

10 Georgia Generations

LEGACY LINK ENCOMPASSES THESECOUNTIES: Banks, Dawson, Forsyth,Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart,Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns,Union, White

Legacy Link has opened a shopfor seniors at the ColonialLakeshore Mall in Gainesville.

Southern CrescentCovers a 10-county area surrounding Franklin, Newnan, LaGrange, Griffin, Carrollton

The 2nd Annual Thanks Mom & DadCelebration saluted Jocelyn Dorsey for

her 30 years of service at WSB-TV, Chan-nel 2 and honored her parents, Robert andHelena Dorsey, for their inspiration. Four-hundred people filled the ballroom at theSheraton Atlanta Hotel on May 8 to cele-brate Ms. Dorsey’s anniversary and pro-ceeds benefited the Thanks Mom & DadFund® which supports programs and serv-ices for the elderly.

Major sponsors included WSB-TV, UPS,The Coca-Cola Company,The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Ensure®, AARP, Pfizer,Inc., and The Kroger Co. Other supportersincluded Kaiser Permanente, GeorgiaPower, Blue Choice Platinum, SunriseAssisted Living,Atlanta Gas Light Company,and Piedmont Hospital, Sixty Plus Program.All were acknowledged for their generosity.

Guests mingled at a reception in thegarden pool area and the mood was set by jazz violinist, Ken Ford, and pianist, JohnKnapp, as they bid on beautiful, uniquesilent auction items.

Masters of Ceremony, John Pruitt andJovita Moore,WSB-TV, Channel 2 Action

News Anchors, introduced Atlanta’s Mayor, the Honorable Shirley Franklin,who welcomed everyone. Letters wereread from Rep. John Lewis, GovernorSonny Perdue and Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

A Congressional Commendation from Rep. Lewis acknowedged Ms. Dorsey’s contributions to the community.

WSB had fun with a video of Jocelyn’s

years with the station and a number ofvideo tributes. Jocelyn produced a glimpseinto the lives of Helena and Robert whoare her inspiration and another videoshowed donors the importance of contri-butions to the Thanks Mom & Dad Fund.®

There was hardly a dry eye when Joce-lyn spoke of the tragedy of this year andthe strength she drew from her belovedcommunity friends and her continued com-

mitment to the Thanks Mom & Dad Fund.®

She was especially pleased to say ThankYou to her parents while they are still withher and able to share in her joy.

On behalf of the Thanks Mom & DadFund,® Maureen Kelly presented beautifulsculptures by Master Glassblower, Don Lil-lie, symbolizing the spirit of the ThanksMom & Dad Fund® logo. Mr. and Mrs.Dorsey were thanked for giving our com-munity their gift, Jocelyn, and Jocelyn wasthanked for exemplifying community serv-ice. Proceeds over $75,000 will benefitmany, many older adults as a result of thegenerosity of sponsors and donors whoattended this grand affair.

Atlanta Regional CommissionCovers a 10-county area surrounding Atlanta

Cherokee County Cherokee CountySenior Services; 770-345-5312

Clayton County Clayton County Aging Program; 770-603-4050

Cobb County Cobb Senior Services, 770-528-5364

DeKalb County Senior Connections, 770-455-7602

Douglas County Douglas Senior Services, 770-489-3100

Fayette County Fayette Senior Services, 770-461-0813

Fulton County Fulton County Aging Program, 404-730-6000

Gwinnett County Gwinnett CountySenior Services, 770-822-8850

Henry County Henry County Senior Services, 770-898-7670

Rockdale County Rockdale CountySenior Services, 770-922-4633

Atlanta Regional Commission404-463-3333

ATLANTA REGIONAL COMMISSIONENCOMPASSES THESE COUNTIES:Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb,Douglas, Fayette, Gwinnett, Fulton,Henry, Rockdale

Summer 2003 11

Guests of honor Robert, Helena and Jocelyn Dorsey with ARC’s Maureen Kelly at the Thanks Mom & Dad Celebration.

