Senior Link (Atlanta Fire Rescue Department)

The Program

The City of Atlanta has a significant population of senior residents, many of whom do not have the resources to sustain a quality of life consistent with basic human needs such as food, clothing, utilities, and medication essential to their health. The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) and the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services (MOCS) have developed Senior Link to identify those seniors living in neglectful conditions and link them with the appropriate social service agencies. The firefighter’s role is to provide safety and service information to those in need of special services. Often, AFRD discovers senior residents in need of specific resources while on emergency and nonemergency responses. Through Senior Link, those needs will be identified, documented, and forwarded to the MOCS. Subsequently, the resident will be linked with a social service agency to have utilities connected; medicine or groceries purchased; or whatever the need may be. AFRD and MOCS will follow up and follow through until assistance is provided.

Identifying the Need

Once AFRD personnel conclude that the resident is in need of social services, they will complete the appropriate form identifying what specific services are needed (i. e., housing, food, in-home care, healthcare, personal care, clothing, utilities, cleaning, ramp construction, home repair, counseling, yard cleanup, etc.) AFRD personnel will forward the information to the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services and the AFRD Chaplaincy, and they will work to resolve the complaint or address the issue by linking the senior citizen with social service agencies that are able to meet their long-term needs.

What We Can Do

Senior Link can provide older people or adults with disabilities with chronic care that enables them to stay healthy and independent as long as possible. We provide seniors and adults with disabilities the appropriate social services in the following areas of concerns or needs:

Groceries

Clothing

Health Care

In-home Healthcare

Home Repairs

Counseling

Utilities

Medication

The Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services will link the resident with a social services agency that will help with whatever their needs may be and will follow up and follow through until assistance is provided.