Small Towns Community Assessment Project

Assessing your local community helps provide insight into the needs that arise and the resources that are available for those needs.  The purpose of this paper is to provide information about the community of Milan, Georgia, focusing on the elderly population.

Overview of the Community            

Milan is a small town in southern Georgia located in both Telfair and Dodge Counties.  It is located 11 miles west of McRae and 15 miles east of Abbeville. According to the United States Census Bureau, the estimated population of Milan, as of 2016, was 760 persons with total population being 700 in the 2010 United States Census (Milan, Ga.

city census, n.d.).  The population of Milan consists of 18.2% under the age of 18, 14.9% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64 and 13.1% who were 65 years of age and older (Milan, Ga. city census, n.d.).           

Milan does not have a public transportation system. The buildings downtown are run-down with less than half of them being occupied with businesses, such as Dollar General, City of Milan Municipal Building, US Post Office, The Milan Junk Stop, Flash Foods, Country Pride, Milan State Bank, Hulett’s Body Shop, Thunderbird Oil, and a small Used Car lot.  There are not many job opportunities locally for the citizens of Milan, which leaves them to have to commute to a decent job.  The downtown apartments are run-down and only house a few occupants. Most of the houses are older and are passed through generation.           

At the local fire department, a small fenced in playground is present for children to play.  Every spring, the city offers a season of T-ball and baseball to the local youth.  They can be seen playing every Thursday and Friday night, during the spring, on the one baseball field present along the main highway.   Milan has a “Small Town Committee” that organizes benefits for locals and festivals to bring more people into town and to provide entertainment for the community.  Some local small town events are the 4thof July celebration with a parade, Trunk or Treat, Easter Egg Hunt, and Christmas Night Out.  

Vulnerable Populations           

 The elderly population is considered to be comprised of individuals who are 65 years of age or older.  According to the United States Census Bureau, 19.8% of the population of Milan is below the poverty line with 28.8% of those being age 65 or over (Milan, Ga. city census, n.d.).  The median household income is $29,219 (Milan, Ga. city census, n.d.). Within the households of Milan, there are 13.8% of people without health insurance (Milan, Ga. city census, n.d.). Milan does not house a hospital or an urgent care facility.  The closest hospital from Milan is 16 miles away in Eastman, GA.  Urgent Care facilities are located in Eastman, GA and in McRae-Helena, GA, along with a Health Department in both of those cities.           

Based on statistics noted, Milan would be considered a rural town with limited resources.  It is important to analyze how living in a rural area impacts the elder population, particularly their quality of life.  It is also important to use this analysis to develop systems in order to improve the general health and quality of life of our elder population.           

 Services and programs are limited in our area. Two home health agencies are located in this area.  These agencies provide services for greater than a 10 county service area.  These agencies are able to provide nursing and therapy services for the elderly within their home; however, these services are not on a long-term basis.  According to www.concertedservices.org, “the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) assists individuals who are elderly and/or functionally impaired in continuing to live in their homes and communities by providing cost-effective community based services as an alternative to nursing home placement” (Community Care, n.d.), such as home delivered meals.  Community care agencies are also available to provide in home care for the elderly.  These agencies provide daily services to the elderly, such as cooking, cleaning, bathing, and dressing.  Unfortunately, these services have medical, functional, and financial criteria for placement (Community Care, n.d.).

 Impact on Nursing            

As mentioned above, there are two local home health agencies provided in this area.  The only other local providers for nursing would be a hospice agency, with five locations that cover this area (ABCD Caring, n.d.).  There are many nursing job opportunities for nurses, but not in this area.  Most of the nurses have to travel at least 20 minutes from home for better job opportunities. These opportunities include, but are not limited to, nursing homes, hospitals, doctor’s offices, dialysis centers, and day treatment programs.            

Today, people are living longer than ever before, and as the baby boomers age, the number of older adults is expected to increase exponentially over the coming decades (Grady, 2011).  As they age and want to stay at home independently, more nurses will be needed to provide care in these homes.  Support will be needed for those that have to rely on long-term care facilities to provide care and for those loved ones that choose to look after the ill or demented.  The BSN nurse will help provide education and support to these rising challenges that are occurring. 

 Summary         

The elder population is growing vastly, as each day the baby boomer generation is approaching 65 years of age.  Living in a rural area has an unfortunate impact on the elder population from location to medical services, to lack of resources and, most importantly, poverty.  It is vital for us as medical professionals to develop initiatives and programs to assist the always-growing elder population.  As professionals, we also must ensure the quality of life and medical care our elder population deserves.            

The purpose of this paper was to provide information about Milan, Ga., focusing on the elderly population.  Milan is a rural area with approximately 760 persons as of 2016 with 13.1% being 65 years of age and older.  It is important for the BSN nurse to go into these rural communities and provide information on local resources to the elderly that are trying to remain independent.

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