Georgia's CCSP and SOURCE Medicaid waivers pay for personal care services in a Georgia Personal Care Home or approved assisted living community — but not room and board. Altuvo helps Metro Atlanta families identify which local communities accept the waivers.
Georgia's two Medicaid Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers — the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and SOURCE — can help pay for personal care services in a senior's home, a Georgia Personal Care Home, or (in some cases) an assisted living community. Altuvo helps Metro Atlanta families identify which local communities actually accept these waivers.
CCSP and SOURCE are Georgia Medicaid waiver programs that pay for personal care, adult day health, home-delivered meals, and case management for elderly and disabled adults who would otherwise need nursing home care. They're a lifeline for families whose loved one has depleted savings but doesn't need — or want — a nursing facility. The catch: neither waiver pays for room and board. So even at a community that accepts the waiver, the family still owes the room and board portion.
Neither CCSP nor SOURCE pays for the room-and-board portion of assisted living or a personal care home. The waiver pays for the care services piece — bathing, medication management, help with ADLs. Families typically use the senior's Social Security, pension, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to cover the room-and-board portion, which in Georgia usually runs $1,500–$2,800/mo depending on community.
Most large, private-pay assisted living communities in Metro Atlanta do NOT accept CCSP or SOURCE. The waivers are most commonly accepted by Georgia Personal Care Homes (smaller, licensed 4-24 bed homes) and a subset of mid-market assisted living communities. Altuvo maintains a working list of Atlanta-area communities that accept the waivers.
SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment) is essentially CCSP plus enhanced primary care case management. Applicants must be enrolled with a SOURCE primary care physician who coordinates all of the member's Medicaid services.
Both programs have limited slots and typically maintain a waitlist. Families should apply well before their crisis point. Altuvo can connect families to Georgia Medicaid planners who track waitlist status and expedite where possible.
To qualify for CCSP or SOURCE, an applicant must (1) be 65+ or disabled, (2) be a Georgia resident, (3) meet Medicaid's income limit — generally 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate — and asset limit ($2,000 for an individual, higher for a married couple with a community spouse), and (4) meet the state's nursing-facility-level-of-care determination. Many families think they don't qualify because of home equity or a spouse's income, but Georgia has significant asset-protection rules for married couples. A qualified Medicaid planner or elder law attorney can often qualify a family that assumed they couldn't.
Personal care services (bathing, dressing, toileting, medication reminders), adult day health, home-delivered meals, emergency response systems, respite for family caregivers, case management, and — in a Georgia Personal Care Home or approved assisted living — the caregiver time to provide those services.
Room and board in a personal care home or assisted living. The physical bed, meals, utilities, and rent portion of a facility stay is NOT paid by CCSP or SOURCE. Families cover this from the senior's Social Security or private funds. The waivers also don't cover memory care communities that are not licensed as personal care homes or approved assisted living communities.
Applications go through the applicant's regional Georgia Area Agency on Aging (AAA) — for Metro Atlanta this is the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Area Agency on Aging or the Legacy Link AAA for the North Georgia counties. The AAA completes the intake, requests medical documentation, and coordinates the Level of Care determination with the Georgia Department of Community Health. Approval typically takes 60 to 120 days once documentation is complete. Altuvo connects families to Georgia elder law attorneys and Medicaid planners who handle the full application on the family's behalf.
Partially. CCSP and SOURCE pay for the care services portion of assisted living or a Georgia Personal Care Home — but not the room and board. Families typically cover room and board (usually $1,500–$2,800/mo in Atlanta) from the senior's Social Security or pension while the waiver covers the personal care services.
Most Atlanta personal care homes that accept CCSP or SOURCE are smaller, family-owned licensed homes in Marietta, Decatur, Smyrna, Stone Mountain, and East Point. Most large corporate assisted living communities do NOT accept the waivers. Altuvo maintains a current list — contact us for free vetted recommendations.
CCSP is the Community Care Services Program, Georgia's original HCBS waiver for elderly and disabled adults. SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment) offers the same services as CCSP PLUS enhanced primary care case management — members must be enrolled with a SOURCE primary care physician who coordinates all Medicaid services. Both programs serve similar populations.
Typical approval timelines are 60 to 120 days after documentation is complete, plus any waitlist wait. Families in a crisis situation should plan for a private-pay bridge community or short-term rehab while the application is processed.
Very possibly. Georgia has significant asset-protection rules for married couples — a community spouse (the healthy spouse) can typically keep the family home, one vehicle, and a portion of joint assets. Even homeowners with substantial equity often qualify with proper Medicaid planning. A qualified Georgia elder law attorney can usually give you a clear answer within one consultation.