Community Supports for Rural Aging in Place and Independent Living – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Community Supports for Rural Aging in Place and Independent Living.
Meals on Wheels and Rural Communities, with Carter Florence and Shon Gress
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Carter Florence, DrPH, MPH, Vice President of Programs with Meals on Wheels America, and Shon Gress, CEO and Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Guernsey County. Focuses on the benefits of the program, the impact of braided funding, and how rural stakeholders can get involved.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Carter Florence, DrPH, MPH, Vice President of Programs with Meals on Wheels America, and Shon Gress, CEO and Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Guernsey County. Focuses on the benefits of the program, the impact of braided funding, and how rural stakeholders can get involved.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Research Insight: How Do Workforce Challenges and Strategies Vary Across Area Agencies on Aging?
Report analyzing workforce data for Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to identify connections between workforce challenges and organizational characteristics. Includes rural and urban comparisons.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: USAging
view details
Report analyzing workforce data for Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to identify connections between workforce challenges and organizational characteristics. Includes rural and urban comparisons.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: USAging
view details
2022 Transportation Trends
Identifies trends and issues affecting the availability of accessible transportation for older adults and people with disabilities. Summarizes results of a September 2022 survey of public transit and human services transportation providers; stakeholders; and aging and disability organizations such as Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living and Aging and Disability Resource Centers. Discusses nine themes related to the challenges of providing transportation to older adults, younger adults with disabilities, and caregivers, including the lack of transportation options in rural areas.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
view details
Identifies trends and issues affecting the availability of accessible transportation for older adults and people with disabilities. Summarizes results of a September 2022 survey of public transit and human services transportation providers; stakeholders; and aging and disability organizations such as Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living and Aging and Disability Resource Centers. Discusses nine themes related to the challenges of providing transportation to older adults, younger adults with disabilities, and caregivers, including the lack of transportation options in rural areas.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
view details
Medicaid: Characteristics of and Expenditures for Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities
Describes the health and demographic characteristics of adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) enrolled in Medicaid home- and community-based programs in 2019 in six states: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. Examines average per-beneficiary healthcare expenditures for I/DD beneficiaries in these states. Highlights the percentage of I/DD beneficiaries in rural areas of each state.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Describes the health and demographic characteristics of adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) enrolled in Medicaid home- and community-based programs in 2019 in six states: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. Examines average per-beneficiary healthcare expenditures for I/DD beneficiaries in these states. Highlights the percentage of I/DD beneficiaries in rural areas of each state.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Creating a Resource Map with Google My Maps
Provides a tutorial for creating a community living resource map through Google My Maps.
Additional links: Example Resource List, Resource List Template
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
view details
Provides a tutorial for creating a community living resource map through Google My Maps.
Additional links: Example Resource List, Resource List Template
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
view details
Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in Rural America: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Discusses barriers to implementing PACE programs in rural areas and offers policy recommendations and considerations to facilitate the expansion of these programs in rural communities.
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
Provides an overview of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Discusses barriers to implementing PACE programs in rural areas and offers policy recommendations and considerations to facilitate the expansion of these programs in rural communities.
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
Understanding Disabilities in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities Toolkit Guide
Provides an overview of federal laws, initiatives, agencies, and organizations that support work with American Indian and Alaska Native communities and individuals with disabilities. Includes dedicated sections with links to organizations and resources on healthy living, education, independent living, vocational rehabilitation and employment resources, assistive technology, housing and facilities, and transportation.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Council on Aging, National Council on Disability
view details
Provides an overview of federal laws, initiatives, agencies, and organizations that support work with American Indian and Alaska Native communities and individuals with disabilities. Includes dedicated sections with links to organizations and resources on healthy living, education, independent living, vocational rehabilitation and employment resources, assistive technology, housing and facilities, and transportation.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Council on Aging, National Council on Disability
view details
Unmet Needs for Help with Mobility Limitations among Older Adults Aging in Place: The Role of Rurality
Examines unmet mobility needs related to issues of access and appropriate housing in older adult populations. Analyzes data from 3,343 respondents of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) by various sociodemographic factors. Includes differences in health characteristics, fall history, and unmet needs with data broken down by rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr, John Mulcahy, Hannah MacDougall
Citation: Journal of Aging and Health, 35(9)
Date: 01/2023
view details
Examines unmet mobility needs related to issues of access and appropriate housing in older adult populations. Analyzes data from 3,343 respondents of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) by various sociodemographic factors. Includes differences in health characteristics, fall history, and unmet needs with data broken down by rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr, John Mulcahy, Hannah MacDougall
Citation: Journal of Aging and Health, 35(9)
Date: 01/2023
view details
Strengthening the Direct Service Workforce in Rural Areas
Summarizes the challenges of the direct service workforce in rural areas including strategies that rural stakeholders can use to provide high-quality, long-term care services and supports. Discusses the challenges of recruiting and retaining direct-care workers in rural areas.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Summarizes the challenges of the direct service workforce in rural areas including strategies that rural stakeholders can use to provide high-quality, long-term care services and supports. Discusses the challenges of recruiting and retaining direct-care workers in rural areas.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Addressing the Rising Mental Health Needs of an Aging Population: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summary of a May 2023 workshop discussing mental health care for older adults, including challenges and strategies for meeting mental health needs. Discusses disparities, social determinants of health, access, workforce, interventions and support, rural challenges, and more.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details
Summary of a May 2023 workshop discussing mental health care for older adults, including challenges and strategies for meeting mental health needs. Discusses disparities, social determinants of health, access, workforce, interventions and support, rural challenges, and more.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details
Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:

