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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Mortality in Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2000–2019
Examines mortality trends in adults aged 65 or older from 2000-2019. Provides data breakdowns according to age group, sex, race/ethnicity, urban versus rural status, and top 10 leading causes of death.
Author(s): Ellen A. Kramarow, Betzaida Tejada-Vera
Citation: National Vital Statistics Reports, 72(14)
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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A Food Access Model in Michigan's Graying America
Presents a model for increasing food access for the aging and indigenous populations in a rural county in Michigan. Discusses the barriers to food access in the county, highlights specific concerns for each population, and details approaches to overcome those barriers.
Author(s): Wajeeha Kamal, Lily Guiney, Miles Oates
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Communities Project
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Housing America's Older Adults 2023
Provides an overview of demographics and housing needs of older adults in the U.S. Discusses affordable and accessible housing that allows for the appropriate level of care. Includes rural versus urban data comparisons of the aging population and housing issues specific to rural areas.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
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Tellegacy: An Intergenerational Wellness and Health Promotion Project to Reduce Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: A Feasibility Study
Surveyed 11 urban and rural older adults to determine the effectiveness of an intergenerational wellness program aiming to decrease social isolation and loneliness. Describes the curriculum and implementation of the program.
Author(s): Jeremy Holloway, Owais Sayeed, Donald Jurivich
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(23), 7094
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
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Why Do Older, White, Rural Residents Have Slower Broadband Speeds?
Evaluates the role of age and rurality in slower broadband speeds for older, white, rural residents. Discusses the concept of a reverse digital divide.
Author(s): Robert Gallardo
Citation: The Daily Yonder
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
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Helping Older Adults Age Well in Rural America
Provides an overview of strategies that mitigate challenges related to aging in rural communities. Provides data on healthcare access in rural areas and presents successful models that focus on transportation, social services, and alternative care models, such as paramedicine and hybrid care.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Malnutrition-Related Mortality Trends in Older Adults in the United States from 1999 to 2020
Analyzes trends in malnutrition mortality from 1999 to 2020 in adults over 65 years old. Examines mortality rates broken down by gender, race, Census region, age group, and location on the urban-rural continuum.
Author(s): Naydeen Mostafa, Ahmed Sayed, Omar Rashad, Omar Baqal
Citation: BMC Medicine, 21, 421
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
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A Place to Thrive: Creating Opportunities to Age Well in North Carolina
Reports on North Carolina's aging population, and provides recommendations and strategies for improved health and livability for an aging population. Key topics include social and economic factors affecting older adults, the culture of aging, services and programs that support aging in place, and workforce supporting older adults' needs. Mentions rural population throughout as a disproportionately affected group.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
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Do SNAP Eligibility and Benefit Determinations Sufficiently Reflect Expenses of Older Households?
Report investigating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility guidelines to determine whether they are in line with the spending patterns of low-income households with adults over 50. Offers policy recommendations based on findings. Table 1 of the appendix compares the rural and urban share of total expenditures for these households.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Joshua Leftin, Nicardo McInnis, Andrew Wen
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Three USDA Rural Broadband Programs: Areas and Populations Served
Evaluation of funded and unfunded grants and loans for 3 U.S. Department of Agriculture rural broadband programs between 2009 and 2021. Determines geographic and population distribution trends and characteristics of successfully funded projects.
Author(s): John Pender, Joshua Goldstein, Devika Mahoney-Nair, Hanna Charankevich
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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