Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Variation in Residential Care Community Resident Characteristics, by Size of Community: United States, 2020
Examines residential care communities in 2020 by community size, which is calculated by the number of residential care beds in their community: 4-25 beds, 26-50 beds, or over 50 beds. Includes data further broken down by resident age, race/ethnicity, Medicaid beneficiary status, prevalence of chronic conditions, and assistance needs for walking, bathing, eating, and other life skills.
Author(s): Christine Caffrey, Amanuel Melekin, Zhaohui Lu, Manisha Sengupta
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps (NACNHSC) Meeting Minutes, November 15-16, 2022
Minutes from the November 15-16, 2022 meeting, including presentations on collaborative care, shortage designation policy, HRSA's geriatrics programs, family caregivers, effects of COVID-19, and National Health Service Corps updates.
Additional links: Agenda, Caring for the Care Collaborator: Building and Sustaining the Competent Team, Health Resources and Services Administration's Geriatrics Programs, Leading In Challenging Times… Creating the Future We Want and Our Communities and Patients Need, Policy Updates, Preparing Clinicians to "R.A.I.S.E." Family Caregivers
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps
view details
Social Determinants of Health in the Age of COVID: Effects of Social Isolation Among Adults 62+ in Rural Pennsylvania
Results of a study analyzing the extent of social isolation among rural Pennsylvanians aged 62 or older during the pandemic, evaluating determinants of social isolation, identifying programs and services that minimize social isolation, and assessing potential replicability in Pennsylvania. Includes sections on factors such as mental health access, faith-based organizations, transportation, technology use, and housing options.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Christopher Harris, FangHsun Wei, Mary Rita Weller, Kelly Smith
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
The Living Conditions of Elderly in Nonmetro Illinois and East North Central Division of the Midwest Region
Research brief that provides data on the living conditions for elderly populations in Illinois. Includes statistics and data broken down by metro and nonmetro areas, including demographic information, self-reported ambulatory difficulties, and housing status, accommodations, and quality. Appendix 1 compares changes in elderly population from 2010 to 2020 by metro and nonmetro county.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
view details
Rural-Urban Prescribing Patterns by Primary Care and Behavioral Health Providers in Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness
Examines psychiatric prescription patterns by behavioral health specialists (BHSs) and primary care providers (PCPs) in older adults with serious mental illness (SMI). Analyzes 2018 Medicare data of 2,079,045 Medicare beneficiaries who received a prescription for their SMI diagnosis. Includes rural versus urban comparisons of psychiatric medication type and provider type.
Author(s): Ulrike Muench, Matthew Jura, Cindy Parks Thomas, Jennifer Perloff, Joanne Spetz
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 1440
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
view details
Who Will Care for Rural Older Adults? Measuring the Direct Care Workforce in Rural Areas
Policy brief examining existing disparities in the supply of home health aides and nursing assistants in rural areas compared to urban areas. Features statistics on the ratio of home health aides and nursing assistants relative to the population of adults age 65 and above, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas and by census region.
Author(s): Janette Dill, Carrie Henning-Smith, Rongxuan Zhu, Elizabeth Vomacka
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
QuickStats: Drug Overdose Death Rates Among Persons Aged ≥15 Years, by Age Group and Urban-Rural Status — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2020
Bar chart showing rural and urban overdose death rates by age group for those aged 15-24, 25-44, 45-64, and 65 and older.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(47), 1503
Date: 11/2022
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Patterns of Health Care Use among Rural-Urban Medicare Beneficiaries Age 85 and Older, 2010-2017
Policy brief examining how rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries age 85+ differ in terms of their socioeconomic and health characteristics that may inform healthcare use. Features statistics on trends in healthcare use, including inpatient and emergency department care, outpatient and prescription services, specialists and dentists, and home health and durable medical equipment, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Amanda Burgess, Carly Milkowski
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
Rethinking Rurality: Using Hospital Referral Regions to Investigate Rural-Urban Health Outcomes
Examines the relationship between the proportion of rural population served in each of the 306 hospital referral regions (HRRs) and health outcomes, healthcare spending and utilization, and access to and quality of primary care. Explores whether mortality differences in HRRs are associated with differences in price-adjusted Medicare reimbursements, quality of primary care, and access to primary care.
Author(s): Lucy Skinner, Sandra Wong, Carrie Colla
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), 1312
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
view details
Ohio 2023-2026 State Plan on Aging
Highlights the state's health, equity, and justice goals for aging Ohioans. Notes priorities in the areas of community conditions, healthy living, access to care, social connectedness, population health, and preserving independence including those of particular importance to rural or Appalachian residents.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Ohio Department of Aging
view details