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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Public Transportation's Impact on Rural and Small Towns: A Vital Mobility Link
Presents a report on rural and small-town public transportation. Looks at specific groups of non-drivers that require some form of public transportation, as well as the different types of transit and the advantages they present to small, rural communities. Provides several case studies and discusses a number of myths about public transportation in rural areas.
Author(s): Todd Litman
Date: 2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Public Transportation Association
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Aging in Rural Communities: Older Persons' Narratives of Relocating in Place to Maintain Rural Identity
Uses data from 16 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with older adults living in a rural area to examine their assessment of their current living situation. Seeks to understand the perspective of older persons who move from a rural area to a more populous, but still rural community. Also discusses the influence of overall health status and access to healthcare services when making relocation decisions.
Author(s): Joyce Weil
Citation: Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy, 12(1)
Date: 2017
Type: Document
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Tribal Nursing Home Best Practices: Traditional Foods
Presents a guide for tribal nursing homes to develop a traditional food menu for elderly American Indians and Alaska Natives. Discusses the health benefits of traditional foods and the methods for involving elders and the community in the planning and implementing of traditional food menus. Features organizations, case studies, and webinars, among other resources.
Date: 12/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural Promising Practice Issue Brief: Caring for Older Adults and Caregivers at Home (COACH)
Describes the efforts of the Durham Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) to provide home-based care for veterans with moderate to severe dementia and their caregivers, through its COACH program. Helps VA providers to improve access for rural veterans and can be used as a model for other VAMCs.
Additional links: Overview
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Older Adult Social Participation and Its Relationship with Health: Rural-Urban Differences
Analyzes social participation among older adults and if the relationships between social participation and health differ between rural and urban settings in Wisconsin. Includes study population statistics on current and past self-reported health status, marital status, employment, age, income, social participation, and rurality.
Author(s): Eric M. Vogelsang
Citation: Health & Place, 42, 111-119
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
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Rural Promising Practice Issue Brief: Geriatric Scholars Training Program
Details a Veterans Administration training program model for providers practicing in Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) or in home-based primary care serving elderly (65+) rural veterans. Features examples of promising results, implementation information, and adoption considerations.
Additional links: Overview
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Utility of the Living (Well Through) Intergenerational Fitness and Exercise Program as a County-Delivered Extension Program
Evaluates the suitability of the county Extension to deliver the Living (well through) Intergenerational Fitness and Exercise (LIFE) program, a group-based exercise program for rural residing older adults providing low-cost, effective physical activities to address chronic health conditions and improve health-related quality of life.
Author(s): Ashleigh J. Sowle, Sarah L. Francis, Jennifer A. Margrett, Warren D. Franke
Citation: Journal of Extension, 54(4), rb5
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
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Aging Gracefully: The PACE Approach to Caring for Frail Elders in the Community
Provides an overview of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model, which offer participants comprehensive medical and long-term services and supports. Highlights Mountain Empire's PACE, which serves older adults in rural Virginia.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein, Douglas McCarthy
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Health Status and Social Networks as Predictors of Resilience in Older Adults Residing in Rural and Remote Environments
Examines the relationship of health status and social networks with the resilience of older adults living in a very rural (frontier) Wyoming county. Discusses how family and friend networks, and physical and mental health status may predict resiliency and impact the ability of older adults to remain in their homes.
Author(s): Christine McKibbin, Aaron Lee, Bernard A. Steinman, Catherine Carrico, Katelynn Bourassa, et al.
Citation: Journal of Aging Research, 2016
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
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Vulnerable Rural Counties: The Changing Rural Landscape, 2000-2010
Examined how rural counties were impacted by the 2008 recession, specifically focused on an increase in poverty levels, shifts in population, and loss or reduction of healthcare services and facilities. Includes county-by-county maps with data such as poverty and unemployment rates, elderly population, educational level, non-White population, health insurance coverage, availability of primary care and other specialties, and change in number of hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Appendices include tables comparing urban and rural/remote county statistics.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Kevin J. Bennett, Yu-Hsiu Lin, Matthew Yuen, Deshia Leonhirth, Janice C. Probst
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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