This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

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.

Toolkit: State Strategies to Support Older Adults Aging in Place in Rural Areas
Describes state initiatives helping older rural adults age in place by supporting services allowing them to remain in their homes. Strategies are focused around building the workforce, increasing access to services in rural areas, and addressing social determinants of health. Includes examples of programs that have already been implemented as well as emerging ideas from several states across the country.
Author(s): Neva Kaye, Kristina Long
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Health Resources and Services Administration, National Academy for State Health Policy, National Organizations of State and Local Officials
view details
Select Maps on the Population 65 and Older in the United States by County: 2013-2017
Collection of maps showing county-level data on adults age 65 and older, with a focus on disability. Includes maps showing disability combined with living alone, widowhood, poverty status, and labor force participation.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Supportive Services and Caregiving for Older Rural Adults: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of current supportive services and caregiving policies for rural older adults, in terms of availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. Explores topics including long-term services and supports, telehealth, care coordination, transportation, stigma, and unpaid caregivers, and describes federal programs for older adults. Offers policy recommendations and considerations.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
National Program Helps Older Adults in Rural Maine and Hawaii Feel More CAPABLE
Highlights CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place—Advancing Better Living for Elders), a national model that connects low-income older adults with an occupational therapist, registered nurse, and home repair services. Features programs implemented in Hawaii and Maine based on this model.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
In Support of Family Caregivers: A Snapshot of Five States
Examines policies developed in Washington, Minnesota, Hawaii, Tennessee, and Maine to support family caregivers, including those in rural areas. Features demographic characteristics of the states profiled, state expenditures by the Administration for Community Living in FY2016 on older adults and caregivers, and data on state Medicaid policies affecting these groups.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Jennifer Aufill, Julia Burgdorf, Jennifer Wolff
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, The John A. Hartford Foundation
view details
Unmet Need for Personal Care Assistance among Rural and Urban Older Adults
Policy brief exploring the unmet need for personal care help across 11 activities, such as self-care, household chores, and mobility-related tasks, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Zhengtian Wu, Megan Lahr
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
Older Americans Act: HHS Could Help Rural Service Providers by Centralizing Information on Promising Practices
Focuses on services and resources authorized by the Older Americans Act to help older adults age in place in rural communities. Addresses challenges accessing home and community-based services in rural areas and information on strategies for addressing those challenges. Covers home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, family caregiver services, case management, and homemaker services. Research included interviews with ACL officials, rural area agencies on aging (AAA) in 8 states, rural health experts, and stakeholder groups; a literature review; and site visits.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Rural-Urban Disparities in Access to Home- and Community-based Services and Supports: Stakeholder Perspectives from 14 States
Examines rural-urban disparities in the supply and utilization of home- and community-based services (HCBS). Identifies factors that impact access to HCBS in rural areas.
Author(s): Daniel Siconolfi, Regina A. Shih, Esther M. Friedman, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 20(4), 503-308
Date: 04/2019
view details
Disability in America: People with Disabilities (2017)
Displays general disability rates on the county level using data from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey (ACS).
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
view details
Aging in Appalachia
Episodes of the radio program "Inside Appalachia," exploring challenges faced by elderly people in Appalachia, and the resources available to them. Topics include caregiver shortages, Alzheimer's disease, dying with dignity, and isolation and loneliness.
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: West Virginia Public Broadcasting
view details

Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 10/3/2024