If you need caregiving information, contact:

Gala event honoring Jocelyn Dorseybenefits Thanks Mom & Dad Fund ®

The Lower Chattahoochee AreaAgency on Aging (AAA) recently held

a health screening day in Americus, withthe assistance of the Pfizer mobile

response vehicle. The Pfizer mobileresponse vehicle, which is fitted withstate-of-the-art equipment, isused to conduct health screen-ings as well as to respond toemergency situations and per-form minor surgical treatments.

As part of the AAA’s healthscreening day, over 75 sen-iors participated in compre-hensive cholesterolscreenings measuring HDL,LDL and triglyceride levels.Other screenings includedblood pressure and bloodsugar to check for hypoand hyper glycemia. TheMiddle Flint Council onAging, Inc. provided hot-dogs, drinks and otherrefreshments in a picnic

setting to all participants.Thanks to won-derful weather and the partnering of severalagencies, this was truly a “picnic of a day.”

For further information, contact LowerChattahoochee AAA, P.O. Box 1908, Columbus,GA 31902-1908; 706-256-2900 or toll-free 1-800-615-4379.

Northeast Georgia’s wellness coordina-tor, Nikki Hawthorne, along with

other University of Georgia colleagues arebusy promoting the consumption of fruitsand vegetables. In support of this effort,the “Fruits and Vegetables for BetterHealth” program became a reality last fall.The program includes 10 fun-filled lessonsfocusing on different fruit and vegetablegroups, including berries and cruciferous

vegetables such as broccoli andcauliflower. Each lesson endswith the opportunity to

taste the fruits and vegetables.The purpose of this project is

to increase awareness of the healthbenefits of fruits and vegetables and

encourage everyone to eatbetween five and nine serv-ings daily. Heart disease andcancer are the number oneand number two leadingcauses of death respectively,accounting for 50 percent ofall deaths. Many epidemiolo-gist studies suggest high fruitand vegetable consumptionprotects against both ofthese diseases.

Many Northeast Georgians report they “enjoy feeling fine” as they eat “five to nine” every day, filling their mealswith plenty of leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, stewed tomatoes, sweet potatoes and berries. To view more health information and other topics for older adults, log on to our Web sitewww.arches.uga.edu/noahnet/.

For further information, contact NortheastGeorgia RDC, 305 Research Drive, Athens, GA30610-2795; 706-583-2547 or toll-free 1-800-474-7540.

Lower ChattahoocheeCovers a 16-county area surrounding Columbus, Americus, Butler, Montezuma, Cuthbert

LOWER CHATTAHOOCHEE ENCOMPASSES THESE COUNTIES:Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooly,Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee,Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart,Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Webster

It was a picnic of a day!

Northeast GeorgiaCovers a 12-county area surrounding Athens, Winder, Monroe, Covington, Madison

NORTHEAST GEORGIA ENCOMPASSES THESE COUNTIES:Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene,Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan,Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Walton

‘Five to Nine’ and feeling fine

Pfizer’s mobile response vehicle (pictured above right) was a keypart of the health screening day in Americus. Hotdogs, drinks andlots of sunshine added to the picnic setting.

12 Georgia Generations

Nikki Hawthorne, along with Neville and Helen Farmer of JacksonCounty, enjoy a fruit and vegetable lesson.

What’s the best way to be heard? Beseen! That is what two busloads of

seniors from the Middle Georgia arealearned while attending Senior Day at theCapitol on March 4. Led by GradyClemonts, Aging Advisory Committee

chairperson, approximately 80 MiddleGeorgia seniors spent their day meetingwith influential members of the legislature

who affect the monies allotted for seniorservices.

The most important thing the grouplearned was that every senior citizen needsto contact their state legislators about issuesthat concern them. Mr. Clemonts advised,“Call or write your legislators and tell themhow important funding is for senior pro-grams. If all the seniors in Georgia contactedtheir legislators, it would have a great impacton their voting. Seniors help put our

legislators in office, and we must remindthem of their responsibilities to their con-stituents. Senior programs need money, and

the only way we aregoing to ensure fund-ing is to talk to ourlegislators.”

For informationconcerning seniorservices potentially

affected by state funding, contact yourstate legislators — and be heard!

