I. What You Should Know About Home Care in Roswell, GA
Home to 92,833 people, the city of Roswell lies 30 minutes north of Atlanta, Georgia. Low crime rates, convenient property tax exemptions and health care costs that are roughly 8% below the U.S. average combine to make Roswell an appealing destination for those in their retirement years. U.S. Census data shows that as of 2020, 14.3% of the city’s population is age 65 or above.
When in Roswell, you’re close to the best medical facilities in Georgia. All of the top five hospitals in the state are located in Atlanta, including Northside Hospital Atlanta, Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and three different Emory Healthcare campuses. The flagship of the Emory system, Emory University Hospital, is ranked among the nation’s top 50 hospitals in cancer, geriatrics, diabetes, neurology and urology care by U.S. News and World Report.
Roswell’s climate is also a significant part of its charm. The city doesn’t get quite as sweltering as other parts of Georgia, even in the dog days of summer. Average temperatures hover in the low 70s to high 80s from April to October, and Roswell gets more sun than the average U.S. city at 221 days per year against a national average of 205.
II. What You Should Expect to Pay for Home Care in Roswell, GA
The 2021 Genworth Financial Cost of Care Survey reports that Roswell’s average price per month for home care is $4,290, and its average price per month for home health care is $4,576. In many markets, home health care is slightly more expensive than home care.
The above monthly prices are based on an assumption of 44 billed hours per week. You’re likely to see lower prices if you only need part-time help and likely to see higher ones if you need overnight and weekend help. Genworth’s reported monthly costs translate to an hourly rate of $22.50 for home care and $24 for home health care.
The Cost of Home Care & Home Health Care in Nearby Cities
Elsewhere in Georgia, home health care costs $4,385 a month, approximately $200 less than in Roswell. The statewide average of $4,290 for home care is the same as Roswell’s. Nationally, home care averages $4,957 a month and home health care $5,148 a month. Hinesville has some of Georgia’s lowest prices for in-home care at $3,813 for either type of care, and Valdosta is also cheaper than Roswell at $4,195 for either type. In Augusta, seniors pay $4,528 for both home care and home health care.
Nursing home care is the only long-term care option in Roswell that’s more expensive than in-home care. You can expect to pay $7,528 a month for a semiprivate room. Adult day care, which runs $1,327 a month, is on the low side of the price spectrum. Assisted living care is a good option for social, active adults. At $3,845 a month, it’s roughly $500 to $700 cheaper than in-home care, though in-home care is generally more personalized to the recipient.
Note: Data for Roswell was unavailable, so data for the nearest city, Atlanta, was used instead.
III. How to Find Home Care in Roswell, GA
Finding a home care provider for yourself or a loved one can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Below, we explain the process of how to find a home care provider in 5 simple steps. Use the infographic below to help guide your search for in-home care in Roswell, GA.
IV. Home Care Resources for Seniors in Roswell, GA
Habitat for Humanity North Central Georgia Home Repair Program
What You Should Know
This nonprofit organization runs home repair programs that help veterans and seniors weatherize their homes to save money on energy costs. For example, Habitat for Humanity volunteers can help you upgrade a hot water heater or add sealing to drafty windows. They can also add safety features by upgrading lighting systems in hallways and installing grab bars in showers.
Who Is Eligible?
Homeowners at least 60 years of age who live in North Fulton County can apply for this program.
Some income limitations apply as well. For example, as of 2021, you must have a household income of less than $42,270 before taxes if you’re applying for Habitat for Humanity help as the only resident of a home. The income cap goes incrementally higher if your household is larger, topping out at $79,665 if eight people live in the same residence.
How to Get Started
Call the Habitat for Humanity North Central Georgia offices at (770) 886-4939.
Project Independence
What You Should Know
This state program helps seniors who live with some level of vision loss. In addition to providing skills and mobility training that helps such seniors realize a higher quality of life, the program also offers low-cost eye exams and mental support groups. In Roswell, the program is a collaboration between the Atlanta-based Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency and the Athens-based Visually Impaired Specialized Training and Advocacy Services Center.
Who Is Eligible?
If you’re 55 years of age or older, you qualify to receive eye exams, mobility devices such as walkers and assistive devices such as talking clocks for little or no cost from the VISTAS Center.
How to Get Started
Visit the GVRA website, or call (844) 367-4872. You can also call the VISTAS Center at (706) 995-2216 or visit its offices, located at 337 South Milledge Avenue, Suite 114, Athens, Georgia 30605-5662.
Meals on Wheels
What You Should Know
This volunteer organization delivers meals directly to the doors of Roswell seniors. Meals are delivered on weekdays with extra food on Fridays to cover the weekend. You can customize your meal order to match certain dietary restrictions. For example, seniors who have trouble chewing can sign up for softer food, while those with kidney disease can receive milk substitutes, and vegetarian seniors can get meals free of animal meat.
Meals on Wheels also runs a pantry program through which financially needy seniors can receive nonperishable groceries on a biweekly basis.
Who Is Eligible?
There are two primary criteria for eligibility: either a medical or physical issue that keeps you from properly preparing your food or a financial inability to get the daily nutrition you need. Meals on Wheels delivers to Fulton County residents at least 60 years of age who live in Roswell or one of five nearby cities.
How to Get Started
Call the organization’s main office at (770) 993-1906.
Georgia Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
What You Should Know
You can apply to this federal program for help paying your home energy bills. In addition to directly paying your energy provider in some cases, the LIHEAP can help you pay for the cost of responding to particularly dangerous energy emergencies, such as replacing a broken HVAC system during a heat wave. Finally, the LIHEAP also provides home weatherization funding that can help you spend less money on heating and cooling costs in the first place.
Who Is Eligible?
There are no age restrictions for applying to the LIHEAP, but you’ll need to have a household income below certain limits, and you must be the sole person responsible for covering your home’s energy bills. The program’s funding is limited, so not all applications are accepted.
How to Get Started
Call the Georgia Department of Human Services’ Division of Family and Children Services at (404) 657-3433. You can also apply in person at the Atlanta offices, located at 2 Peachtree St. NW, 19th Floor.
Property Tax Homestead Exemption
What You Should Know
The state of Georgia makes a basic homestead exemption of $2,000 available to all homeowners and doubles the amount of the exemption for senior citizens. This means that your home’s taxable value can be reduced by $4,000, which translates into a lower property tax bill.
In addition to the double homestead exemption, Georgia law provides a floating inflation-proof exemption that locks your property’s value to the current year, disregarding future increases in home value for tax purposes.
Who Is Eligible?
As long as you’re 65 years of age or older and own your primary residence, you’re eligible for the extra $2,000 homestead exemption on that residence. The floating inflation-proof exemption is available for adults 62 years of age and up who make less than $30,000 a year.
The state also provides some extended homestead exemptions for certain groups. If you are a disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a veteran, you are eligible for up to $86,645 in exemption credit, depending on the overall value of your house. In some cases, surviving spouses qualify for a full exemption regarding property taxes assessed on their primary residence.
How to Get Started
Call the offices of the Fulton County Tax Commissioner at (404) 613-6100.