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.
Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities: Federal Programs Provide Support for Preventing Falls, but Program Reach is Limited
Provides an overview of nine federal programs designed to provide evidence-based falls prevention, home assessments, or home modifications for older adults and adults with disabilities. Explores what federal agencies know about how these programs affect participants' health and to what extent agencies coordinate their efforts and provide consumer information. Includes data on the estimated percentage of falls among adults with disabilities by demographic characteristics and identifies programs serving rural communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of nine federal programs designed to provide evidence-based falls prevention, home assessments, or home modifications for older adults and adults with disabilities. Explores what federal agencies know about how these programs affect participants' health and to what extent agencies coordinate their efforts and provide consumer information. Includes data on the estimated percentage of falls among adults with disabilities by demographic characteristics and identifies programs serving rural communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Exploring Metro and Non-Metro Differences in Satisfaction with Services and Community Participation among Low-income Personal Assistance Service Users
Examines differences between metropolitan and non-metropolitan users of personal assistance services (PAS), which allow people who need assistance with activities of daily living to remain in their own homes and communities. Discusses factors associated with PAS satisfaction and community participation.
Author(s): Rayna Sage, Krys Standley, Genna M. Mashinchi
Citation: Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 3, 876047
Date: 06/2022
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Examines differences between metropolitan and non-metropolitan users of personal assistance services (PAS), which allow people who need assistance with activities of daily living to remain in their own homes and communities. Discusses factors associated with PAS satisfaction and community participation.
Author(s): Rayna Sage, Krys Standley, Genna M. Mashinchi
Citation: Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 3, 876047
Date: 06/2022
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Creating Rural Community Outreach Materials Related to COVID-19 and Disability
Summarizes recommendations developed during a series of rural disability stakeholder meetings for facilitating COVID-19 and vaccination outreach materials for people with disabilities living in rural areas and their friends, family, and caregivers. Includes examples of how information can be modified for rural constituents.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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Summarizes recommendations developed during a series of rural disability stakeholder meetings for facilitating COVID-19 and vaccination outreach materials for people with disabilities living in rural areas and their friends, family, and caregivers. Includes examples of how information can be modified for rural constituents.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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Transportation Equity for Older Adults
Explores concerns regarding transportation access for older adults. Presents a framework for communities to assess how the transportation needs of older adults are being met. Discusses potential solutions to improve transportation access in communities. Highlights challenges to accessible transportation in rural areas.
Author(s): Laura Fraade-Blanar, Ryan Best, Regina A. Shih
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Explores concerns regarding transportation access for older adults. Presents a framework for communities to assess how the transportation needs of older adults are being met. Discusses potential solutions to improve transportation access in communities. Highlights challenges to accessible transportation in rural areas.
Author(s): Laura Fraade-Blanar, Ryan Best, Regina A. Shih
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People with Disabilities: Research Findings
Summarizes findings from research funded by the Administration for Community Living's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) on the experiences of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights research on rural communities and telehealth.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Community Living
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Summarizes findings from research funded by the Administration for Community Living's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) on the experiences of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights research on rural communities and telehealth.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Community Living
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America at a Glance: An Update on Rural-Urban Differences in Disability Rates
Examines data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2015-2019 estimate to describe disability rates in rural communities. Presents data on metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore disability rates by type, age, and race/ethnicity. Describes how these rates have changed since the ACS 2010-2014 estimate.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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Examines data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2015-2019 estimate to describe disability rates in rural communities. Presents data on metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore disability rates by type, age, and race/ethnicity. Describes how these rates have changed since the ACS 2010-2014 estimate.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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2021 FTA Section 5310 Compendium
Provides an overview of the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program, which is designed to support the specialized transportation needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Discusses the role of Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) using Section 5310 funding to develop and manage accessible transportation programs. Includes case studies and examples of how AAAs used Section 5310 funding, including programs serving rural residents.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Provides an overview of the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program, which is designed to support the specialized transportation needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Discusses the role of Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) using Section 5310 funding to develop and manage accessible transportation programs. Includes case studies and examples of how AAAs used Section 5310 funding, including programs serving rural residents.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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State Summaries of Lifespan Respite Grant Activities and Outcomes: Final Reports, FY2017 – FY2018 Grantees
Summaries of final reports from the fiscal year 2017 and 2018 Administration for Community Living (ACL) State Lifespan Respite Care program grantees. The State Lifespan Respite Care program aims to create coordinated systems of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children and adults of all ages with special needs. Describes each of the project's outcomes, accomplishments, and partnerships. Highlights programs serving rural areas.
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center
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Summaries of final reports from the fiscal year 2017 and 2018 Administration for Community Living (ACL) State Lifespan Respite Care program grantees. The State Lifespan Respite Care program aims to create coordinated systems of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children and adults of all ages with special needs. Describes each of the project's outcomes, accomplishments, and partnerships. Highlights programs serving rural areas.
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center
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COVID-19: Selected States Modified Meal Provision and Other Older Americans Act Services to Prioritize Safety
Examines how four states utilized COVID-19 funding and regulatory flexibilities to address challenges to serving older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifies strategies states and localities used to meet nutrition and other needs of older adults. Includes perspectives from rural localities and service providers.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines how four states utilized COVID-19 funding and regulatory flexibilities to address challenges to serving older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifies strategies states and localities used to meet nutrition and other needs of older adults. Includes perspectives from rural localities and service providers.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Rural and Urban People with Disabilities
Explores the prevalence of social isolation and loneliness among people with disabilities. Examines data from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) as well as the National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD) to identify factors associated with social isolation and loneliness, including living in a rural location and transportation problems.
Author(s): Catherine Ipsen, Gilbert Gimm
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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Explores the prevalence of social isolation and loneliness among people with disabilities. Examines data from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) as well as the National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD) to identify factors associated with social isolation and loneliness, including living in a rural location and transportation problems.
Author(s): Catherine Ipsen, Gilbert Gimm
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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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: 9/2/2025