For further information, contact Middle Georgia RDC, 175-C Emery Highway, Macon,GA 31217; 478-751-6466 or toll-free 1-888-548-1456.

MIDDLE GEORGIA ENCOMPASSESTHESE COUNTIES: Baldwin, Bibb,Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe,Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs,Wilkinson

Middle GeorgiaCovers an 1 1-county area surrounding Macon, Warner Robins, Milledgeville

Advocacy for Middle Georgians

Central Savannah RiverCovers a 14-county area surrounding Augusta, Thomson, Martinez/Evans, Waynesboro, Sandersville

“My clients don’t want todepend on somebody

else,” says Ann Woodward,Older Blind Program coordina-tor at Augusta’s WaltonOptions for Independent Living. “They want to fix a cupof coffee, write letters, getdressed, and take care of basicneeds on their own.” Wood-ward works closely with Wal-ton Options peer supporter,Willie Jones, to help olderadults develop strategies foradjusting to vision loss.

“I modify our solutions to meet sen-iors’ needs,” says Jones. “You can slow

down a voice syn-thesizer or teachbasic computerskills so that theycan take advan-tage of thenewest assistivedevices.”

Woodwardand Jones suggestseveral actions tohelp seniors livemore fully withvision loss: Givethem the oppor-tunity to be asself-sufficient aspossible; makevision exams a

priority; and stay connected with an inde-pendent living center such as Walton

Options to get updates on the latest inassistive devices and advocacy issues.

Community groups can help by con-tributing to Walton Options’ eyeglassvoucher program; calling, visiting, or readingto older adults with vision loss, and advo-cating for vital services such as assistedtransportation to help seniors with lowvision achieve maximum independence andquality of life. For more ideas, call AnnWoodward at 706-724-6262.

For further information, contact CentralSavannah River AAA, 3023 River Watch Pkwy., Suite A, Augusta, GA 30907-2800;706-210-2018 or toll-free 1-888-922-4464.Willie Jones shows his colleague, Ann

Woodward, how to use a personalorganizer designed for blind and partiallysighted individuals. Jones’ guide dog,Chase, rests nearby.

CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER ENCOMPASSES THESE COUNTIES:Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock,Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie,Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro,Warren, Washington, Wilkes

Help for visuallyimpaired seniors

Summer 2003 13

Every senior citizen needs tocontact their state legislatorsabout issues that concern them.

Heart of Georgia Altamaha AAA andAltamaha Technical College partnered

to sponsor the “Senior Citizens Expo” onMarch 25 in Baxley, Georgia. More than 120seniors from Appling, Jeff Davis and Waynecounties attended various workshops, tookadvantage of free health screenings andenjoyed lunch. Workshop topics covered living wills/durable power of attorney, low

cost medicationsthrough GeorgiaCares,exercise for seniors,elder abuse, caregiving,introduction to comput-ers, Alzheimer’s andhospice.

Evelyn Gay, ofGeorgia Legal

Services, prepared living wills, durablepowers of attorney for health care andfinancial powers of attorney on site with-out charge. Mrs. Gay said she was glad tobe able to reach seniors whom she wouldnot see at the local senior centers. TheAAA and ATC plan to make this expo anannual event so more seniors can learnabout available resources, programs andinformation designed to help them.

For further information, contact Heart ofGeorgia Altamaha RDC; 331 West ParkerStreet, Baxley, GA 31513; 912-367-3648 ortoll-free 1-888-367-9913.

HEART OF GEORGIA ALTAMAHAENCOMPASSES THESE COUNTIES:Appling, Bleckley, Candler, Dodge,Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson,Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair,Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler,Wilcox

An instructor ofIntroduction to Computersfor Seniors helps guide asenior student at the recentSenior Citizens Expo.

If your spouse suddenly were to beunable to speak or write, or if he/she

were to die, would you know how to takeover the business affairs of your family?Amazingly, many couples do not communi-cate about these things. Too often onlyone spouse has all the knowledge concern-ing assets, debts, monthly obligations andother financial matters, while the otherspouse is totally in the dark. When some-thing happens to the person managing allthe responsibilities, the other person canbecome panic-stricken. Don’t let that hap-pen to you! Be informed and be prepared.

