Community Supports for Rural Aging in Place and Independent Living resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

News: Risk of Social Isolation Among Older Adults: A County-Level View

Tue, 19 May 2026 09:22:04 -0500

Almost a quarter of American adults aged 65 and older are at risk for social isolation. Highlights the variation in risk, both among states and at the county level.

Event: 2027 National PACE Association Spring Policy Forum

Fri, 08 May 2026 11:20:41 -0500

Washington DC
March 14, 2027 -- National PACE Association

Resource: Experiences of People with Disabilities in Rural America 2026 Infographic ADSC

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:20:47 -0500

Infographic on disability in rural America using American Community Survey data. Includes data on prevalence, employment, and poverty.

News: Announcement: Age-Friendly Health

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:38:14 -0500

Health Affairs has issued a call for journal articles focusing on age-friendly health including a focus on rural topics such as innovation in rural delivery of long-term services and supports, addressing rural care gaps associated with nursing home closures, and the impact of payment policies that boost rural home health supply in addition to workforce, caregiving, social determinants of health, technology, and more. Articles will be considered on an ongoing basis through June 2028.

Funding opportunity: Maude's Awards

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:11:26 -0500

Offers a monetary award for organizations and individuals excelling in care for persons living with dementia.

Resource: Opportunities to Transform Care for Rural Older Adults: Using the Rural Health Transformation Program to Create Sustainable, Age-Friendly Healthcare

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:00:58 -0500

Recording of a March 2026 webinar discussing opportunities for including rural age-friendly care in Rural Health Transformation Program work. Includes information on PACE and community health workers.

Resource: 2026 Annual Disability Statistics Conference

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:33:13 -0500

Recordings and materials from the 2026 Annual Disability Statistics Conference where the Annual Disability Statistics Collection is released and presented. Session 3 discusses the challenges with finding and using rural disability data.

Resource: Annual Disability Statistics Compendium 2026

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:27:09 -0500

Presents statistics on Americans with disabilities across key social and economic indicators derived from American Community Survey (ACS) data, including employment, educational attainment, health and healthcare, and more. Section 10 presents data on people with disabilities in rural areas, and compares the prevalence of disability, demographic characteristics, employment status, income, and insurance coverage status across metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas. -- National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

Event: 2026 National Home and Community Based Services Conference

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:30:38 -0600

Baltimore MD
August 23, 2026 -- ADvancing States

Resource: Rural Healthy Aging: Policy and Infrastructure Opportunities for the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP)

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:53:15 -0600

Offers recommendations for integrating aging-related policies into existing Rural Health Transformation Program plans. Includes recommendations around planning, access to care, caregiving, technology, aging in place, and integrated care models. Includes resources for implementation and information on funding. -- National Rural Health Association, Stratis Health

Resource: Age-Friendly in Rural Communities: November 2025 Age-Friendly Public Health Systems Training

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:23:08 -0600

Webinar recording discussing the National Rural Age-Friendly Initiative (NRAFI) from the National Rural Health Association, how NRAFI fits within the Age-Friendly Ecosystem, and recent activities of NRAFI. Transcript available in video description. -- Trust for America's Health

Resource: What Makes a Rural Community Age-Friendly?

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:21:43 -0600

Brief discussing key factors for making a rural community age-friendly based on interviews with 25 older adults and 36 community leaders and service providers in 4 rural Iowa towns. Discusses rural challenges, volunteer run services, and social networks. Offers policy recommendations based on findings. -- Rural Population Research Network

Organization: The SCAN Foundation

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:45:12 -0600

The SCAN Foundation works in policy and programmatic grantmaking for systems-level changes and community-based solutions for older adults both in California and nationally.

Resource: Supporting Older Adults in Rural Communities: Home- and Community-Based Care

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:47:23 -0600

A collection of resources offering research, case studies, implementation tools, and policy considerations covering the continuum of care for older adults in rural communities. Includes information on the care models Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), community-based palliative care, and community paramedicine. -- Center for Health Care Strategies

Resource: 2025 Chartbook: AAAs Respond to Complex Community Needs: Trends and New Directions from the National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:01:40 -0600

A chartbook offering data from the 2025 National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging. Rural topics discussed include transportation, social engagement, and areas served by Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). Also discusses AAAs services, caregiving, funding, the needs of specific communities, and more. -- USAging

Resource: PACE in Rural Communities: Emerging Evidence on Integrated Care for Older Adults

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:33:20 -0600

An interview conversation with Carrie Henning-Smith of the the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (UMN) Rural Health Research Center about All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Covers how PACE supports older adults, the impact of PACE in rural communities as well as potential barriers, and policy and partnership needs. -- Center for Health Care Strategies

Resource: Caregiving in the US: Rural Family Caregivers

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:46:24 -0600

A national profile of rural family caregivers and challenges they face. Offers data on living arrangements, access to affordable services, and employment. -- AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving

