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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Aging and aging-related services

2021 FTA Section 5310 Compendium
Provides an overview of the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program, which is designed to support the specialized transportation needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Discusses the role of Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) using Section 5310 funding to develop and manage accessible transportation programs. Includes case studies and examples of how AAAs used Section 5310 funding, including programs serving rural residents.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Aging and Disability Services are Unequally Distributed Across the United States
Results of a study examining how the availability of aging and disability services (ADS) differs based on county characteristics. Includes a U.S. map showing locations of ADS deserts and features statistics on the probability of a county being an ADS desert, with breakdowns by metro, rural adjacent, and rural nonadjacent location.
Author(s): Claire Pendergrast, Danielle Rhubart
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion
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2021 Transportation Trends
Identifies trends and issues affecting the availability of accessible transportation for older adults and people with disabilities. Includes sections on rural community engagement and rural volunteer transportation programs. Highlights examples of programs underway in rural areas to address transportation needs.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Virginia Rural Health Plan 2022-2026
Identifies key objectives and priorities for rural health in Virginia including broadband access, healthy housing, transportation, nutrition and food security, maternal and child health, access to healthcare services, behavioral health, aging in place, and workforce development. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural areas.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Virginia State Office of Rural Health
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Social Cohesion and Social Engagement among Older Adults Aging in Place: Rural/Urban Differences
Results of a study examining rural/urban differences in social cohesion and social engagement for older adults aging in place, and within-rural differences by race and ethnicity. Uses survey data collected in 2019 from 3,343 Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr, Hannah MacDougall, John Mulcahy
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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Aging in Place in Rural America: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Initiatives
Webinar presenting results from studies investigating challenges, opportunities, and policy implications for older adults who are aging in place in rural areas. Examines nationally-representative survey data, offers a content analysis of state-level policies and initiatives, and describes a survey of representatives of state offices of rural health. Features statistics showing differences among rural and urban older adults in areas including educational attainment, income, housing type and ownership, unmet mobility needs, and social cohesion.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr
Date: 01/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Health Research Gateway, University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Impact of Assistance Programs on Indigenous Ways of Life in 12 Rural Remote Western Alaska Native Communities: Elder Perspectives Shared in Formative Work for the "Got Neqpiaq?" Project
Explores a study evaluating the perception of Alaska Native elders from the Yukon-Kuskokwim area of Alaska on the efficacy and cultural competence of government assistance programs. Discusses and evaluates a number of programs, such as Head Start, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program of Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), among others.
Author(s): Amanda K. Walch, Kathryn A. Ohle, Kathryn R. Koller, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 81(1)
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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Weaving Pathways: Talking with Our Elders
Highlights a program aimed at increasing end-of-life planning in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Explores the barriers to AI/AN elders creating healthcare directives, the lessons learn from the initial pilot program, and the program's impact.
Author(s): Mary J Owen, Peter M Nalin, Charlie A Bouverette, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 22(1)
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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Rural Transportation Incubator - Age Friendly Arizona
A case study that discusses the work of the Age Friendly Arizona (AFA) network to assess livability for seniors in rural areas and improve transportation through grant funding. Includes goals of the grant program, such as providing transportation for rural, low-income seniors, coordinating with partners, replicating the project in other areas, and reflecting on outcomes of the project to improve livability and rural transportation for seniors.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Native Health in the Bemidji Area - COVID-19 in Nursing Homes
Report details the impact of COVID-19 on tribal nursing homes in the Bemidji Area IHS Region which includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Highlights a breakdown of COVID-19 cases, deaths, and fatality rate for American Indian elders by state.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center
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