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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

There's No Place Like Home: Home Health Care in Rural America
Recording of testimony by providers of rural home health care and representatives of home health and hospice organizations, in a hearing held by the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging on February 12, 2020. Addresses challenges including workforce shortages and limitations in Medicare coverage for needed services.
Additional links: Testimony of Francis Adams, Testimony of Leigh Ann Howard, Testimony of Warren Hebert, Testimony of William A. Dombi
Date: 02/2020
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
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Barriers to Palliative and Hospice Care Utilization in Older Adults with Cancer: A Systematic Review
Shares the results of a literature review analyzing various sociodemographic variables, including rural residence, to describe challenges older adults with cancer experience when accessing hospice and palliative care services.
Author(s): Jyotsana Parajuli, Aluem Tark, Ying-Ling Jao, Judith Hupcey
Citation: Journal of Geriatric Oncology, 11(1), 8-16
Date: 01/2020
Type: Document
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Life Beyond 65: Changing Spatial Patterns of Survival at Older Ages in the United States, 2000–2016
Examines life expectancy trends among Americans at age 65 between 2000 and 2016. Analyzes data by gender and across 4 metropolitan categories and 10 geographic regions. Considers how causes of death impact the changes in mortality rates over time.
Author(s): Yana C Vierboom, Samuel H. Preston
Citation: The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 1-11
Date: 01/2020
Type: Document
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Housing an Aging Rural America
Includes articles on addressing the housing needs of aging populations in rural America during the COVID-19 pandemic, policy solutions to increase the supply of affordable housing, meeting the housing needs of aging farmworkers in rural California, providing holistic care and services for rural seniors in Illinois, and more.
Citation: Rural Voices, 24(1)
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Factors Associated with Lung Cancer Screening in Urban vs. Rural Individuals at Risk for Lung Cancer
Presentation slides on a study investigating rural/urban differences in Low-Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) cancer screening. Study participants included current and former smokers ages 55-80 with a smoking history of 30 or more years.
Author(s): Anja Zgodic, Gabriel Benavidez, Whitney Zahnd, Jan Eberth
Date: 2020
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System
Examines how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, with a focus on vulnerable populations, including those living in rural areas. Makes recommendations for clinical settings on screening for negative health impacts related to social isolation and developing interventions to help address this issue.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on the Health and Medical Dimensions of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Supportive Services and Caregiving for Older Rural Adults from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
Webinar recording discusses the support and caregiving services older adults in rural areas. Highlights policy recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services.
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout, Webinar Transcript
Date: 12/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Behavioral Health in Rural America: Challenges and Opportunities
Examines the prevalence of behavioral health disorders in rural populations with an emphasis on high-risk populations. Discusses access to behavioral health services in rural areas, and the barriers associated with the provision of prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Highlights programs and policy strategies known to demonstrate improvements in behavioral health systems, and offers policy recommendations for change supporting improved outcomes in rural populations.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): John Gale, Jaclyn Janis, Andrew Coburn, Hanna Rochford
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on the Aging Services Network and the Older Adults They Serve
Report highlights the results of a survey of National Council on Aging (NCOA) grantees and partners on the effect of the opioid epidemic on older adults. Details the percentage of respondents from rural areas and offers recommendations and resources to address the epidemic among the aging population.
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Aging
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Self-Identified Barriers to Rural Mental Health Services in Iowa by Older Adults with Multiple Comorbidities: Qualitative Interview Study
Highlights a study on the perceived barriers to mental healthcare for chronically ill elders in rural Iowa. Bases finding on phone interviews with participants where they detailed their experiences accessing mental healthcare. Breaks down data by age, gender, and mental health diagnosis, among other factors.
Author(s): Lauren Elizabeth Pass, Korey Kennelty, Barry L Carter
Citation: BMJ Open, 9(11), e029976
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
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