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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Rural Domestic and Sexual Abuse Program Advocates: Making a Difference in The Lives of Older Survivors of Abuse
An overview of abuse in later life and step-by-step instructions to designing services for older victims. Includes information on outreach in rural communities, faith-based services, and coordinated care efforts.
Author(s): Ann Turner
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL)
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2023 Chartbook: More Older Adults, More Complex Needs: Trends and New Directions from the National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging
A chartbook offering data from the 2022 National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging. Rural topics discussed include transportation grants, social engagement, and areas served by Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). Also discusses AAAs services, housing, workforce and staffing, COVID-19, and more.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organizations: Miami University, Scripps Gerontology Center, USAging
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America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2023
Provides a national and state-by-state overview of population health for older adults across 52 measures using data from 22 unique data sources. Covers social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Highlights health differences, including rural-urban differences, across five categories of health. Includes state-by-state summaries and county-level maps for risk of social isolation by state.
Additional links: County-Level Maps for Risk of Social Isolation
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Assessing Intake of Food and Dietary Supplements in Older Adults: Proceedings of a Workshop Series
Summarizes workshop proceedings on assessing food intake and dietary supplements in adults aged 75 years or older. Discusses screening, nutrition practices, challenges, and policies related to elderly adults. Includes considerations of nutritional issues specific to aging in rural areas.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Food and Nutrition Board
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Medicare Beneficiaries' Use of Audio-Only Health Care Services
Describes the use of audio-only telehealth services among Medicare beneficiaries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presents data on the use of telehealth by age, number of chronic conditions, service type and modality, race and ethnicity, urbanicity, and outpatient facility provider type.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Cancer Clinical Trials: Federal Actions and Selected Non-Federal Practices to Facilitate Diversity of Patients
Examines actions taken by federal agencies to increase diverse population enrollment in cancer clinical trials as well as practices by non-federal cancer centers to facilitate diverse enrollment. Discusses strategies such as collaboration, reducing barriers, data standardization, training, utilization of community ambassadors, and more. Focuses on inclusion of underrepresented groups such as racial/ethnic minorities, young adults, older adults, those with low incomes, women, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons, and people living in rural communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Ownership of Skilled Nursing Facilities: An Analysis of Newly-Released Federal Data
Analyzes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) dataset on the ownership of all U.S. skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) enrolled in Medicare. Examines 15,151 nursing homes by for-profit, nonprofit, or government controlled; organizational structure; affiliated entity by SNF size, Medicare and Medicaid certified versus Medicare-only certified, and rural versus urban location. Includes data on the 10 largest SNF chains and their distribution of SNFs across the U.S.
Author(s): W. Pete Welch, Iara Oliveira, Martin Blanco, Benjamin D. Sommers
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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U.S. Poverty Rates Differ by Age and County
Presents a series of U.S. county-level maps that show poverty rates among children and older adults using American Community Service (ACS) 5-year estimates for 2017-2021.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Variation in Residential Care Community Resident Characteristics, by Size of Community: United States, 2020
Examines residential care communities in 2020 by community size, which is calculated by the number of residential care beds in their community: 4-25 beds, 26-50 beds, or over 50 beds. Includes data further broken down by resident age, race/ethnicity, Medicaid beneficiary status, prevalence of chronic conditions, and assistance needs for walking, bathing, eating, and other life skills.
Author(s): Christine Caffrey, Amanuel Melekin, Zhaohui Lu, Manisha Sengupta
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Social Determinants of Health in the Age of COVID: Effects of Social Isolation Among Adults 62+ in Rural Pennsylvania
Results of a study analyzing the extent of social isolation among rural Pennsylvanians aged 62 or older during the pandemic, evaluating determinants of social isolation, identifying programs and services that minimize social isolation, and assessing potential replicability in Pennsylvania. Includes sections on factors such as mental health access, faith-based organizations, transportation, technology use, and housing options.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Christopher Harris, FangHsun Wei, Mary Rita Weller, Kelly Smith
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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