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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Rural-Urban Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life: Patterns for Cancer Survivors Compared to Other Older Adults
Study examining health-related quality of life for older cancer survivors based on data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (SEER-MHOS), comparing quality of life scores in urban and rural areas. Describes implications for interventions to support physical, social, and emotional health-related quality of life for rural older cancer survivors.
Author(s): Jennifer L. Moss, Casey N. Pinto, Scherezade K. Mama, et al.
Citation: Quality of Life Research, 30, 1131-1143
Date: 04/2021
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How Grayson County is Getting Connected
Discusses efforts to build broadband infrastructure in Grayson County, Virginia in rural Appalachia. Describes the planning process, health implications of broadband access in the county, and advice for communities seeking broadband.
Author(s): AARP Livable Communities
Date: 04/2021
Sponsoring organization: AARP
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Tribal Transit Study: Demographic Needs Indicators, Funding Needs and Livability
Explores the demographic characteristics that correlate with transportation needs among American Indian and discusses the transit options available in several reservations in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington. Breaks down data by demographics such as senior citizen status, disability status, and income, among other factors.
Date: 04/2021
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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Evidence-based Health Promotion Programs among American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Communities
Report details disparities in healthcare access for American Indian (AI), Alaska Native (AN), and Native Hawaiian (NH) communities. Discusses the role the Older American Act has played in providing services to AI/AN/NH populations and highlights the results of a survey of directors and staff of programs funded through the act on its efficacy and challenges. Explores evidence-based practices aimed at health promotion and disease prevention in AI/AN/NH communities and discusses the experience of both program directors and the elders in the community.
Additional links: Perspectives from Older Americans Act Title VI Directors and Staff on Health Promotion Programs in Indigenous Communities, Successful Strategies & Lessons Learned from Implementing Evidence-Based Programs in American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Communities, The Voices of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Elders
Author(s): Collette Adamsen, Becky Bendixen, Melody Woodrich-Fernando, et al.
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Aging
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Rural-Urban Disparities in All-cause Mortality among Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries, 2004–17
Examines the change in all-cause mortality rates among low-income Medicare beneficiaries dually-enrolled in Medicaid between 2004 and 2017. Compares rates between rural and urban beneficiaries by age, ethnicity, insurance type, and census region.
Author(s): Emefah Loccoh, Karen E. Joynt Maddox, Jiaman Xu, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 40(2), 289-296
Date: 02/2021
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America at a Glance: 5310 & 5311 Transportation Funding in Rural Counties
Examines how much funding is received by rural counties from the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (section 5310) and Formula Grants for Rural Areas (section 5311) programs. Discusses the type of agencies that receive section 5310 and 5311 funding in rural counties. Includes a map to highlight geographic differences in funding distribution.
Author(s): Andrew Myers, Ari Lissau
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
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Meeting the Challenge of Caring for Persons Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners and Caregivers: A Way Forward
Examines the existing evidence on care interventions, services, and supports for people with dementia and their caregivers. Discusses gaps in the current evidence base and opportunities for future research. Describes interventions that can be implemented in a variety of settings to continue to expand the evidence base. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Ensuring Contact: Calling Rural Appalachian Older Adults During the COVID-19 Epidemic
Presents a study on the well-being and healthcare needs of socially isolated adults 75 years and older during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural West Virginia. Bases conclusions on telephone interviews with seniors from April 1-22, 2020. Breaks down data by demographic characteristics, mental and physical health conditions, and comfort with different forms of communication technology, among other factors.
Author(s): Robert B Walker, Michael Grome, William Rollyson, Adam D Baus
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 21(1), 6122
Date: 01/2021
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Producing Insecurity: Healthcare Access, Health Insurance, and Wellbeing among American Indian Elders
Analyzes the results of 96 surveys and interviews with American Indian elders aged 55 and older in U.S. Southwest to determine their perception of fear and doubt regarding interactions with healthcare providers and IHS facilities, and the costs of healthcare services and health insurance.
Author(s): Jaramillo, E.T., Willging, C. E.
Citation: Social Science & Medicine, 268
Date: 2021
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California State Plan on Aging 2021-2025
Offers a 5-year plan for California's Department of Aging (CDA) outlining priorities and objectives, including the state's response to older adults in rural areas. Appendices offer data on the population 60+, specifying minority, non-minority, low-income, geographically isolated, and Medi-Cal eligible elders.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: California Health and Human Services Agency
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