Contact Us

Site Map

Related Links

2003 Healthy Hall Focus
Group Report - Seniors

Sunshine Senior Group
20 Participants

Overview of the Group

This group is made up of women who have, for the most part, lived their whole lives in Hall County. The newcomer in the group said she lived in the county only 45 years. All of the women in the group were African American. The average age appeared to be approximately 65 to 75 years of age.

With this longevity comes a deep love of the area and an important perspective on the qualities and characteristics of the community. These women have lived the history of the county for the past 50 to 75 years. They’ve seen the population growth and the demographic shifts. They’ve experienced the civil rights movement and have witnessed the increasing urbanization of the area.

They love living in Hall County. In that conclusion they are unanimous, but they see trends they do not like and problems that worry them.

Priority Issues Affecting Life In Hall County

When asked what they would do to create a healthy Hall County, this group was quick to focus on the socialization and recreation needs of young and old.

For example, the participants in the group observed that too many young people just hang out on the streets and do not have enough parks, recreational facilities to interest them and occupy their time. They also said that young adults need night clubs and social spots, and that these are lacking in Hall County.

Continuing to focus on youth, the group observed that too many young people choose to leave the Hall County area after finishing school. They would like to see more jobs, better jobs and more opportunity to encourage young adults to stay in the area. One woman observed that young people with genuine skills and abilities are more likely to leave the area, robbing Hall County of its best and brightest.

The group observed that many seniors also need access to safe parks and recreational facilities, especially for older adults who don’t drive. Some in the group observed that there are few public places for seniors to walk and socialize. One woman said the county had plans to produce walking trails, but the work had not been done.

Those in the group acknowledge the importance of senior centers, but noted there is only one in south Hall County.

Health Care Issues

Perhaps the major observation from the discussion of health care issues is that out of 20 older women, many of them likely lower income, none reported difficulty accessing essential health care services. All reported having doctors they see regularly. None reported any difficulty getting the care of a physician when needed.

There were some critical comments about doctors offices, about the amount of time doctors spend with patients, and the cost of care, but seniors in the group are generally pleased with their health care services. There were no complaints about the hospitals or access to specialty care.

Seniors in the group were very complementary of a program called Legacy Link, saying it provides useful information, referrals to needed services, and care at home when needed. Four women in the group reported being helped directly by Legacy Link. One woman reported Legacy Link had arranged for the fire department to install a smoke detector in her home.

Despite the value of the Legacy Link service, over half of the seniors in the room were apparently unaware of it. When asked if they were aware of Legacy Link prior to the discussion in the meeting, only five raised their hands-the four who had received service and one other.

One participant also spoke favorably about the United Way and a grant to the Sunshine Group for home care aids like grab bars, elevated toilet seats and ramps. This is not to imply that only one person in the group was aware of the grant, but only one person brought it up.

Participants in the group are very complementary of emergency medical services. Participants said ambulances are prompt and reliable, even from elderly who call these services repeatedly.

Safety and Security Issues

Seniors in the group overwhelmingly said they feel safe living in Hall County. They feel safe in their homes, and for the most part, feel safe in the community.

When asked if there was anything going on the community that frightened them, a somewhat surprising first response focused on industrial pollution from a nearby Cargill plant. A member of the group explained there had been a chemical release at Cargill in the mid-1990’s. Another woman added there are occasional sewer problems, but she expressed confidence the county was addressing the problem.

While apparently not an object of fear, women in the Sunshine Group are bothered by the presence of gangs. None had any first-hand knowledge of gang violence, but they are troubled by graffiti and the prospects of gang violence in the future.

There were mixed reviews of the police and their impact on community safety. Most believe the police do a good job, but some want the police to be more aggressive in their response to what seem to be obvious problems-such as drug trafficking. One representative comment was that everyone knows where the drug dealing is being done, but that police just drive by and do nothing.

Some in the group said that responsiveness of the police depends on where one lives. In some areas, police are slower to respond.

The group seemed to express high satisfaction with the response of fire services.

Community Connections

Some of the women in this group recalled the segregationist experiences of their youth. They told how they rode buses long distances to go to the black school and their difficulties seeking education and economic opportunity. It is clear these were foundational experiences that still influence their views of race relations today.

The consensus of the group seemed to be that while all children today go to school together, and may even be friends with children of other races, there is still significant racism in the community.

One woman referred to it as hidden racism that influences who gets a loan at the bank, or who gets a job or a promotion.

Many in the group admitted that bias and racism are greater problems in the older generation than among children. The consensus was that children learn it from their parents, however, and the problem is perpetuated. The parents teach the children.

One woman told a story about how her children began to play with some white children in the neighborhood. The white children told her children they could come over to their house (the white’s house) but they (the white children) could not go to their house. This angered the woman telling the story, of course, and she confronted her white neighbor. Unfortunately, the solution to the problem was to keep the children from playing together at all.

