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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.

Barriers to Aging in Place in Rural Communities: Perspectives from State Offices of Rural Health
Summarizes findings from a survey of State Offices of Rural Health (SORHs) describing barriers for older adults in successfully aging in place in rural communities, including transportation, access to care, workforce issues, and cost of care. Presents respondents' policy and programmatic recommendations that would be beneficial for supporting older adults aging in place in rural areas.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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The Impact of Aging Baby Boomers in Rural America
Policy brief discussing the impact of the increasing proportion of the population turning 65 years old on rural communities. Offers policy recommendations for addressing barriers rural older adults face accessing healthcare and social services.
Author(s): Sarah Huling, Elizabeth Crouch, Whitney Zahnd
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Preferences for Long-Term Care Arrangements among Rural and Urban Older Adults
Describes long-term care preferences of 4,333 older people with functional limitations. Features statistics on characteristics of respondents, with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, John Mulcahy, Megan Lahr, Jill Tanem
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Examining the Potential for Additional Rebalancing of Long-Term Services and Supports
Explores efforts to rebalance long-term services and supports (LTSS) for older adults and people with disabilities toward home and community-based settings. Profiles five states with lower levels of rebalancing compared to the national average: Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Dakota, and West Virginia. Presents findings from interviews with federal and state officials, as well as other stakeholders involved with Medicaid LTSS systems and beneficiaries. Discusses how the COVID-19 public health emergency and flexibilities influenced LTSS services in these states. Offers future considerations for federal and state governments when addressing barriers to home and community-based services.
Date: 04/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Health Care Strategies, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, RTI International
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State Disability Maps
Interactive maps displaying state- and county-level data on disability prevalence and participation rates in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) programs among adults aged 18 to 64.
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica
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Social Isolation and Loneliness in Rural Communities and the Role of Cross-Sector Partnerships
Discussion with Carrie Henning-Smith around social isolation and loneliness in rural communities and obstacles to address these issues. Profiles how two Minnesota communities took steps to improve accessibility and social cohesion. Describes how cross-sector partnerships can promote recovery of rural communities after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Build Healthy Places Network
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Serving Rural Veterans with Disabilities: A National Survey of Centers for Independent Living
Describes results of a 2019 survey exploring how Centers for Independent Living (CILs) serve veterans in rural communities. Discusses CIL collaborations with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, specific needs of rural veterans, and how CILs could better meet these needs.
Author(s): Jennifer Hale-Gallardo, Consuelo M. Kreider, Yuxin Ni, et al.
Citation: Journal of Community Health, 46(4), 740-751
Date: 2021
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Home Modification and Repair Services and Needs in Indian Country
Discusses the importance of home modifications and repairs to promote successful aging in place and independent living, with a focus on tribal elders. Describes the types of home modification and repair services offered by Title VI Native American Aging Programs, funding sources, and unmet needs and barriers to services.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organizations: University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USAging
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Rural-Urban Differences among Older Adults
Chartbook describing characteristics of older adults in rural counties, and differences in demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, healthcare access and use, and health characteristics among urban and rural older adults. Features statistics including veteran status, racial and ethnic composition, percentage of older adults living alone, financial insecurity, health plan enrollment, health conditions, and disability status.
Author(s): Cody Tuttle, Jill Tanem, Megan Lahr, et al.
Date: 08/2020
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Living at Home in Rural America: Improving Accessibility for Older Adults and People with a Disability
Information on current federal resources, programs, and initiatives intended to improve home safety and accessibility for rural older adults and people with disabilities. Supports the Rural Health Strategy, launched by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2018 to improve health care in rural America by leveraging partnerships on the federal, regional, state, and local levels.
Date: 08/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Community Living, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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