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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Differences in Medicare Service Use in the Last Six Months of Life among Rural and Urban Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries
Reports on a study of healthcare utilization by Medicare beneficiaries in the last six months of life in both urban and rural areas. Compares beneficiaries with dual eligibility with those who are eligible for Medicare only. Looks specifically at inpatient care, outpatient care, and home health, as well as other types of healthcare services.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Kevin J. Bennett, Janice C. Probst
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Rural-Urban Differences in Medicare Service Use in the Last Six Months of Life
Details a study on healthcare utilization by Medicare beneficiaries in the last six months of life in both urban and rural areas. Looks specifically at inpatient care, outpatient care, and home health, as well as other types of healthcare services.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Kevin J. Bennett, Janice C. Probst
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Heartache, Pain, and Hope: Rural Communities, Older People, and the Opioid Crisis: An Introduction for Funders
Provides an overview of the opioid crisis and its impact on the lives of older adults. Addresses both opioid use by older adults and addiction within older adults' families. Identifies solutions being implemented by governments, communities, healthcare providers, and funders to address these concerns. Includes policy recommendations.
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Grantmakers In Aging
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State of Care: Minnesota's Home Care Landscape
Provides a snapshot of the home care landscape in Minnesota. Includes information on the quality of care, workforce compensation, training, and unique challenges and changing demographics in rural areas. Includes statistics on home care workforce demographics in Minnesota and at the national level, and older adult population by county.
Date: 07/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: PHI
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Medicaid in Small Towns and Rural America: A Lifeline for Children, Families, and Communities
Uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) to explore the changing levels of Medicaid coverage and uninsured rates at the county level by age. Addresses the role of Medicaid in the 46 states containing small-town and rural populations. Includes numerous charts, maps, and graphs to help illustrate the relationship between Medicaid growth and uninsured rates in rural areas, focusing on the time period from 2008-2009 to 2014-2015.
Additional links: Interactive Map: The Percent of Adults in Small Towns and Rural Areas Covered by Medicaid, 2014/15, Interactive Map: The Percent of Children in Small Towns and Rural Areas Covered by Medicaid, 2014/15, State Data on Adult Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Child Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Non-Elderly Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Seniors' Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas
Author(s): Jack Hoadley, Karina Wagnerman, Joan Alker, Mark Holmes
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Rural Promising Practice Issue Brief: IMPROVE: Integrated Management and Polypharmacy Review of Vulnerable Elders
Highlights a model for delivering integrated care management for older rural veterans with co-occurring chronic diseases. Presents methods for rural providers to help patients manage their prescriptions and avoid polypharmacy.
Additional links: Overview
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Rural Promising Practice Issue Brief: Interdisciplinary Clinical Video - Telehealth for Geriatrics and Dementia
Highlights the development, implementation, and evaluation of an interdisciplinary telehealth program designed to help caregivers provide coordinated care for aging rural veterans suffering from dementia. Discusses the interdisciplinary team model comprised of social workers, geriatricians, primary care providers, and rural caregivers coordinating to maintain a uniform level of care. Includes outcomes regarding the increase of access to education and caregiver support, as well as the ability of providers to prescribe medication to rural patients.
Additional links: Overview
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Older Rural- and Urban-Dwelling Appalachian Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment
Study comparing Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) symptom severity for older urban and rural residents of Appalachia when seeking neuropsychological testing. Discusses prevalence of MCI and its association with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Analyzes data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set for a sample of 289 patients.
Author(s): Meghan K. Mattos, Beth E. Snitz, Jennifer H. Lingler, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 33(2), 208-216
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
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Nonmedical Out-of-Pocket Patient and Companion Expenditures Associated With Glaucoma Care
Discusses and evaluates predictors of patient expenditures to assess cost-effectiveness of glaucoma treatment, using data from 300 patients whose median age was 66 years. Features demographic statistics including breakdowns by urban, suburban, or rural location.
Author(s): Emily M. Schehlein, Lily T. Im, Alan L. Robin, Eberechukwu Onukwugha, Osamah J. Saeedi
Citation: Journal of Glaucoma, 26(4), 343-348
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
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Evaluation of the Effect of the Older Americans Act Title III-C Nutrition Services Program on Participants' Food Security, Socialization, and Diet Quality
Explores nutrition services programs' effects on elders' diets and social connectedness. Features demographic statistics on participants, with breakdowns by urban and rural locations.
Author(s): James Mabli, Elizabeth Gearan, Rhoda Cohen, et al.
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Community Living
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