The needs and interest of children are clearly priorities for these older women. They believe the county in which they were reared is still a good place for children and a good place to raise a family, but they see worrisome trends.

Several of the women talked about the loss of respect among children for adults. They lamented that many children grow up never having learned to respect those older than them. Further, this basis loss of respect leads to trouble in the community.

While most believe Hall County schools do an adequate job preparing children, a strong, discordant theme emerged from this discussion. These women continue to see the vestiges of racism in the way schools treat some black children. They believe some children are disadvantaged because of race or poverty.

One story that had many heads nodding in agreement was told by one woman who said children are evaluated and labeled at an early age. If they have behavior problems, perhaps brought about by a poor home life, they are permanently labeled, even if their behavior improves or they switch schools. The implication was that this happens to black children more frequently.

An observation was made that most teachers do not know what it is like to live in a poor neighborhood. Teachers live middle-class lives and they do not relate to those who live in repressive, low-income communities. Their focus is limited to the behavior of the child, not the sources of the behavior, which may be rooted at home or in the neighborhood.

The ladies in this group are bothered by the flight of upper income Hall Countians to north Hall County schools. They perceive those with resources are seeking to get away from lower-income African Americans and Latinos. Someone in the group called Hispanics the “new blacks.” The belief is that the better schools and better education will follow the upper income folks, and that those in poorer neighborhoods will be left with lesser schools.

Transportation is an issue for these senior women. They would like to see more access to low-cost or no-cost public transportation. They are familiar with the Red Rabbit buses and think this is a valuable service, but they also expressed the opinion that access to the service is limited and, though the price is low, still too expensive for some senior adults.

It was also noted that the Red Rabbit is a city service, and that elderly in rural areas have little or no access to reliable transportation.

For those who do not drive, taxi’s, family, benevolent friends and churches are the only other available modes of transportation.

One woman said she would like to see the churches, many of which have buses, get more involved in transportation for the elderly. This suggestion brought a number of nods of agreement.

Views Of The Future

Most in the Sunshine Seniors group express optimism about the future of Hall County, saying that life is better now than when they were young, and expressing hope that problems such as racism will get continuously better.

Their optimism is diluted, however, by ever-present concerns about young people and the impact of an uncertain economy, lack of employment opportunities, and declining civility and morality in the culture. The ladies seemed to be saying that they were optimistic about their own families, but less so for Hall County families in general.

Participants were asked what they would want to tell the leaders of Hall County. In the case of the Sunshine ladies, this question initiated a discussion of traffic congestion and urban development.

One participant noted there is no place in South Gainesville to go the grocery store, the drug store or a dry cleaner. Residents there must go to another part of town for shopping, which is especially difficult for those who do not drive much. Participants would like to see investment on the south side in basic retail services.

They would also like to see new investment in housing, but not developments that cram too many people into too small an area. They perceive that the only types of residential development conceived for the south side of town are multi-family developments. They would like to see more lawns, trees, sidewalks and park areas.

The Sunshine group also perceives indifference to the problems of traffic in the south Gainesville area. There are too many cars, too few sidewalks and too few traffic lights. Walking is made especially difficult by these factors. Highway 124 was mentioned as especially dangerous.

The comments about parks and green spaces prompted an observation that there are too few places to host family reunions. The comment was made that pavilions at public parks are an option, but they must be cleared too early in the evening to allow for a satisfactory reunion. The only options, according to the participant speaking, are to rent places like Lanier Islands, which are too expensive.

Senior Center Group
11 Participants

Overview of the Group

These seniors are all regular participants in the programs and services of the senior center. The average age of this group seemed somewhat older than the Sunshine Seniors group, and several exhibited distinct mobility difficulties due to age.

The group was mostly female and white. Two of the women in the group were black. One white male participated.

Most in the group were long-time or lifetime Hall County residents, though a few were relative newcomers. One moved to Hall County only 2 years ago. Another moved to Hall 8 years ago. While most have family in the area, they live alone and look to the senior center for social support and recreation.

Priority Issues Affecting Life In Hall County

Though all in the group said they were happy to live in Hall County, this group needed little prompting to begin a list of things they would like to see improved, including:

Traffic, roads and urban sprawl. Several in the group expressed frustration with the increasing traffic in the area and related problems with roads, potholes and maintenance. One participant talked about how hard it is to get to shopping areas for essential goods and services.

Medicine prices. Fixed incomes make it very difficult to afford the increasing costs of prescription medications.

Recreational and social opportunities for young people. This lament, which sounded very similar to the discussion in the Sunshine Seniors group, came from one of the black women in the discussion. She said she was very concerned about young people who seem to have nowhere to go other than to hang out on the street.

