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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Washington Long-Term Care Workforce Initiative Legislative Report
Provides an overview of long-term care (LTC) for older adults in Washington and the available LTC workforce. Focuses on workforce demand, initiatives and projects to improve the LTC workforce, and policy recommendations. Provides LTC data for rural Washington, including average facility patient count, staffing hours, number of nursing homes per rural county, and more.
Author(s): Donald J. Smith Jr., Christopher W. Dula, Claire M. Fite, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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Bridging a Care Gap: Policy Opportunities for Improving Access to Home-Based Primary Care
Recording of a panel discussion on home-based primary care for rural older adults and policies that could address challenges with offering and accessing home-based primary care. Discusses telehealth, broadband, community infrastructure, service models, community health workers, and more. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy
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Resources on Rides for Employment for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
Describes differences in transportation accessibility for older adults and people with disabilities based on resources available in particular communities. Provides resources and example programs focused on improving transportation options in rural areas.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Access to Preferred Skilled Nursing Facilities: Transitional Care Pathways for Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
Examines the ability of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) to access their preferred skilled nursing facility (SNF). Analyzes 2017-2019 data from 3,019,260 Medicare hospitalizations that resulted in an SNF transfer, with breakdowns according to ADRD or non-ADRD patient, age, sex, race/ethnicity, hospitalization, distance to care, and metro, micro, small town, or rural location.
Author(s): Dori A. Cross, Taylor I. Bucy, Momotazur Rahman, John P. McHugh
Citation: Health Services Research
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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Impacts of Transit on Health in Rural and Small Urban Areas
Overview of how public transportation affects health in rural and small urban areas. Summarizes findings from a literature review that looked at public transportation as it relates to the social determinants of health, healthcare access, physical activity, social isolation, and mental health. Also reports results from a survey of rural older adults supplemented by data analysis looking at travel for healthcare, challenges related to public transportation, and the impacts of missed or delayed healthcare trips.
Author(s): Jeremy Mattson, Bright Quayson
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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Mortality in Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2000–2019
Examines mortality trends in adults aged 65 or older from 2000-2019. Provides data breakdowns according to age group, sex, race/ethnicity, urban versus rural status, and top 10 leading causes of death.
Author(s): Ellen A. Kramarow, Betzaida Tejada-Vera
Citation: National Vital Statistics Reports, 72(14)
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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A Food Access Model in Michigan's Graying America
Presents a model for increasing food access for the aging and indigenous populations in a rural county in Michigan. Discusses the barriers to food access in the county, highlights specific concerns for each population, and details approaches to overcome those barriers.
Author(s): Wajeeha Kamal, Lily Guiney, Miles Oates
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Communities Project
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Housing America's Older Adults 2023
Provides an overview of demographics and housing needs of older adults in the U.S. Discusses affordable and accessible housing that allows for the appropriate level of care. Includes rural versus urban data comparisons of the aging population and housing issues specific to rural areas.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
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Tellegacy: An Intergenerational Wellness and Health Promotion Project to Reduce Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: A Feasibility Study
Surveyed 11 urban and rural older adults to determine the effectiveness of an intergenerational wellness program aiming to decrease social isolation and loneliness. Describes the curriculum and implementation of the program.
Author(s): Jeremy Holloway, Owais Sayeed, Donald Jurivich
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(23), 7094
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
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Why Do Older, White, Rural Residents Have Slower Broadband Speeds?
Evaluates the role of age and rurality in slower broadband speeds for older, white, rural residents. Discusses the concept of a reverse digital divide.
Author(s): Robert Gallardo
Citation: The Daily Yonder
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
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