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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Access in Brief: Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities
Issue brief examining access to Medicaid coverage for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (ID/DD), using data for fiscal years 2017-2018. Compares characteristics of adult Medicaid beneficiaries with ID/DD across racial and ethnic groups and by Medicaid-only or dually eligible status. Includes a section on home and community-based services and features demographics including breakdowns by rural or urban residence.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit
Toolkit to support state policymakers in expanding the use of telehealth to deliver Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services. Provides information on telehealth flexibilities under Medicaid and CHIP; billing best practices; strategies for telehealth in value-based care; best practices from states during the COVID-19 public health emergency; strategies to promote the delivery of accessible and culturally competent care via telehealth; evaluation strategies to understand how telehealth affects quality, outcomes, and cost, and more. Offers state policy and operational considerations; information about common telehealth modalities; frequently asked questions for states to consider as they explore whether to expand the use of telehealth; Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service state checklists; and other planning tools. Includes information about using telehealth to deliver services to medically underserved and rural communities, American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, individuals with disabilities, older adults, and other specific populations.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Impact of Driving Cessation on Health-Related Quality of Life Trajectories
Examines the impact of driving cessation (DC) in older drivers aged 65-79 on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in rural and urban populations. Includes charts showing differences in HRQoL related to DC in metro core, metro non-core, and small town/rural areas. Discusses the impact of access to alternative transportation on mental health and HRQoL in older adults.
Author(s): Thelma J. Mielenz, Haomiao Jia, Carolyn DiGuiseppi, et al.
Citation: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 22, 13
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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2023 Local Master Plan for Aging: Shasta, Butte, & Glenn Counties
Report summarizing findings from a needs assessment regarding challenges for older adults and people with disabilities in 3 California counties. Findings and recommendations discuss healthcare, housing, and transportation issues. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Diversability Advocacy Network, The SCAN Foundation
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Clinical Risk and Outpatient Therapy Utilization for COVID-19 in the Medicare Population
Evaluates COVID-19 treatment disparities among Medicare beneficiaries, with comparisons by age, race and ethnicity, Medicaid eligibility, nursing home use, telemedicine use, rural/urban status, and more. Utilizes Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary and Standard Analytic Claim files for the year 2022. Provides data on rates of COVID-19 therapy use, including medication, hospitalization, and outpatient treatment. Highlights undertreatment experienced by populations with high risk of severe infection.
Author(s): Andrew D. Wilcock, Stephen Kissler, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(1), e235044
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Place of Care in the Last Three Years of Life for Medicare Beneficiaries
Examines place of care during the last 3 years of life according to days of institutional care (hospital inpatient or skilled nursing facility), skilled home care (home healthcare or hospice), or personal home. Analyzes sociodemographic factors of 199,828 Medicare beneficiaries, with data broken down by median days in care, age at death, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance type, health conditions, and metro versus nonmetro neighborhood.
Author(s): Haiqun Lin, Irina B. Grafova, Anum Zafar, et al.
Citation: BMC Geriatrics, 24, 91
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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The Age-Dependency Ratio in the North Central Region: Implications for Regional and Community Development Research Brief
Examines the North Central region age-dependency ratio, or the number of dependent individuals (ages 0 to 14 years and 65 or older) compared to the working population (ages 15 to 64 years), and how this impacts workforce and economic development. Provides 2000-2022 population data broken down by metro, suburban, and rural as well as by selected states and counties. Allows user to search within tables and scroll through counties.
Author(s): Roberto Gallardo
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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Food Insecurity Increased to 1 in 10 Adults Ages 50 and Older in 2022
Fact sheet describing food insecurity among adults ages 50 and older. Identifies trends, presents data on demographic disparities, and provides state-by-state and age group comparisons. Figure 4 compares metropolitan and nonmetropolitan food insecurity prevalence.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Carlos Figueiredo
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Identifying Our Needs: A Survey of Elders Cycle VIII (2020-2023) - 2024 Final Report
Report highlights data collected from a survey of American Indian and Alaska Native elders regarding their health and wellness. Explores reported rates of healthcare access, substance use, social support, housing, healthcare screening, and more.
Additional links: Infographic: Caregiving and Socialization Among Native Elders, Infographic: Frailty and Physical Functioning Among Native Elders, Infographic: Native Elders in the United States, Infographic: Nutrition Among Native Elders
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Resource Center on Native American Aging
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Transportation for People with Disabilities and Older Adults During COVID-19: Lessons for Emergency Response
Provides information on planning for transportation needs during emergencies and pandemics, with a focus on assisting older adults and people with disabilities. Discusses roles and responsibilities, personnel and resources, technology and tools, challenges and solutions, and strategies and sustainability, with reflections on issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes considerations for transit agencies in different locations, including rural and tribal.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Transit Cooperative Research Program
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board
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