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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Key Informant Perspectives on Rural Social Isolation and Loneliness
Describes challenges and opportunities related to health impacts of social isolation in rural areas, using data from interviews with 22 experts from 11 states and the District of Columbia. Addresses gaps in the literature on rural-urban differences in social isolation and offers suggestions for policy changes and programmatic interventions.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Alexandra Ecklund, Megan Lahr, et al.
Date: 10/2018
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Participation in Cultural Traditions Promotes Happiness and Peacefulness Among American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Elders
Explores the role traditional cultural practices play in the psychological wellness in American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian elders. Looks at rates of happiness, calmness, nervousness, and melancholy.
Author(s): Andrew Herting, Collette Adamsen
Date: 09/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Resource Center on Native American Aging
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Factors Associated with American Indian Mental Health Service Use in Comparison with White Older Adults
Describes the factors associated with mental health service use by older American Indian (AI) adults living in South Dakota, and compares these factors to usage by older White adults to better understand the barriers in utilization of mental health services.
Author(s): Moon, H., Lee, Y.S,, Roh, S., Burnette, C.E..
Citation: Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 5(4), 847-859
Date: 08/2018
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Care That Works: Support and Services at Home (SASH)
Examines the Vermont statewide program utilizing affordable housing communities to provide supportive services and care coordination for older adults and people with disabilities in rural areas. Describes how an on-site wellness nurse and care coordinator works with participants to coordinate assistance provided by social service agencies and community health providers with the services of the housing provider.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation
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Resources for Caregiving in Rural Communities
Policy brief describing national and state-level resources being used to support unpaid caregivers in rural areas. Information was gleaned from journal articles, websites, and interviews with 41 informants representing providers, academics, advocacy groups, and others.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Perspectives on Rural Caregiving Challenges and Interventions
Policy brief describing challenges and opportunities to support unpaid caregivers in rural areas, based on 34 interviews with 41 key informants, from October 2017 through February 2018. Highlights work that informal caregivers are doing and identifies policy levers that have been used to support them.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Elder Veterans Tend to Reside in Rural Counties and Near Military Bases
Map showing counties with a concentration of working-age and elder veterans, a concentration of working-age veterans, or a concentration of elder veterans, based on 2011-2015 American Community Survey data. Also identifies locations of military installations, ranges, and training areas.
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural Aging: Health and Community Policy Implications for Reversing Social Isolation
Summarizes discussions from a stakeholder meeting regarding reversing social isolation among rural seniors. Highlights three objectives: a common understanding, actionable solutions, and awareness. Discusses the economic and health impacts of isolation for aging rural residents. Covers policy recommendations.
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Examining Urban and Rural Differences in Perceived Timeliness of Care among Cancer Patients: A SEER‐CAHPS Study
Analyzes Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (SEER‐CAHPS) survey data for rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older diagnosed with breast, lung, colorectal, or prostate cancer between 1998 and 2013 to explore associations between patient residence at cancer diagnosis and patient ratings of access to care.
Author(s): Michelle A. Mollica, Kathryn E. Weaver, Timothy S. McNeel, Erin E. Kent
Citation: Cancer, 124(15), 3257-3265
Date: 06/2018
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Mapping Pharmacy Deserts and Determining Accessibility to Community Pharmacy Services for Elderly Enrolled in a State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program
Identifies pharmacy deserts and examines the availability and accessibility of community pharmacies. Evaluates their services provided to the elderly receiving assistance from the State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program (SPAP) in rural and urban Pennsylvania.
Author(s): Priti Pednekar, Andrew Peterson
Citation: PLoS One, 13(6)
Date: 06/2018
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