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.
Older Americans Act: Greatest Economic and Social Needs of Rural Older Adults
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.
Author(s): Kathy Greenlee, Abby Cox, L. Carter Florence, Josh Protas, and Rebecca Yeboah
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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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.
Author(s): Kathy Greenlee, Abby Cox, L. Carter Florence, Josh Protas, and Rebecca Yeboah
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Caregiving in the US 2025: Caring Across States
Offers data on caregivers including demographics, tasks performed, finances and employment, and wellness. Includes rural, suburban, and urban breakdown for caregivers in 32 states.
Additional links: State-Specific Findings
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organizations: AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving
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Offers data on caregivers including demographics, tasks performed, finances and employment, and wellness. Includes rural, suburban, and urban breakdown for caregivers in 32 states.
Additional links: State-Specific Findings
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organizations: AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving
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Utilization of Home- and Community-Based Services among Rural Family Caregivers of Persons with Dementia: The Role of the Area Deprivation Index
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.
Author(s): Jasmine Santoyo-Olsson, Kenneth E. Covinsky, Jing Cheng, Dolores Gallagher Thompson, Veronica Yank
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1688161
Date: 10/2025
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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.
Author(s): Jasmine Santoyo-Olsson, Kenneth E. Covinsky, Jing Cheng, Dolores Gallagher Thompson, Veronica Yank
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1688161
Date: 10/2025
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Shifting Care Patterns: How Medicaid Policies Shape Family and Formal Care Use
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.
Author(s): Johanna Thunell, Elise M. Parrish, Katherine E.M. Miller
Citation: Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21(9), e70715
Date: 09/2025
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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.
Author(s): Johanna Thunell, Elise M. Parrish, Katherine E.M. Miller
Citation: Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21(9), e70715
Date: 09/2025
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Rural and Tribal Transit: The Federal Transit Administration Should Evaluate Its Efforts to Help Improve Accessibility and Service
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.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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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.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural Health Reimagined: Policy Support & Change for Rural Aging in New York
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.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: New York State Association for Rural Health
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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.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: New York State Association for Rural Health
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Caregiving in the US 2025
A national profile of family caregivers, describing demographics, living situations, wellness, and more as well as caregiving related policies. Discusses rural throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Full Report, Infographic
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organizations: AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving
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A national profile of family caregivers, describing demographics, living situations, wellness, and more as well as caregiving related policies. Discusses rural throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Full Report, Infographic
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organizations: AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving
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Ground Transportation for People with Mobility Disabilities 2025: Challenges and Progress
Discusses transportation barriers for people with disabilities that require wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs). Highlights accessibility of common transportation methods, federal policies and regulations, and recommendations to policymakers and businesses for increased accessibility. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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Discusses transportation barriers for people with disabilities that require wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs). Highlights accessibility of common transportation methods, federal policies and regulations, and recommendations to policymakers and businesses for increased accessibility. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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LTSS Users by State, County, and Setting
Interactive dashboard presenting data on the number of Medicaid enrollees that use long-term services and supports (LTSS) at the national, state, and county-levels in 2022. Includes data on LTSS users, Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) users, and institutional LTSS users by age, dual-enrollment status, and sex.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: ATI Advisory, The SCAN Foundation
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Interactive dashboard presenting data on the number of Medicaid enrollees that use long-term services and supports (LTSS) at the national, state, and county-levels in 2022. Includes data on LTSS users, Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) users, and institutional LTSS users by age, dual-enrollment status, and sex.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: ATI Advisory, The SCAN Foundation
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, June 2025
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.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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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.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Aging and aging-related services
- Elderly population
- Home and community-based services
- Informal caregivers
- People with disabilities
Last Updated: 10/29/2025