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Regional Snapshot: Healthy Aging in the Atlanta Region

This year, the theme of Older Americans Month is "Champion Your Health" and to celebrate, 33n is highlighting some trends that impact healthy aging in the region

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Click to edit Master subtitle style Regional Snapshot: Healthy Aging in the Atlanta Region May 2026 1
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May is Older Americans Month Older Americans Month is a time to: • Recognize older Americans' contributions • Highlight aging trends • Reaffirm commitments to serving older adults in our communities • Publish a 33n Regional Snapshot in celebration! 3
History of Older Americans Month When Older Americans Month was established in 1963… • Life expectancy was only 69.9 years in the United States • About a third of older Americans lived in poverty • Few programs existed to meet the needs of older adults After a meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens, President John F. Kennedy first designated May as Senior Citizens Month, which later became known as Older Americans Month. Sources: History of Older Americans Month, https://acl.gov/oam/history United States Life Tables, 2018, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr69/nvsr69-12-508.pdf 4
Now, 63 years later… • Life expectancy in the United States is 79 years • Only 11.2% of seniors currently live in poverty • Older Americans Act programs serve 14 million people annually Sources: Mortality in the United States, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db548.pdf American Community Survey, 1-year Estimates, 2024, S1701 Celebrating 60 Years of the Older Americans Act, 2025, https://acl.gov/news-and-events/announcements/celebrating-60-years-older-americans-act-advancing-health-and 5
Healthy Aging This year the theme of Older Americans Month is “Champion Your Health” Older adults can take an active role in their health by… • Getting preventive care and screenings • Building social connections • Eating nutritious foods • Incorporating regular physical activity 6
Aging Trends: Physical Activity The incidence of disability increases with age. As the percentage of older adults in the metro Atlanta population has increased, so have the number of seniors with ambulatory disabilities. Having ambulatory difficulty can inhibit some forms of physical exercise. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates, 2012 through 2024, Table B18105 *Data are from overlapping 5-year ACS estimates and reflect a moving average rather than annual change. Year-to-year differences should be interpreted with caution. Americans with Disabilities: 2014, P70-152, https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/p70-152.pdf 85,411 89,433 92,826 95,209 98,877 104,082 105,668 107,069 108,072 109,746 114,358 117,821 123,147 9.2% 13.7% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Older Adults with Ambulatory Disabilities in the 11-County Atlanta Region* 65 years and over with an ambulatory difficulty Percent 65 years and over 7
ARC’s Commitment: Physical Activity Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) offers classes to increase physical activity for seniors of all abilities through HealthMatters Workshops. For more information, visit: https://empowerline.org/arc-healthmatters- workshops/ ARC also funds county-based senior centers which provide additional opportunities for exercise. More information about senior centers can be found here: https://empowerline.org/senior-centers-near- me/senior-center-benefits/ 8
Aging Trends: Nutritious Foods Eating nutritious foods can be challenging as an older adult living on a fixed income. Receiving food stamps can make it easier to buy healthier foods. The number of senior households in the Atlanta metro receiving food stamps has increased steadily since 2015, but the USDA estimates that nationally only about 47% of older adults who are eligible for the program are enrolled. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates, 2015 through 2024, Table S2201 *Data are from overlapping 5-year ACS estimates and reflect a moving average rather than annual change. Year-to-year differences should be interpreted with caution. Trends in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Rates, https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-trends-fy2016-2020.pdf 50,200 51,664 52,053 53,300 53,520 56,019 58,807 62,503 65,913 68,807 40,000 45,000 50,000 55,000 60,000 65,000 70,000 75,000 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Households in the 11-County Atlanta Region Receiving Food Stamps with at least one Person 60 Years and Over* 9
ARC’s Commitment: Nutritious Foods Food stamp recipients can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from farmers markets at a reduced cost, thanks to USDA’s Nutrition Incentive Program. Additionally, by contacting Empowerline not only can seniors be provided with information and referrals on how to sign up for food stamps, but they can also be connected to other sources of nutritious foods like home-delivered meals and congregate meals, which ARC provides funding for. 10
Aging Trends: Social Connections As the older adult population has grown over the years, the number of people age 65 years and over living alone has also increased. Social connections can be harder to form and maintain when isolated. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates, 2015 through 2024, Table B09021 *Data are from overlapping 5-year ACS estimates and reflect a moving average rather than annual change. Year-to-year differences should be interpreted with caution. 108,437 114,006 119,903 125,860 132,061 140,231 144,492 151,380 155,317 162,444 0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 160,000 180,000 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Number of People Age 65 and over that Live Alone in the 11-County Atlanta Region* 11
ARC’s Commitment: Social Connections ARC is committed to supporting senior’s social connections through the One2One Telephone Reassurance program. Specifically designed for older adults who live alone, this program provides companionship from the comfort of one’s home. For more information, visit: https://empowerline.org/volunteer/one2one 12
Aging Trends: Preventive Care A few years after the first Older Americans Month, the Medicare program was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. Prior to Medicare, 48% of people age 65 years and older did not have health insurance, making preventive care affordability challenging. Today 75% of metro Atlanta seniors have access to preventive care through Medicare, and 98.5% of people 65 and over in the region have health insurance over all. Sources: Medicare at 50 — Origins and Evolution, 2015: https://heller.brandeis.edu//council/pdfs/2015/Sessions/Panel%20V/NEJMhpr1411701.pdf Health insurance coverage of the aged and their hospital utilization in 1962: findings of the 1963 Survey of the Aged, 1964: https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v27n7/v27n7p9.pdf U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates, 2013 through 2024, Table B27010 *Data are from overlapping 5-year ACS estimates and reflect a moving average rather than annual change. Year-to-year differences should be interpreted with caution. 71.8% 72.7% 73.6% 73.8% 74.5% 74.6% 74.3% 74.8% 74.9% 74.9% 74.9% 75.0% 70% 71% 72% 73% 74% 75% 76% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Percent of People 65 and over with Medicare Coverage in the 11-County Atlanta Region* 13
ARC’s Commitment: Preventive Care While the introduction of Medicare made accessing preventive care more affordable for older adults, understanding the many “parts” of Medicare can still be confusing. ARC is alleviating some of that confusion by providing educational information about Medicare through the Empowerline.org website. Additionally, the Georgia State Health Insurance Assistance Program provides Medicare navigation services by phone at 1-866-552-4464. 14
From the public policy advocacy of senior citizens in the 1960s, to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s commitment to providing programs for older adults, trends clearly indicate a growing aging population worth celebrating! For more information on the data and statistics presented here, please contact: Maria Sotnikova msotnikova@atlantaregional.org 15