scholarly journals Rural Residents’ Hopes and Fears about Aging in Place: The Need to Improve Access to Aging Resources

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 621-621
Author(s):  
Allyson Brothers ◽  
Yuquin Jiao ◽  
Sue Schneider ◽  
Kaitlyn Wright
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Resource Needs ◽  
Available Resources ◽  
At Home

Abstract To support older adults’ preferences to age in place, home and community-based aging-related resources are available, but are often under-utilized. Many barriers prevent individuals from accessing aging-related resources, especially in rural and geographically isolated locations. Therefore, we set out to better understand the perspectives of community members who plan to age in place in rural areas. We administered a survey as part of a broader university-community partnership called Senior Access Points (SAP), which addresses aging-related resource access. Participants were N = 210 individuals living in rural regions across Northern Colorado, ranging from 37 to 94 years old (mean age = 68.91, SD = 8.85). We assessed hopes and worries about growing older at home, and awareness of available resources. Two independent coders applied a pre-determined coding scheme, then achieved consensus ratings. An overwhelming majority of participants affirmed the importance of being able to remain in their current home (94.8%) or community (95.3%) as they age. Top hopes for aging in place centered around health/medical; housing/home services; and independent rural lifestyle. The top worries were related to health/medical; housing/home services, and transportation. Resource awareness was low: 43.3% of all participants were not aware of any available resources. Overwhelmingly, rural residents hope to grow older at home, but may not know how to connect to resources that support this goal. The resource needs we identified are being used to inform community-driven approaches to improve both awareness and availability of community resources in these rural communities.

scholarly journals PLANNING FOR AGING IN PLACE IN RURAL AREAS: PERCEPTIONS AND NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S252-S252
Author(s):  
Raven H Weaver ◽  
Cory Bolkan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Service Access ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Age In Place

Abstract Most individuals prefer to live independently in their homes, but will need support to age-in-place safely. Rural-dwelling individuals historically have worse health, limited income, and restricted access to adequate services/supports compared to their urban counterparts. Community-based aging services organizations (i.e., Area Agency on Aging; AAA) offer in-home health, social support, and information/referral to community resources that support older adults in both urban and rural communities. A representative sample of adults aged 60+ (N=253, mean age=74) were surveyed via computer-assisted-telephone interviews about their health status, needs, and service utilization. Over half (54%) lived in rural counties, which was significantly associated with receiving insufficient health care services (X2=9.227, p=.002). Insufficient service access was also associated with experiencing a fall (X2=7.315, p=.007). While 53% reported having chronic conditions, most individuals still reported good health and their top reported needs included: yard work, interior/exterior house repairs, and housework. Content analysis of open-ended survey responses regarding future care needs revealed participants anticipate help from family/friends or neighbors; reliance on physicians for referrals; and expect insurance to cover their needs. Participants had varying awareness levels of available community resources and identified concerns about adequacy of services (e.g., mental health; transportation) and health insurance barriers (e.g., reimbursement; vision/dental coverage). Preparing for future needs and anticipating changing functional capacity is critical, especially among rural-dwelling older adults with chronic conditions. To improve ability for adults with diverse needs to age-in-place, preventive services/supports that span the continuum of care needs and that complement informal family care are necessary.

scholarly journals Environmental Gerontology During COVID-19: Aging in Place Since the Pandemic Onset

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 316-316
Author(s):  
Melissa Cannon ◽  
Jessica Finlay ◽  
Graham Rowles
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
The Social ◽  
Environmental Gerontology ◽  
Community Based Services

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is fundamentally changing neighborhood landscapes as we shelter in place and adjust our lifestyles. To age-in-place is to live in one’s home and/or community “safely, independently, and comfortably.” The ability to age-in-place is a public health priority for all, regardless of income or health status, and requires a variety of community resources to be sustainable. Since the pandemic onset, access to neighborhood resources was limited to reduce transmission risks. Changes to economic arrangements and socio-spatial norms have profoundly impacted daily life, though how these influence health and well-being is largely unknown. It is likely that these effects may vary in different communities and contexts; for example, neighborhoods that are able to self-organize to safely provide social support and resources may fare better. This symposium brings together cutting-edge studies in urban and rural U.S. places to explicate how the pandemic is transforming aging-in-place experiences and perspectives. The first presentation shows how rapidly community-based services have adjusted operations to meet the needs of their communities. The second presentation explores strategies to provide social support in rural communities. The third presentation highlights the social health needs of a subset of older adults who had not formed friendships with their neighbors. Together, these studies suggest that close examinations of aging-in-place conditions and mechanisms from organizational, socio-spatial, and social network perspectives are evermore important amid a pandemic. We discuss the implications of these empirical findings in relation to emerging theories within environmental gerontology.

