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Georgia Senior Care Costs in 2026: EDWP, CCSP, and SOURCE Guide

Published 2026-02-27

A source-backed Georgia guide to the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program, AAA screening, CCSP and SOURCE, the waitlist and assessment process, alternative living services, and facility oversight.

Georgia’s community long-term-care pathway is organized under the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program, with CCSP and SOURCE service-delivery structures, Area Agency on Aging screening, and a needs-based waitlist. A provider’s private quote does not show where an applicant is in that system. This guide focuses on the state’s actual intake, assessment, service, and licensing process.

EDWP, CCSP, and SOURCE: the names matter

Georgia’s public application page now uses Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) and notes that the program was formerly called the Community Care Services Program. The Georgia Medicaid long-term services and supports page explains that CCSP and SOURCE operate within EDWP and serve people who meet nursing-facility level-of-care and Medicaid requirements through community services.

The umbrella program can coordinate services such as:

  • adult day care;
  • personal care;
  • home-delivered meals;
  • respite;
  • case management; and
  • alternative living services in an approved residential setting.

Those are program categories, not a promise that every approved member receives every service. The assessment and care plan identify the authorized package.

Who can qualify

Georgia’s official EDWP application guide lists the core conditions. An applicant must be Medicaid eligible, generally be age 65 or older or meet the applicable disability requirements if younger, meet a nursing-home level of care, choose community services instead of nursing-home placement, and participate in only one waiver program at a time.

The state directs applicants to gather:

  • income verification;
  • asset information, including accounts or property;
  • citizenship verification;
  • physician approval supporting intermediate nursing-home care; and
  • physician approval for development of the care plan.

Do not convert those categories into a self-determined eligibility decision. Georgia uses screening, documentation, an in-home assessment, and Medicaid review.

Apply through the Area Agency on Aging

Georgia’s Division of Aging Services administers EDWP intake through the regional Area Agency on Aging (AAA) network. The state instructs applicants to call 866-552-4464 to reach the appropriate AAA.

The sequence described by Georgia is:

  1. An AAA staff member screens the person by asking about the current situation and needs.
  2. The screening determines eligibility for the next stage and urgency of need.
  3. Urgency affects the person’s position on the waitlist.
  4. When the person reaches the top of the list, the program contacts the person for an in-home assessment.
  5. A nurse or care coordinator works with the person and caregiver to develop the care plan.

Georgia explicitly warns that there is often a waitlist and that availability varies with capacity and need. Screening is therefore not service authorization, and waitlist placement is not a move-in date.

When talking with the AAA, record the date of screening, the program name used in the referral, any requested documents, and how the agency will communicate a release or reassessment.

CCSP and SOURCE are not interchangeable labels

Georgia’s current EDWP policy resource identifies CCSP and SOURCE within the waiver and distinguishes traditional and enhanced case-management operations. The policy covers screening, assessment, service coordination, provider responsibilities, incident reporting, and transitions.

For a family, the practical question is not which acronym sounds familiar. Ask the AAA or case manager:

  • whether the referral is being processed through CCSP or SOURCE;
  • which case-management entity will own the care plan;
  • whether the selected residential provider is enrolled for the authorized alternative living service; and
  • which services will be delivered by the residence versus another enrolled provider.

A facility that says it “accepts Medicaid” may participate in a different program or service category. Request the exact EDWP provider arrangement in writing.

Alternative living services and the resident agreement

Alternative living services allow an authorized EDWP member to receive supports in a community residential setting. They do not turn every charge in a personal care home or assisted living community into a Medicaid service.

Before admission, reconcile three documents:

  1. the EDWP care plan;
  2. the provider’s service authorization or confirmation from the case manager; and
  3. the facility’s resident agreement and itemized charges.

The facility estimate should separately identify housing and meals, authorized personal-support services, medication assistance, transportation, supplies, deposits, and any privately billed care. Ask how the invoice changes when the care plan is reassessed or when a service authorization has not yet started.

If the provider cannot explain which alternative living service it is enrolled to deliver under EDWP, pause the placement and ask the case manager to verify participation.

Georgia facility categories and oversight

Georgia’s Healthcare Facility Regulation Division oversees personal care homes and assisted living communities. The state’s Personal Care Homes program page explains that the program licenses and surveys Personal Care Homes, Assisted Living Communities, Community Living Arrangements, and related settings.

Use the exact licensed category. In Georgia, “personal care home” and “assisted living community” are regulated designations, not merely marketing synonyms. Ask the facility to show the permit for the address being considered and verify that its services fit the resident’s needs and the EDWP authorization.

The HFRD page links state laws and regulations, permit or waiver applications, and complaint tools. Georgia also publishes healthcare-facility rule notices, including separate rules for Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Communities. For a concern about licensure, safety, or regulatory compliance, use the HFRD complaint process; for a dispute about waiver authorization or case management, use the Medicaid or EDWP appeal channel identified in the notice.

Georgia-specific next steps

  1. Call the Area Agency on Aging at 866-552-4464 for EDWP screening.
  2. Gather the financial, citizenship, and physician documentation listed by Georgia.
  3. Ask whether the referral is CCSP or SOURCE and how urgency is ranked.
  4. Track waitlist status without assuming services are reserved.
  5. Complete the in-home assessment and review the care plan line by line.
  6. Have the case manager verify the residential provider’s EDWP enrollment.
  7. Verify the exact HFRD license category and address.
  8. Compare the care plan with the resident agreement before paying a deposit.

Questions for the AAA, case manager, and residence

For the AAA

  • Was the screening accepted, and what is the current waitlist status?
  • What documentation is missing?
  • How will a change in condition affect urgency?
  • Which case-management pathway will handle the referral?

For the case manager

  • Which alternative living and other services are authorized?
  • Is the proposed provider enrolled for those services?
  • Which charges remain outside EDWP?
  • What notice and appeal rights apply if a service is denied or reduced?

For the residence

  • Is this address licensed as a Personal Care Home or Assisted Living Community?
  • Which EDWP service does the facility provide under contract?
  • What private charges remain after authorization?
  • How are care-plan changes reflected in the resident agreement?

Official sources

Treat screening, waitlist release, care-plan authorization, and facility licensure as separate checkpoints. Compare Georgia care options on SLINQ →