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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

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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Remote Evidence-Based Programs for Health Promotion to Support Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Mixed Methods Outcome Evaluation
Evaluated the effectiveness of 5 evidence-based programs (EBP) for older adult health promotion that moved from in-person to remote delivery due to COVID-19. Analyzes both EBP participants and service providers on various participant health and wellness measures. Includes a breakdown of participant and service provider data by rurality.
Author(s): Lesley Steinman, Kelly Chadwick, Erica Chavez Santos, et al.
Citation: JMIR Aging, 7(2024), e52069
Date: 2024
Type: Document
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Indiana Health Workforce Summit: Behavioral & Mental Health
Provides an overview of the 2024 Indiana Health Workforce Summit that covered issues and strategies related to the Indiana healthcare workforce. Includes Information on education, training, recruitment, and retention in the areas of behavioral, primary care, and rural health. Discusses health workforce needs for specific population groups.
Additional links: Primary Care: Adult & Geriatrics Brief, Primary Care: Maternal & Child Brief, Rural Health Brief
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy, Indiana Department of Health, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration
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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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Addressing the Needs of Older & Disabled Adults in Rural Communities: Findings From the California Rural Master Plan for Aging Initiative
Webinar recording discussing the development of rural-specific master plans for aging in rural California. Offers an overview of the process, summary of findings, recommendations, and next steps. Transcript available in the description.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: California Collaborative for Long-Term Services and Supports
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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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