Community Supports for Rural Aging in Place and Independent Living – Resources

Characteristics of Counties with the Highest Proportion of the Oldest Old
Policy brief examining the characteristics of communities having the greatest percent of residents ages 85 and older. Discusses documented differences in rural-urban locations in long-term care availability and caregiver supports. Includes a list of counties with the highest proportion of the oldest old, a county-level map with shadings showing proportions of the oldest old, and statistics on county characteristics, with breakdowns by highest-prevalence rural counties, all counties, rural counties, and noncore rural counties.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr, Jonathan Schroeder, Cody Tuttle, Samantha Mills
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Older Americans Act: Nutrition Services Program
Provides an overview of the Nutrition Services Program authorized under the Older Americans Act. Describes the administration of the Nutrition Services Program, its funding, service delivery, program participation, and program evaluation. Includes brief rural references throughout.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Older Americans Act
Official compilation of the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended through P.L. 116-131, enacted March 25, 2020. Provides federal funding for programs that support services for older adults. Provides states and localities with the flexibility to decide the allocation of National Family Caregiver Services between the populations served and extends authorization of the RAISE Family Caregiver Act and the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act by one additional year. Includes discussion of services to help rural older adults.
Date: 04/2020
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Rates of Living Alone by Rurality and Age
Identifies the percentage rates of adults living alone and within specific age groups using two classifications of rurality: the U.S. Census Bureau definition for rural and urban, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) definition for metropolitan/non-metropolitan county.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Jonathan Schroeder, Mariana S Tuttle
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Prevalence of Children Aged 3-17 Years With Developmental Disabilities, by Urbanicity: United States, 2015-2018
Results of a study examining geographic disparities in diagnoses of developmental disabilities and use of related services. Features statistics with breakdowns by prevalence of various conditions and by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Benjamin Zablotsky, Lindsey I. Black
Date: 02/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Informal Caregiving and Technology in Rural America
Highlights the challenges caregivers face in rural communities. Discusses how technology can offer potential solutions and identifies barriers to those solutions, such as broadband connectivity. Features Avera Health's eCare Senior Care, which provides a range of technology-assisted care services for assisted living and senior housing programs, as well as long-term care facilities.
Author(s): Tami Lichtenberg
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System
Examines how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, including those living in rural areas. Makes recommendations for clinical settings on screening for negative health impacts related to social isolation and developing interventions to help address this issue.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on the Health and Medical Dimensions of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on the Aging Services Network and the Older Adults They Serve
Report highlights the results of a survey of National Council on Aging (NCOA) grantees and partners on the effect of the opioid epidemic on older adults. Details the percentage of respondents from rural areas and offers recommendations and resources to address the epidemic among the aging population.
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Aging
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Partnership Integration for Rural Health Resource Access
Describes an interdisciplinary partnership model combining nursing, public health, and gerontology to address the health and social challenges affecting older adults living in rural areas. Offers steps for developing an interdisciplinary partnership and highlights a model utilizing clinical and non-clinical disciplines to improve rural health resource access.
Author(s): Teresa Sharp, Joyce Weil, Audrey Snyder, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 19(4), 5335
Date: 11/2019
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Nutrition Assistance Programs: Agencies Could Do More to Help Address the Nutritional Needs of Older Adults
Report focuses on the shortcomings of the federal nutrition guidelines in meeting the nutritional needs of older adults. Bases recommendations on interviews with older adults in both rural and urban areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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