• Insist that the uninformed spouselearn about the family financial matters orthat the information be shared with

another family mem-ber. Make sure bothspouses know how towrite a check, balancea bank statement andread financial state-ments.

• Know whereimportant papers arekept, and get legaladvice about wills,powers of attorneyand financial arrange-ments to protect thesurviving spouse.

• Communicatefacts about your financial status with eachother or with other family members, andwork together to stay on a good financialfooting. If necessary, seek debt counselingto prevent future problems.

Making sure that aspouse will be able tomanage, when the part-ner usually handlingfinances can’t help, is awonderful gift of love andcaring. Help each otherand be informed.

For further information,contact Southwest GeorgiaCOA, 1105 Palmyra Road,Albany, GA 31701-2508;229-432-1124 or toll-free 1-800-282-6612.

Communicating aboutfinancial matters

Southwest GeorgiaCovers a 14-county area surrounding Albany, Bainbridge, Moultrie, Thomasville

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA ENCOMPASSES THESE COUNTIES:Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur,Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller,Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Worth,Mitchell

Heart of Georgia AltamahaCovers a 17-county area surrounding Baxley, Dublin, Vidalia, Jesup, Swainsboro

From caregiving tocomputers at SeniorCitizens Expo

14 Georgia Generations

As a part of the GeorgiaCares program,retired area professionals educate and

assist other seniors in the community infighting Medicare and Medicaid fraud.These“senior fraud patrols” are comprised ofseniors who have been trained in ways todetect and report fraud and abuse.Theyhelp empower other seniors to reportactivities that might be costing the healthinsurance programs unnecessary dollars.

Most Medicare payment errors are sim-ple mistakes and are not the result ofphysicians, providers or suppliers trying totake advantage of the Medicare system.Only one percent bill fraudulently; how-ever, this translates into billions of dollars.

Fraud and abuse affects everyone

including those with Medicare and Medic-aid, as well as those with private insurance.Ways to join the fight against fraud andabuse include:

■ Review Medicare SummaryNotices to insure services billed were provided.

■ Review itemizedstatements to insure that the patient hasnot been charged for items not provided.

■ Treat your Medicare card in thesame way you treat your credit cards.

■ Never give your Medicare or Medi-caid number over the telephone or topeople you do not know.

■ Beware of health care providers andsuppliers who use telephone calls or door-to-door selling.

If you suspect fraud, call your serviceprovider or the Fraud Squad Hotline

at 1-800-669-8387 or the Office of theInspector General Hotline

at 1-800-447-8477. Ifyou would like apresentation on thistopic for yourgroup, or if you areinterested in serving

on a fraud patrol, con-tact Georgia Legal

Services at 1-912-651-2180.For further information on caregiver

resources, contact Coastal Georgia RDC;P.O. Box 1917, Brunswick, GA 31521;912-264-7363 ext. 226 or toll-free 1-800-590-6860.

Two Southeast Georgia professionals inthe aging network were recently rec-

ognized by the State Ombudsman Programfor their many years of service to older and disabled Georgians. Karla Ward wasacknowledged as the first Certified Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) in Georgia to serve for 20 years. Frances Guicewas recognized for 10 years of service.

Ombudsmen work to increase theresponsiveness of organizations by investi-gating and working to resolve complaintsand advocating for change. Long-TermCare Ombudsmen focus on improving thequality of life of people who live in long-term care facilities.

Ms.Ward serves as LTCO coordinator and

directs Ward Management Services, whichoperates the Southeast Georgia OmbudsmanProgram through a contractual arrangementwith the Southeast Georgia AAA.

Ms.Ward states that residents say theyfeel more empowered as a result ofombudsman services. “Being an ombuds-man has been the most rewarding workthat I could have chosen,” she said. “I’velearned a lot from the residents over the years . . . from their vast, rich

histories and experiences.” Ms. Guice is coordinator at the pro-

gram’s Valdosta office. In 2000, she wasawarded the Ombudsman Service Award.