Affordable personal care homes for seniors. The comment was made that the nicer personal care homes, assisted living centers and nursing homes were not affordable to many seniors, and the affordable homes are not very nice.

Of all the potential improvements suggested, the cost of medicine generated the biggest reaction. It is clear that many in the group struggle with prescription costs.

Health Care Issues

As in the Sunshine group, few in this group expressed any complaints about health care quality or access to health care services. All enjoy the services of a regular doctor and many in the group took the time to brag about the attentiveness and dedication of their doctors.

One woman in the group, the one who moved to Hall County only two years ago, reported that she had difficulty getting a doctor to accept her at first. She was looking for a female physician, and could not get a doctor to accept her as a new patient for several months. She did ultimately get into a practice that meets her needs, however. She reported that she did use Quick Care several times before getting established with a doctor of her own.

Several in the group expressed frustration with being rushed by their doctors. They also reported that physician office employees often do not know how to relate to older patients, and that communication suffers. One in the group suggested that medical office employees should be trained to communicate better and understand the needs of the elderly.

Members of the group are very happy with hospital care. No real complaints about Hall County hospitals were registered at all, except for expected references to the high cost of care. Several in the groups said local hospitals are “very nice” and that they had been treated well there. Two in the group did express regret that they had lost the private room benefit they once had as members of the hospital’s seniors program.
One possible health treatment void expressed by the group is dental care. Because Medicare does not cover dental care, most seniors have no dental insurance. Several remarked this is a big problem. One woman told of a recent experience where she paid $200 for treatment for a broken tooth. She implied that it was money she did not really have, but she had no choice but to pay it.

When asked if they feel healthy, most in the group replied that they do, even if they are dealing with chronic health problems. Those who talked about being active, exercising regularly, seemed to be most enthusiastic in their self-appraisals of health. The activity they experience at the senior center is a big part of their positive, healthy outlook.

Safety and Security Issues

While most in the group live alone, all reported feeling safe in their homes. No one expressed fear about living alone, saying they would just “call 911” if something happens to them. Only two in the group reported having an emergency alert system in their home.

One woman who lives in the neighborhood near the senior center said she does not necessarily feel safe in her neighborhood. She expressed some concern about gangs and about young people just hanging out. In her words, “you don’t know if they’re doing drugs or not.”

Members of this group have little awareness or personal experience with gangs. No one in the group reported any experiences with gang violence. One woman reported that someone shot holes in her windshield, but she thought it was just vandalism, not gang related.

Members of this group expressed high levels of confidence in fire and police and voiced no complaints or criticisms.

Community Connections

Members of this group report that they are usually able to get where they need to go. Transportation is not a big worry in their lives. Some still drive. Some use the Red Rabbit. Some rely on family and friends. None mentioned taxis. All expressed appreciation to the senior center for providing them a place to fellowship and transportation to get there.

Members of the group did express worry, however, for friends and neighbors who are more frail, homebound and isolated. One woman said there are far fewer support services for homebound elderly

When asked if they could name their neighbors, most in the group could not. Some said they could name some of their neighbors, but not all. This is an interesting observation because you would expect older residents, those who have lived in Hall County a long time, to be most likely to know the names of the persons living around them.

No one reported any problems with their neighbors, but it seems clear there is little social interaction between these seniors and those who live around them.

It is clear from the comments in this group that many have Latino neighbors. Over half reported living on a street with someone of a different race. Neither blacks nor whites were mentioned in the conversation, but participants of both races mentioned Latinos among their neighbors. They refer to their neighbors not by name, but as “an Hispanic family” or as “Mexicans.”

There seems to be a live-and-let-live attitude among these seniors concerning the influx of Latinos into their neighborhoods. If they see it as a negative trend, and some apparently do based on their comments and body language, there is nothing they can do about it.

Views Of The Future

Members of this group have little to say about the future, positively or negatively. They are happy with the leadership in Hall County. They feel the community is growing in a positive direction and that their children and grandchildren will benefit from that growth.

Worries about the future focus primarily on a time in the future when they may not be able to care for themselves any longer. Several verbalized this worry saying that they do not want to go to a nursing home.

Fear of nursing homes may be a major theme for Hall County seniors. Avoiding nursing homes was high on the agenda for several in the senior center group. Concerns over low staffing levels and uncaring staff were expressed by several participants. There is fear of the unknown consequences and the finality of the nursing home move. One woman perhaps represented the group when she said, “You really have no idea what goes on there unless you are in there.”

When asked what they would do to change Hall County, members of the group returned to two of the major points they started with-provide recreation for idle youth and do something about the high cost of prescription medications.

Minorities

Purpose

Seniors

South Hall

Youth