scholarly journals Umbilical cord care through community-based distribution of chlorhexidine in rural Sindh, Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Shah ◽  
Q Jamali ◽  
F Aisha
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Umbilical Cord ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Cord Care ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Sindh Province ◽  
At Home

Abstract Background Unsafe practices such as cutting umbilical cord with unsterilized instruments and application of harmful substances, are in practice in many rural areas of Pakistan, and associated with high risk of neonatal sepsis and mortality. Methods We conducted an implementation research in 2015 in Tharparkar district, in Sindh province of Pakistan to understand the feasibility and acceptability of community-based distribution of chlorhexidine (CHX) in rural Pakistan. For this cohort group-only study, 225 lady health workers (LHWs) enrolled 495 pregnant women. Enrolled women received 4% CHX gel and user’s instructions for newborn cord care. The LHWs also counseled women on the benefits and correct use of CHX. Study enumerators collected data from CHX receiving women 3 times: at around 2 weeks before delivery, within 24 hours after delivery, and on the 8th day after delivery. We implemented this study jointly in collaboration with Ministry of Health in Sindh province, Pakistan. Results Among enrolled participants, 399 women (81%) received only the first visit, 295 women (60%) received first two visits and 261 women (53%) received all three visits by enumerators. Among 399 women, who received CHX gel, counseling on its use and were respondent to the first round data collection, 78% remembered that the CHX gel to be applied to cord stump and surrounding areas immediately after birth; but less than a third (29%) forgot the need to keep the cord clean and dry. Among 295 respondents in the first two rounds of data collection, who delivered at home, 97% applied CHX to cord stump on the first day. Conclusions Community-based CHX distribution by LHWs, along with counseling to recipient women, resulted in a high rate of cord care with CHX among newborn delivered at home. Results from this study may help program implementers to consider expanding this intervention for improving newborn cord care on the first day of life in Pakistan. Key messages Community-based distribution of chlorhexidine for newborn cord care appears as highly acceptable and feasible in rural communities in Pakistan. Relevant program policy supporting community-based CHX distribution along with counseling by LHW may help expanding coverage of newborn cord care in rural communities in Pakistan.

Using Teleconferencing to Meet the Needs of Children, 0 to 3 Years Old, With Disabilities in Rural Areas

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-182
Author(s):  
Jennifer Buchter ◽  
Samantha Riggleman
Keyword(s):  
Early Intervention ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Family Needs ◽  
Part C ◽  
Idea 2004 ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
Education Act

Serving families who live in rural communities can be a challenge for early intervention programs. Factors, such as travel, family needs, and limited program and community resources, have been identified as ongoing barriers for this population. Technology, specifically teleconferencing, can be a solution to provide equitable services compliant with Part C of Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; 2004) mandates and professional practices. This article will discuss how to determine whether teleconference technology is a good fit and how to individualize, plan, and implement technology to support families in rural communities. It will also discuss legal and practical considerations that must be taken into account when using teleconferencing to discuss service delivery.

