The Georgia SOURCE Program, Explained Simply

SOURCE is a Georgia Medicaid program that pairs help at home with a primary care doctor and a case manager who work as one team. The name stands for Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment. It serves frail older adults and adults with disabilities who would otherwise need a nursing home.

SOURCE is not a separate waiver. It is one of the two service paths inside Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP). The other path is CCSP. What sets SOURCE apart is its link to primary medical care.

SOURCE at a glance

• Full name: Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment
• Legal home: Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver, a federal 1915(c) Medicaid waiver
• What is different: primary medical care and case management are joined to home and community services
• After-hours help: members can reach a case manager and a primary care physician at any hour
• Medicaid needed: full Medicaid, not only a Medicare Savings Program
• Where it runs: only in parts of Georgia, through SOURCE providers that serve set counties
• How to start: call the SOURCE provider for your county, or the statewide aging line at 866-552-4464

Who is eligible for SOURCE in Georgia?

Georgia.gov and DCH list the core rules. Use this checklist before you call.

• Medicaid. Have full Georgia Medicaid. A DCH provider notice says coverage only through QMB, SLMB or QI does not count.
• Age or disability. Be 65 or older, or younger with a qualifying disability.
• Level of care. Need an intermediate nursing-home level of care.
• Daily needs. Have a physical or functional impairment that requires help with activities of daily living, such as bathing or dressing.
• Location. Live in a county that a SOURCE provider serves.
• One waiver. Not be enrolled in another Georgia Medicaid waiver.

Full Medicaid or SSI? Why the wording differs

Official sources describe the Medicaid rule in two ways. Georgia.gov says applicants must meet Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Medicaid criteria. DCH's SOURCE overview and its current EDWP fact sheet say full Medicaid.

SOURCE was built around people who get SSI, and DCH's older fact sheets describe it that way. In Georgia, people on SSI usually receive Medicaid through their Social Security application. If your parent has Medicaid through another route, do not guess. Ask the screener or your county DFCS office which category your parent has, and whether SOURCE accepts it.

How does SOURCE work day to day?

SOURCE builds care around both medical needs and daily tasks. DCH says a full assessment decides how much care a person needs. The team then designs an individual care path. It weighs how much medical monitoring the person needs and how much help they need with daily tasks.

Family members and other informal caregivers take part in building that plan. So do staff from the agencies that deliver the services. The goal is one plan that everyone follows.

The doctor is part of the team

In SOURCE, primary care is built into the plan. DCH's long-term care fact sheet says primary care physicians are part of the SOURCE care team.

Help at any hour

DCH says SOURCE members have 24-hour access to a case manager and a primary care physician. For families, that means someone who knows your parent's plan can be reached when a problem comes up after hours.

What services can SOURCE include?

The services look much like the rest of EDWP. The difference is that a medical team helps decide when and how they are used. DCH's SOURCE overview lists these:

• Primary care link

  A primary care physician who works with the case manager on the plan

• Personal support

  Hands-on help with daily tasks at home

• Assisted living

  Assisted living services in a residential setting

• Extended home health

  Home health services as part of the SOURCE plan

• Home-delivered meals

  Meals brought to the home

• Adult day health care

  A daytime program outside the home

• Emergency response

  A system to call for help in an emergency

• Caregiver respite

  Breaks for family caregivers, listed by Georgia.gov

Your parent will not get every service. The care path decides which ones fit and how often they are used.

How do you apply for SOURCE?

These steps follow the Georgia.gov SOURCE page, last updated in April 2026.

1. 1

   Check the basics

   Confirm your loved one has full Medicaid, needs a nursing-home level of care and lives in a county SOURCE serves.

2. 2

   Gather documents

   Collect proof of income, proof of assets such as bank accounts or property, and proof of citizenship.

3. 3

   Call the SOURCE provider

   Phone the SOURCE provider serving your county. Georgia.gov links to a provider list from the Department of Human Services. You can also call 866-552-4464.

4. 4

   Complete the screening

   A staff member asks about your loved one's health, daily needs and situation.

5. 5

   Have the assessment

   If the screening looks positive, SOURCE staff assess your loved one's needs in more depth.

6. 6

   Agree the plan of care

   A plan of care is built from the assessment, with the family and the doctor involved.

Is SOURCE available everywhere in Georgia?

No. Georgia.gov says SOURCE is only available in certain areas of the state. Each SOURCE provider serves a set list of counties. If no provider covers your parent's county, CCSP is the other EDWP path to ask about.

In metro Atlanta, the Atlanta Regional Commission is the Area Agency on Aging for Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties. Its line is 404-463-3333. Staff can tell you which EDWP options reach your parent's address.

Can a family caregiver be paid under SOURCE?

Possibly. DCH lists Structured Family Caregiver among EDWP services. It does not say SFC is limited to one path. If a relative already lives with your parent and provides care, ask the SOURCE case manager whether SFC can be part of the plan. Our Structured Family Caregiving guide explains who can be the paid caregiver.

What if SOURCE is not the right fit?

SOURCE is one door, not the only one. If your parent does not have full Medicaid yet, or lives outside a SOURCE area, CCSP may still be possible. CCSP can serve people who are only potentially eligible for Medicaid when they apply. Our guide to EDWP explains how the whole program fits together.

How A1-GA Healthcare Agency helps

A1-GA Healthcare Agency is a Georgia DCH-approved Medicaid home care provider in Norcross. We have provided in-home care since 2008 and staffed caregivers since 2004. We deliver EDWP services through both CCSP and SOURCE, including in-home personal support and respite. We also offer Structured Family Caregiving for relatives who live with their loved one.

If you are unsure whether SOURCE reaches your parent's county, call us. We will help you work out who to call and what to have ready. You can also answer a few questions on our eligibility form.

• Phone: 678-446-1832
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
• Email: info@gahac.com
• Office: 4505 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Suite K, Norcross, GA 30092