Located approximately 15 minutes east of Atlanta, Decatur is home to approximately 2,859 seniors, many of whom make up to 140,000 seniors in Georgia who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. To accommodate these seniors, there are 38 memory care facilities located within the city limits and in places close by like Tucker, Atlanta and Stone Mountain. In Decatur and the state of Georgia, these facilities are called Memory Care Units (MCUs). These units operate within an assisted living facility or personal care home to provide daily living assistance and therapeutic activities for those with cognitive illnesses.
To help seniors make ends meet, the state of Georgia offers a tax exclusion on retirement income, such as Social Security benefits. Individuals aged 62 to 64 get an exclusion of $35,000 per person, while those 65 and older take an exclusion of $65,000 per person.