Seniors who participated in Healthy Hall focus group discussions included participants at the Hall County senior center, members of The Sunshine Ladies and some older participants in the laymen’s group at Antioch Baptist Church.

These are overwhelmingly positive people who express a great deal of devotion to their community. They say things like, "Gainesville is the best place on earth." They appreciate the beauty of the mountains and the lake. Even those who moved to Gainesville from others areas call Hall County "home" and can’t imaging living anywhere else. They speak well of their doctors and the hospital. They love the senior center, and praise the staff who works there.

Those in the focus groups are generally pleased with the scope and quality of services available to them. No one in any of the groups expressed any concerns about the availability and quality of medical care or hospital services available in Hall County. Several described their personal physicians as very caring and competent. One said that doctors are good to adjust appointments to match up with the availability of transportation.

Seniors are also very complimentary of hospital care available in Hall County. Several talked about patient experiences and expressed satisfaction and confidence in the quality of care they received. Seniors know that Northeast

Georgia Medical Center has been awarded some distinctions for its heart program. As one participant put it, "The Ronnie Green Heart Center is the best." Several in the groups remarked that all the specialists they need are right here in Gainesville. They appreciate that they do not have to go to Atlanta for specialty services.

Several live in apartment buildings that cater to seniors and they appreciate what they have. They called their apartments "nice" and mentioned the elevator and laundry facilities as amenities they appreciate.

Seniors are also confident about 911 and other aspects of Hall County’s emergency response and ambulance system. Positive comments were made about hospice, and about physical therapy services.

They are full of praise for the senior center. Several senior center members were concerned that the purpose of the group was to evaluate the work of the senior center, and they dutifully heaped on the praise, which seemed genuine and deserved. The senior center is a great joy in their lives, and a source of friendship and encouragement. Some do worry that elderly living in rural or remote areas of the county lack easy access to a senior center near their homes.

Only two aspects of senior support services drew any criticism or concern—nursing home care and public transportation. Several in the groups expressed reservations about the quality of care provided by nursing homes. Some have a good reputation, but as one woman put it, "if you don’t have a lot of visitors, the care isn’t very good."

Most in the senior center group are dependent on others for transportation—either family, friends from church, or the Red Rabbit public transportation. Seniors appreciate the Red Rabbit, but feel it is not as flexible as it could be. For example, they can take the Red Rabbit to go shopping, but the bus will only drop them off and pick them up at the street, not at a door. As one woman put it, I have to carry my bags to the street and them wait in the heat for the bus to come. (Note that is focus group was in July, and it was very hot.) When seniors take the bus to a doctor’s office, they would like to be let off at the door, but they have to walk from the street, which can be a lengthy trek.

As content as they seem, seniors don’t like everything they see in Hall County. Crime is a top-of-mind concern for many older Hall Countians, especially those who live alone. Several in the group were aware of neighbors and friends who have been victimized by crime, and they are concerned.

The crimes that seniors see are relatively minor—broken car windows, break-ins while people are not home—but they do worry about something more severe and personal. Several report prostitution is quite visible, as are drug transactions. They grow quite angry about these crimes, and several said they call the police when they see crimes occurring, but they are uncertain of how effective police are in deterring or reducing crime on the street.

Seniors blame drugs for many of the crimes they see around them. They believe robberies and prostitution are linked to the drug trafficking. They worry about their grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and warn them to stay away from those who deal in drugs. "It’s troubling when you have to live next door to a drug dealer," said one woman.

Seniors don’t know a lot about gangs, but they see evidence of their presence, especially around Gainesville area apartments and neighborhoods. Their responses to gangs seem to reflect more anger than fear. "This gang mess—it’s everywhere," said one grandmother with frustration.

The gang problem is perceived to be a part of a larger breakdown in the family. Most of the seniors have family in Hall County--grandchildren, nieces and nephews--and they are concerned about threats to their healthy development. A fear among senior adults is that many children are out of control and parents are failing to fulfill their responsibilities to lead, teach and discipline.

Among the observations made by seniors were . . .

"There is no respect."

"Parents can’t make their children mind."

"Good teachers quit because they can’t correct the kids."

"There is no hope for our kids unless their parents get involved."

These older men and women are concerned about what kind of teens and adults some children will grow up to be. They are also concerned about purposelessness and a lack of supervised recreation and employment opportunities, especially for young Black men. Said one woman about her neighborhood, "We’ve got one little park with a shed and a tennis court. That’s it." Said one man about work for young men, "They won’t work . . . they say there are no jobs, but the truth is they won’t work."