Seniors

How senior services work in metro Atlanta

The front door for almost everything is your county's Area Agency on Aging — in metro Atlanta, that's Empowerline (run by the Atlanta Regional Commission). One call gets you screened for home-delivered meals, in-home help, transportation, and caregiver support, instead of hunting program by program.

The pieces: Meals on Wheels Atlanta and county nutrition programs deliver to homebound seniors (waitlists exist; get on anyway — they move). Senior centers are the underrated gem: hot lunch, exercise, classes, and company, usually free or a few dollars, through county senior services. Benefits: many seniors qualify for SNAP and Medicare Savings Programs that pay the Part B premium — a benefits check-up is worth real monthly money.

What to expect when you call: a friendly screening about daily needs — eating, bathing, getting around. If you're calling about a parent, have their age, county, and a sense of what's hardest right now.