Need to Know
Current system for aging is inadequate for today’s seniors
Speaking to the audience at the 2026 Georgia Gerontology Society’s (GGS) annual conference at Lake Lanier in July, keynote speaker Milton J. Little, Jr., said, “Today’s current system for aging was built during a different time for another time’s circumstances.”
Little, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Atlanta, warns that if we don’t design new systems with intention, we’re facing very unhappy, unintentional outcomes.
“Aging is not an elder care issue – it’s a defining characteristic of our society,” he points out. “It’s a family issue. It’s a workforce issue and it’s an economic prosperity issue.”
The U. S. is aging at an unprecedented rate. If demography is destiny, these numbers paint a profoundly different future for Boomers, their children and grandchildren. In 2030, according to the U.S. Census, 1 in 5 Americans will be over 60, and adults 65 and older will outnumber children for the first time in history. Those over 80 will be the fastest growing segment of the population.
At the same time, family caregivers now number roughly 63 million, up from 43.5 million a decade earlier, according to a survey conducted in 2025 by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. That represents about 1 in 4 adults. In February, a document released by the Administration for Community Living framed the strain as a “national infrastructure issue.”
“The future is older than we think,” said Little. “If families are left alone, it will become a hidden drag on the economy.”
A new trend: Multisector Plan for Aging
Aging services alone can’t handle the challenges that will face the state’s aging population and their caregivers, Kristi Fuller, Senior Research Associate with the Georgia Health Policy Center at Georgia State University told GGS attendees. In 2046, 1 in 4 Georgians will be 65+ and there will be 25 million caregivers.
“There are 21 state level plans for Georgia that include aging issues,” Fuller explained. “Aging is recognized in these plans, but it’s not fully integrated with actionable goals – multiple gaps have been identified.”
The state’s division of aging is tasked with improving coordination across agencies. One way to do that is creation of what’s called a Multisector Plan for Aging (MPA).
While Georgia is currently working to develop the 2028-2031 State Plan on Aging, which guides the coordination, delivery and oversight of aging services funded through the federal Older Americans Act, the aging division is also exploring a growing national trend for states to create MPAs. Fourteen states have such a plan while 25 states have authorization for an MPA, according to the West Policy Center.
MPAs unite diverse sectors, streamlining efforts to support current and future older adults. They are data-driven and tailored to each state’s unique needs and priorities. (Learn more about MPAs and new age-related products and services in the Winter 2027 issue of Boom Athens)
“We need a Georgia designed for the whole arc of life,” Little concluded. “Getting old is a gift. It’s not a problem – it’s a privilege.” Betsy Bean
Two regulatory rollbacks
In 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) adopted a new regulation that would mandate at least 3.48 hours of care from nurses and aides per resident, per day, at nursing homes, and would require a registered nurse on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In July, CMS repealed those standards.
A second rescinded regulation affects home care workers. Since 2013, those workers had been under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which entitled them to the minimum wage, time and a half for overtime work, and payment for travel time between clients. In July, the Labor Department announced it would return to 1975 regulations that exempted home care workers from those standards. Funding for long-term care at home will also be impacted by the Trump administration’s push to cut $914 billion in funding for Medicaid over the coming decade.
Early Voting Locations in Athens-Clarke
- Week 1: Oct. 13 – 17 (8 a.m. – 6 p.m.); Oct. 18 (12 noon – 3 p.m.) ACC Elections Office, 133 E. Washington St.
- Week 2: Oct. 19 – 23 (8 a.m. – 6 p.m.); Elections Office, ACC Library, Miriam Moore Community Center, ACC Tennis Center
- Week 3: Oct 24 – 30 (8 a.m. – 6 p.m.); Elections Office, ACC Library, Miriam Moore Community Center, ACC Tennis Center; ACC Cooperative Extension
Early Voting in Oconee County
Oconee County Administrative Building, 7635 Macon Hwy.
- 10/13 -10/30, including Saturdays 10/17 & 10/24
- Extended hours: 10/26-10/30 from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Candidates Forum on environmental issues
Candidates for Georgia Senate Districts 46 and 47 and Georgia House District 121 will share their views on data center, renewable energy and environmental justice at a forum sponsored by C-Change Conversations – Athens at the ACC Library Auditorium on Oct. 6, from 6 to 7 p.m., doors open at 5:30.