Resource: Older Americans Act: Greatest Economic and Social Needs of Rural Older Adults

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 10:07:13 -0500

Policy brief discussing the economic and social needs for rural older adults. Offers policy and action recommendations for the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, discussing rural aging programs, affordable housing, access to nutrition, social isolation, healthcare workforce shortages, and caregiver support. -- National Rural Health Association

Resource: Caregiving in the US 2025: Caring Across States

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:04:12 -0500

Offers data on caregivers including demographics, tasks performed, finances and employment, and wellness. Includes rural, suburban, and urban breakdown for caregivers in 32 states. -- AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving

Resource: Utilization of Home- and Community-Based Services among Rural Family Caregivers of Persons with Dementia: The Role of the Area Deprivation Index

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:35:19 -0500

Examines the association between utilization of home- and community-based services and area-level factors as measured by the Area Deprivation Index, utilizing survey data of 361 rural family caregivers of people with dementia. Analyzes the relationship between home or community service use and level of area deprivation, U.S. region, and other individual factors.

Resource: Shifting Care Patterns: How Medicaid Policies Shape Family and Formal Care Use

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:24:37 -0500

Analyzes the impacts of Medicaid 1915(c) waivers on likelihood of receiving formal versus family care among adults aged 70 years and older with functional limitations, utilizing 2011-2019 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) data. Highlights the significance of waiver payments for family caregiving for population subgroups including Medicaid beneficiaries, rural residents, and people living with dementia.

Resource: Rural Health Reimagined: Policy Support & Change for Rural Aging in New York

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:46:20 -0500

Outlines rural relevant recommendations developed at an April 2025 summit in preparation for the New York statewide Master Plan for Aging (MPA). Recommendations cover topics including access to healthcare, social isolation, ageism, supporting informal caregivers, strengthening the health workforce, and age-friendly practices in rural communities. -- New York State Association for Rural Health

Resource: Rural and Tribal Transit: The Federal Transit Administration Should Evaluate Its Efforts to Help Improve Accessibility and Service

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 09:17:29 -0500

Explores the primary federal funding sources for accessible transit for older adults and people with disabilities for rural and tribal communities. Describes the approaches these communities have used to provide accessible transit, and the challenges they have faced. Discusses how the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have helped communities use funds to improve these transit services. -- Government Accountability Office

Resource: "I Now Have the Freedom to Do What I Want, When I Want, Like Anybody Else": The Impact, Creation, and Management of Transportation Voucher Programs

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 14:31:50 -0500

Explores the impacts and implementation of transportation voucher programs supporting people with disabilities in rural areas via interviews with CIL staff and disabled voucher program participants. Discusses the experiences of rural people with disabilities and highlights benefits and challenges of transportation voucher programs. -- University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities

Resource: Rural Dissemination: Bridging Research and Practice for Aging and Disability Services

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 09:24:42 -0500

A recorded webcast that discusses strategies to ensure aging and disability research reaches hard-to-reach and rural areas. Provides examples of rural research, dissemination methods, and collaborative efforts.

Resource: Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, June 2025

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:06:49 -0500

Semi-annual report to Congress from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Covers recommendations related to transitions from pediatric to adult care for Medicaid-covered children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Also discusses appropriate access to residential behavioral health treatment services for children, findings from MACPAC's analytic work on access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in Medicaid, an overview on the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, and self-direction for Medicaid home- and community-based services. Includes rural references throughout. -- Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission

Organization: National Rural Transit Assistance Program

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:33:29 -0500

A federal-state-local partnership that provides training and technical assistance products and services, that are developed nationally, for distribution and replication by the states to local transit agencies. A National Transit Resource Center is supported, which offers access to information and expertise, including an online list of state RTAP contacts.

Resource: Operating Status of Adult Day Services Centers in 2022

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 09:49:14 -0500

Offers estimates from the 2022 National Post-acute and Long-term Care Study (NPALS) regarding operating status of adult day service centers as a result of COVID-19 response efforts. Compares U.S. Census Bureau regions, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan statistical areas, Medicaid licensure, and number of enrolled participants. -- National Center for Health Statistics

Resource: Annual Disability Statistics Collection: Build Your Own Statistics - County Level Statistics

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:48:00 -0500

Dashboard presenting American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data for county-level statistics on disability prevalence as well as employment, poverty, insurance, and education statistics for people with disabilities.

Resource: As Older Rural Population Grew, Ratio of Rural U.S. Eldercare Establishments Fell

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:19:29 -0500

Bar chart comparing the number of eldercare establishments per 1,000 adults 65 or older in rural and urban areas between 2010 and 2023. Eldercare establishments include those that provide home health, long-term care, or assisted living services, as noted in the 2024 Rural America At a Glance report. -- USDA Economic Research Service