Fulton County residents who have Medicare Part B coverage can now receive a free wellness screening at seven senior centers around the county.
The county Department of Senior Services and Grady Health System are partnering to provide Senior Medicare Wellness Days, bringing fundamental health care to people ages 65 and up, near where they live.
Grady describes an Annual Wellness Visit as an occasion to “talk about how you’re doing physically and emotionally, discuss screenings, vaccinations, blood tests, and other diagnostic exams, and plan how best to monitor your health.”
It’s not a full physical, but will update people’s personal and medical information; check blood pressure, height and weight; screen for memory changes; review movement ability and falling risk; provide a written preventive screening plan for the next few years; and offer end-of-life planning.
During the visits, people can also connect with wellness programs and support groups for chronic conditions, and sign up for interactive educational workshops.
The program is already underway and will continue until the end of the year. The agreement with Grady could be renewed annually to keep offering the program through the end of 2027, according to Kweli Rashied-Henry, deputy director of the county Department of Senior Services.
The cost is paid by Medicare Part B so long as the patient has had Part B coverage for more than a year, and hasn’t had an Annual Wellness Visit in that time. If patients need more tests than those provided, however, they may have a copay or deductible expense.
County government initiated the program, which helps address gaps in health equity among underserved populations, Rashied-Henry said.
Grady is absorbing some personnel costs, and Fulton County is offering the locations for free, she said.
The goal is to serve 600 to 700 people a year, Rashied-Henry said.
By using county senior centers, which are already familiar locations in the target communities, the county hopes to make the program accessible to the most people possible, she said.
About one in six Georgians was enrolled in Medicare as of March 2023, according to Rashied-Henry.
“Of these, about 880,000 beneficiaries are enrolled in Original Medicare, which includes Medicare Part B coverage,” she said.
People should register in advance to schedule an appointment. They can do so at www.gradyhealth.org/medicare-annual-wellness-visit; by calling Fulton County Senior Services STARline at 404-613-6000; or by calling Grady Health System at 404-999-3191.
The visits are available at seven locations:
- Dorothy C. Benson Multipurpose Center, 6500 Vernon Woods Drive NE, Sandy Springs.
- New Beginnings Neighborhood Senior Center, 66 Brooks Drive, Fairburn.
- Harriett G. Darnell Multipurpose Center, 677 Fairburn Road NW, Atlanta.
- Helene S. Mills Multipurpose Center, 515 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. NE, Atlanta.
- Dogwood Neighborhood Senior Center, 1953 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW, Atlanta.
- H.J.C. Bowden Multipurpose Center, 2885 Church St., East Point.
- Southeast Neighborhood Senior Center, 1650 New Town Circle SE, Atlanta.
The visits will be offered each Wednesday and Thursday, rotating between locations, Rashied-Henry said. A nurse practitioner and EMT will be present for the visits. Each location can schedule up to eight appointments per day.
Details and schedules will be posted on the county Senior Services website, www.fultoncountyga.gov/inside-fulton-county/fulton-county-departments/senior-services.
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