Good to Know
Aging in Place Conversation Series
A new book on aging in place will be published in October and will feature a chapter written by a local care manager, Abbie Vogt, owner of Abridge Life Care Management. Published by the National Aging in Place Council, Vogt’s chapter will discuss planning for a spouse living with chronic illness or a dementia, an adult child with disabilities or special needs, pets, or grandchildren being raised by grandparents. For more information, go to ageinplace.org/resources.
Hospital expansion and potential new one
St. Mary’s Health Care System recently broke ground for the start of construction of its new $35 million Center for Heart, Vascular and Neurosciences at the hospital’s campus on Baxter Street.
When finished in October 2027, the 15,000-square-foot addition will expand the hospital’s facilities and technology for the care of patients with stroke, heart disease and rhythm disorders, blood vessel diseases, cancer, women’s health issues and more. When finished, St. Mary’s will be the only comprehensive stroke center in Northeast Georgia. The 4D CT and interventional radiology system will be the first of its kind in Georgia. For more information or to donate to the capital campaign, visit stmaryshealthcaresystem.org/foundation/st-marys-chvn.
And according to a blog by Dr. Joe Colasurdo of 26 Foot and Ankle, public records are showing that Wellstar, the Marietta-based hospital system has purchased land and had it rezoned in the Research Quarter area off the Oconee Parkway.
FUN TO DO
Aging Reimagined!
The Athens Community Council on Aging is holding a community-wide Open House to introduce The Center at ACCA. The public is invited to tour the refreshed space, drop in to mini classes, explore travel opportunities, meet the Center’s team and partners, and enjoy food trucks on Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 706-549-4850.
Can art help you live longer?
The city of Winterville in collaboration with the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta is hosting an Arts + Health Laboratory on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Winterville Cultural Center. Healthcare professionals, caregivers, researchers, educators, artists, policy makers and community leaders are invited to examine how creative engagement can enhance cognitive health, foster social connection, and improve quality of life as we age.
The program will feature a short film on the lived experiences of aging followed by a panel of experts discussing the impact of the arts on the aging brain. The morning will conclude with a reception and networking.
50 years of Women’s and Gender Studies
Kicking off a year of events for its 50th anniversary, the UGA Institute of Women’s and Gender Studies has scheduled a conversation with two members of the campus feminist organization of the early 1970s. Institute director, Patricia Richards, PhD, will be joined by Linda Chafin and Anne D. Mather, who were activist students at the time and members of W.O.M.E.N. (Women’s Oppression Must End Now). The community is invited to the event on Friday, Oct. 9, at noon in the Zell B. Miller Learning Center, Room 213.
Solar Barn Raising
Habitat for Humanity has organized an event to install solar panels on the new Lydia’s Place Bungalows at Micah’s Creek. It’s a modern-day barn raising to build something that benefits the entire community by providing clean, affordable energy for years to come. Help by gathering from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Marigold Fiber Fest
Celebrating the use of natural fibers in art and everyday life, the Winterville Cultural Center is holding its first annual Marigold Fiber Fest on Saturday, Nov. 14. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will be filled with workshops, vendors, demonstrations, short films, and food.
The Center is also accepting fiber art entries for an exhibit that will feature all forms of fiber art. Weavers, tatters, crocheters, knitters, rug hookers, spinners, felters, menders, embroiderers, quilters, dyers, multi-fiber artists are encouraged to enter pieces. Go here to submit: https://marigold-fiber-fest.square.site/.
OCAF Holiday Market
OCAF’s annual juried Holiday Market features the booths of the region’s finest artists and craftsmen. Support artists, shop local, and get amazing one-of-a-kind gifts! The original, handmade works will include pottery, paintings, fiber art, stained and fused glass, jewelry, sculpture, photography, woodwork, and more. General admission is $5 and that grants access every day of the three-day sale (Nov. 20 – 22). Tickets sold at the door.
The deadline for artists and makers to apply to be vendors is Oct. 15. For more information, visit ocaf.com.
Become a STARS volunteer
The Classic Center and Akins Ford Arena invite community members to become part of the STARS volunteer program, which is celebrating its 30th year. For every show, the volunteers provide frontline customer service at concerts, theatre performances, conferences, sporting events and special events. STARS volunteers greet guests, scan tickets, guide patrons to their seats, assist in premium areas, answer questions and support ADA guests.
In return, volunteers have opportunities to watch popular shows and sporting events and make new friends. Volunteers must serve at eight events minimum per season to remain active. For more information on how to become involved in the STARS Volunteer program during the 2026-2027 entertainment season, visit ClassicCenter.com/Volunteer.