Wanda Taft,AAA director, recentlycommented, “Karla and Frances consis-tently and compassionately address theneeds and concerns of each and every res-ident with whom they come in contact.”

Ward Management Services can bereached at 912-496-3948 or 229-241-1017.

For information, contact Southeast GeorgiaRDC, 1725 South Georgia Parkway West,Waycross, GA, 31503; 912-285-6097 or toll-free 1-888-732-4464.

Coastal GeorgiaCovers a 9-county area surrounding Brunswick and Savannah

COASTAL GEORGIA ENCOMPASSESTHESE COUNTIES: Bryan, Bulloch,Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn,Liberty, Long, McIntosh

Summer 2003 15

Southeast GeorgiaCovers an 18-county area surrounding Waycross, Valdosta, Tifton, Douglas, Folkston

Honorees Frances Guice and Karla Ward.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA ENCOMPASS-ES THESE COUNTIES: Atkinson, Bacon,Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks,Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols,Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift,Turner, Ware

Program recognizesombudsmen’s service

Senior Medicare Patrolfights fraud and abuse

SponsorsThanks to these Georgia companies and organizations for their generous support

AARPAssuming responsibility for the home care of loved

ones can involve assist-ing with daily activities,managing high-tech

medical treatments and dealing with issues arounddying. AARP’s “Life Answers” program can help youmeet these critical responsibilities. Find out more atwww.aarp.org/lifeanswers

Bridgebuilders, Inc.Personal care in thecomfort and privacy ofyour own home.

Customized services delivered with compassion,integrity and professionalism. 600 S. Central Ave.,Hapeville 30354; 404-765-4300.

Georgia Alliance for Staffing Solutions

An alliance that promotes qualitylong-term care for seniors and persons with disabilities by seeking

innovative solutions to improve staffing and supportcaregivers. www.agingatlanta.com

Rosalynn Carter Institute for Human Development

Its mission is to promote mentalhealth well-being of individuals, families and professional caregivers.

For more information, please visit our website atwww.rosalynncarter.org

Georgia Council on AgingThe Georgia Council on Aging advocates on behalf of olderGeorgians and their families. For more information, please visit

the Web site at www.gcoa.org

Grady GoldGrady SeniorServices was

created with the special care needs of older adults inmind! People over 60 can receive comprehensiveevaluations and care for common problems seen inolder adults. 404-616-0800.

Northwestern MutualFinancial Network An hour invested in long-term care planning today

can make thinkingabout tomorrow

much more comfortable. Contact 770-612-4687 ormaureen.fiacco@nmfn.com

PfizerThe “Health, Medicines &Lifestyles” icon on Pfizer’s Website, will lead you to topics that

include “Profile of Caregiving,” “Exploring Your HealthOn Line” and many more. www.pfizer.com

Sixty Plus, Piedmont HospitalA program to enhance the well-being of olderadults and their familiesby providing services,

education and support. 1968 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta30309; 404-605-3867.

Southern Home Care ServicesNursing and personal care servicestailored to your needs, SouthernHome Care Services serves all ages

with compassion, skill and respect. Licensed andaccredited. www.shcs-eldercare.com

Georgia Generations is published and supported byGeorgia’s Area Agencies on Aging.

Additional circulation support is provided by thegenerous sponsors listed here. For more information onbecoming a sponsor of Georgia Generations please call404-463-3222.

Home.There’s no

place like it.Grady Health System®

Bridgebuilders, Inc.Bridgebuilders, Inc.

Many people ask...

16 Georgia Generations

How can I help? OLDER ADULTS ANDCAREGIVERS across Georgia can now be recognized in a unique way. The Thanks Mom and Dad Fund® hasbeen established to honor someone special in your life or to honor the memory of someone who was an inspirationto you. ■ With each contribution, those honored receive a certificate recognizing the role they played in the donor’slife. Your contributions are tax-deductible and provide support for many of the programs described in this issue. If youwould like more information about the Thanks Mom & Dad Fund,® please call 1-800-676-2433.