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.
Unmet Needs for Help with Mobility Limitations among Older Adults Aging in Place: The Role of Rurality
Examines unmet mobility needs related to issues of access and appropriate housing in older adult populations. Analyzes data from 3,343 respondents of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) by age, sex, race, education, income, and housing status/characteristics. Includes differences in health characteristics, fall history, and unmet needs with data broken down by rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr, John Mulcahy, Hannah MacDougall
Citation: Journal of Aging and Health, 35(9)
Date: 01/2023
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Examines unmet mobility needs related to issues of access and appropriate housing in older adult populations. Analyzes data from 3,343 respondents of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) by age, sex, race, education, income, and housing status/characteristics. Includes differences in health characteristics, fall history, and unmet needs with data broken down by rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr, John Mulcahy, Hannah MacDougall
Citation: Journal of Aging and Health, 35(9)
Date: 01/2023
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Strengthening the Direct Service Workforce in Rural Areas
Summarizes the challenges of the direct service workforce in rural areas including strategies that rural stakeholders can use to provide high-quality, long-term care services and supports. Discusses the challenges of recruiting and retaining direct-care workers in rural areas.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Summarizes the challenges of the direct service workforce in rural areas including strategies that rural stakeholders can use to provide high-quality, long-term care services and supports. Discusses the challenges of recruiting and retaining direct-care workers in rural areas.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Addressing the Rising Mental Health Needs of an Aging Population: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summary of a May 2023 workshop discussing mental health care for older adults, including challenges and strategies for meeting mental health needs. Discusses disparities, social determinants of health, access, workforce, interventions and support, rural challenges, and more.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Summary of a May 2023 workshop discussing mental health care for older adults, including challenges and strategies for meeting mental health needs. Discusses disparities, social determinants of health, access, workforce, interventions and support, rural challenges, and more.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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2023 Chartbook: More Older Adults, More Complex Needs: Trends and New Directions from the National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging
A chartbook offering data from the 2022 National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging. Rural topics discussed include transportation grants, social engagement, and areas served by Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). Also discusses AAAs services, housing, workforce and staffing, COVID-19, and more.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organizations: Miami University, Scripps Gerontology Center, USAging
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A chartbook offering data from the 2022 National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging. Rural topics discussed include transportation grants, social engagement, and areas served by Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). Also discusses AAAs services, housing, workforce and staffing, COVID-19, and more.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organizations: Miami University, Scripps Gerontology Center, USAging
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America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2023
Provides a national and state-by-state overview of population health for older adults across 52 measures using data from 22 unique data sources. Covers social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Highlights health differences, including rural-urban differences, across five categories of health. Includes state-by-state summaries and county-level maps for risk of social isolation by state.
Additional links: County-Level Maps for Risk of Social Isolation
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Provides a national and state-by-state overview of population health for older adults across 52 measures using data from 22 unique data sources. Covers social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Highlights health differences, including rural-urban differences, across five categories of health. Includes state-by-state summaries and county-level maps for risk of social isolation by state.
Additional links: County-Level Maps for Risk of Social Isolation
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Developing a Local MPA to Address the Needs of Older & Disabled Adults in Rural Communities
Recording of a December 2022 webinar highlighting three coalitions in California that are developing local Master Plans for Aging (MPAs) to address the challenges of aging in rural communities. Discusses the steps the coalitions are taking to develop their MPAs, including forming advisory committees, gathering community input, identifying potential action items, planning for implementation and sustainability, and more. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: California Collaborative for Long Term Services and Supports
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Recording of a December 2022 webinar highlighting three coalitions in California that are developing local Master Plans for Aging (MPAs) to address the challenges of aging in rural communities. Discusses the steps the coalitions are taking to develop their MPAs, including forming advisory committees, gathering community input, identifying potential action items, planning for implementation and sustainability, and more. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: California Collaborative for Long Term Services and Supports
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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
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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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
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Improving Access to and Enrollment in Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
Provides an overview of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), including the history of the model and the recent policy landscape. Identifies challenges to the growth of PACE and offers federal policy recommendations that would address the challenges to the spread and scale of PACE. Discusses the results of the 2006 Rural PACE Provider Grant Program and policies to promote further access to PACE programs in areas with low penetration rates, including rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Provides an overview of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), including the history of the model and the recent policy landscape. Identifies challenges to the growth of PACE and offers federal policy recommendations that would address the challenges to the spread and scale of PACE. Discusses the results of the 2006 Rural PACE Provider Grant Program and policies to promote further access to PACE programs in areas with low penetration rates, including rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Summary, Lawrence, Kansas, September 14-16, 2022
Summarizes the 90th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Lawrence, Kansas. Presents an overview of national and state perspectives on Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Summarizes the 90th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Lawrence, Kansas. Presents an overview of national and state perspectives on Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Federal Funding for Transportation Programs Serving Older Adults and People with Disabilities
Discusses the role of federal funding as a primary source of funding to support transportation programs that meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Describes funding programs from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Health and Human Services, AmeriCorps, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Highlights programs for rural and tribal communities.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Discusses the role of federal funding as a primary source of funding to support transportation programs that meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Describes funding programs from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Health and Human Services, AmeriCorps, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Highlights programs for rural and tribal communities.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Aging and aging-related services
- Elderly population
- Home and community-based services
- Informal caregivers
- People with disabilities
Last Updated: 8/4/2025