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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2018
Provides a national and state-by-state overview of population health for older adults across 34 measures, as well as two supplemental measures new in 2018: suicide rate and risk of social isolation. Includes a special focus on persistent health disparities and challenges facing rural seniors.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Mobility & Aging in Rural America: The Role for Innovation: An Introduction for Funders
Outlines challenges facing older people, people with disabilities, and people in areas with few mobility options. Includes a section on funding strategies for rural transit. Describes successful programs, defines mobility as a social determinant of health, and explores approaches for improvement, including new partnerships with healthcare providers and telehealth.
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Grantmakers In Aging
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Deaths from Falls Among Persons Aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2007–2016
Reports on rates and trends for deaths from falls for people age 65 and older from 2007 to 2016. Includes data by urban/rural status, as well as for other selected characteristics.
Author(s): Elizabeth Burns, Ramakrishna Kakara
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(18), 509-514
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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The Future of Rural Transportation and Mobility for Older Adults: Current Trends and Future Directions in Technology-Enabled Solutions
Focuses on transformation of mobility for older adults in rural areas through innovation in transportation solutions. Describes how mobility restrictions are a social determinant of health, and the ways in which this can adversely impact health and independence for older rural people.
Author(s): Andrew Broderick
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Grantmakers In Aging
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Older Adult Housing: Future Collaborations on Housing and Health Services Should Include Relevant Agencies and Define Outcomes
Assesses the extent to which the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service collaborated to address the needs of older adults living in federally assisted housing.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The State of Health in New Mexico 2018
Describes the health status for the population of New Mexico in rural and urban areas. Provides statistics on multiple health indicators, such as socioeconomic status, maternal and child health, chronic disease, substance use, and injury, among others.
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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Tribal Nursing Home Best Practices: Cultural Sensitivity
Details several models for culturally competent tribal nursing homes and the measures the facilities implemented to provide appropriate care for American Indian and Alaska Native elders. Discusses some initiatives implemented, such as hiring a cultural liaison to coordinate traditional activities and providing person-centered care.
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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A Healthy Smile Never Gets Old: A California Report on the Oral Health of Older Adults
Highlights oral health status and key issues among older adults living in California. Compares rates of untreated tooth decay and complete tooth loss in urban and rural areas of the state.
Author(s): Sahiti Bhaskara, Conrado E. Barzaga
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Oral Health
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Education, Income, and Employment and Prevalence of Chronic Disease Among American Indian/Alaska Native Elders
Results of a study measuring the effects of income, employment status, and education level on the rates of chronic disease among 14,632 American Indian or Alaska Native elders from 2011-2014. Features demographics with breakdowns by 10 chronic diseases.
Author(s): Collette Adamsen, Shawnda Schroeder, Steven LeMire, Paula Carter
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 15
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
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Residential Settings and Healthcare Use of the Rural "Oldest-Old" Medicare Population
Results of a study using Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data to profile rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries ages 85+ in terms of their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, residential settings, health and functional status, and healthcare use. Features statistics on these topics with breakdowns by rural and urban location.
Author(s): Nathan Paluso, Zachariah Croll, Deborah Thayer, Jean A. Talbot, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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