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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Access to Care among Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 65 and Over Living with High-Impact Chronic Pain
Examines access to care and its association with high-impact chronic pain among Medicare recipients over 65 and not living in a long-term care facility between 2018 and 2020. Includes data breakdown between metro area and nonmetro area residents. Discusses delay in seeking medical care due to cost and general access to care.
Author(s): Jared Sawyer, Laura Stoff, Carrie Goetsch, et al.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural Disparities in the Quality of Clinical Care Are Notable and Larger for Males
Explores the differences in healthcare quality among male and female Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by sex, treatment received, treatment outcomes, and rural versus urban location, among other measures.
Author(s): Sarah MacCarthy, Marc N. Elliott, Steven C. Martino, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(3), 636-642
Date: 06/2023
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Exploring Age Groups in the 2020 Census
Interactive map offering population data from the 2020 Census. Use filters to see data by various characteristics such as age groups, race and ethnicity, changes between the 2010 and 2020 Censuses, and more. See data at the state, county, and census tract levels.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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The Older Population: 2020
Offers overview of the older population from the 2020 Census with comparisons to the 2000 and 2010 Censuses. Data analyzed by demographic factors, state, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Zoe Caplan, Megan Rabe
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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The Built Environment and Social and Emotional Support among Rural Older Adults: The Case for Social Infrastructure and Attention to Ethnoracial Differences
Evaluated 110,850 rural older adults to determine the connection between social infrastructure and social and emotional support (SaES). Looks for variance across demographic factors and discusses the implication for mental health.
Author(s): Danielle Rhubart, Jennifer Kowalkowski, Logan Wincott
Citation: Rural Sociology 88(3), 731-762
Date: 05/2023
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2022 Transportation Trends
Identifies trends and issues affecting the availability of accessible transportation for older adults and people with disabilities. Summarizes results of a September 2022 survey of public transit and human services transportation providers; stakeholders; and aging and disability organizations such as Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living and Aging and Disability Resource Centers. Discusses nine themes related to the challenges of providing transportation to older adults, younger adults with disabilities, and caregivers, including the lack of transportation options in rural areas.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Population Aging and Heat Exposure in the 21st Century: Which U.S. Regions Are at Greatest Risk and Why?
Analyzes the 2050 projected heat exposure alongside the current and 2050 projected size and distribution of the 69 and older population to identify populations and regions at greatest risk for increasing heat exposure. Identifies rural areas at greatest risk of increasing heat and an aging population. Discusses the efficacy of various policy measures and infrastructure needs of various regions to deal with the impacts of increasing heat on the older adult population.
Author(s): Deborah Carr, Giacomo Falchetta, Ian Sue Wing
Citation: Gerontologist, 64(3)
Date: 04/2023
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The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2021: An Annual Report
Discusses food insecurity rates among Americans age 60 or older. Includes demographics and characteristics of seniors lacking sufficient access to food, and provides trends and state-level information on food insecurity. Features data breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan settings.
Author(s): James P. Ziliak, Craig Gundersen
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Feeding America
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Utilizing Innovations In Telehealth To Advance The Care Of Patients In Congregate Settings
Webinar describing best practices, lessons learned, and innovations developed in telehealth mobile technologies to support clinical screening, treatment, and care of isolated, high-risk rural populations in prison and nursing home facilities.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Author(s): Michael Patterson, David C. Gordon
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center
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Perceived Benefits of Geriatric Specialty Telemedicine among Rural Patients and Caregivers
Explores the perceived benefits of a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) geriatric specialty telemedicine service (GRECC Connect), which connects geriatric interdisciplinary teams in urban areas with older veterans in rural areas through videoconferencing platforms. Summarizes results of interviews 30 rural older adults enrolled in the VHA and their caregivers about the content and quality of their GRECC Connect visits.
Author(s): Eileen M. Dryden, Meaghan A. Kennedy, Jennifer Conti, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 58(Suppl 1), 26-35
Date: 02/2023
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