DIFFUSION OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) THROUGH THE RURAL INTERNET CENTRE: THE MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCE

2010 ◽  
Vol 07 (02) ◽  
pp. 129-143
Author(s):  
AININ SULAIMAN ◽  
NOOR ISMAWATI JAAFAR ◽  
ROHANA JANI
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Communication Channel ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Diffusion Of Information ◽  
E Mail ◽  
By Products

This paper focuses on examining the ICT diffusion by studying an initiative of the Malaysian government to bridge the digital divide that exists across the country's urban and rural communities. This is achieved through investigating the operation and the experience of a typical Rural Internet Centre. The findings of this study showed that there is keen interest among the community to learn and sharpen their ICT-related skills. The Internet Centre serves to provide an avenue for the realisation of this goal. The study showed that despite some operational snags, the Internet Centre performed well. One of the by-products of the centre was that its activities fostered closer relationships among users; it provided an avenue for disparate community members to interact and share their new skills. Bringing the ICT usage and appreciation to the rural areas was successful. About half of the centre users made weekly visits during which they searched for information on the internet, sent and received e-mail and attended the Internet Centre's regular IT classes. They also saw it as a valuable communication channel and a potential leveller of the technological capability gap.

scholarly journals Community resilience in post-socialist rural areas

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 59-75
Author(s):  
Sándor Papp
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Path Dependence ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Resilience Thinking ◽  
Path Dependent ◽  
Wine Region

Resilience thinking has become an increasingly popular topic in both academic and policy-making circles due to its normative interpretation, which assumes that resilience is the opposite of vulnerability. Vulnerable groups, communities, settlements, regions and nations have a greater likelihood of facing more serious consequences in the event of unpredictable, negative shocks. Based on this view, in general, rural communities and regions can be considered more vulnerable and hence less resilient to unknown, negative events, as the subsistence of these communities is more closely linked to their environments rather than to people living in urban areas. This is further exacerbated by the path dependence of having a post-socialist past: the ‘legacy’ of socialism that, in many cases, includes a relatively disadvantageous position, backwardness and intensification of peripheralisation processes. While there is no consensus on the concept of resilience itself, there are several approaches and perspectives related to possibly detecting signs of its existence in rural communities. Our aim to present how the notion of resilience can be operationalised at the farm level in post-socialist contexts based on three different perspectives in order to contribute resilience thinking related to post-socialist discourses. We illustrate how rural community resilience may be conceptualised based on the example of the grape- and wine-producing communities of Soltvadkert, Hungary and the Minis-Maderat wine region, Romania. Based on our qualitative methodological results, it can be stated that the resilience of a community or group, its properties reflecting resilience can be interpreted in several ways, which is partly location-dependent, partly path-dependent, however, it is highly dependent not only on embedded structures but also on activities that are constantly reproduced by community members.

scholarly journals HAPPY IN MY HOME AND COMMUNITY: PREFERENCES OF OLDER RURAL RESIDENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S357-S357
Author(s):  
Joanne V Binette
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Community Preferences ◽  
Community Supports ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract AARP will introduce research on rural residents from the 2018 Home and Community Preferences Survey of Adults Age 18 and Older that shows the importance of making communities places where rural residents can successfully age throughout all stages of life. This data will provide useful insights regarding what adults who live in rural areas want and need in their communities to positively contribute to their overall health and well-being and keep them actively engaged and involved in their community. The survey data can serve as a key tool for communities to understand what rural residents view as important for successfully aging in place and strategies that communities might employ to create community supports and services conducive for older rural residents.

scholarly journals HAPPY WHERE I AM: HOME AND COMMUNITY PREFERENCES, TELEHEALTH, SOCIAL ISOLATION, AND WELLNESS OF OLDER RURAL RESIDENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S357-S357
Author(s):  
Cassandra Cantave Burton
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Healthy Behaviors ◽  
Social Opportunities ◽  
Community Preferences

Abstract About 16 percent of adults 50-plus and 25 percent of 65-plus adults reside in rural areas or small towns in the United States . The percentage increases to rural communities could mean a higher prevalence of chronic disease, a higher disability rate, a lower prevalence of healthy behaviors, and a widening gap in life expectancy relative to the nation as a whole. Moreover, rural areas face additional obstacles and challenges such: Difficulty forming community partnerships because of proximity challenges; migration of younger individuals to cities for career and social opportunities, resulting in a smaller pool of potential caregivers; an aging housing stock that also may be unsafe and in need of repair; and inadequate resources available to meet the broad range of needs among older adults. AARP has been engaged with policy makers and community members to ensure that older residents who live in rural areas have access to community supports so they can remain in their homes and communities and have the services that they need as they get older. Presenters in this symposium will present data supporting AARP’s work to better the lives of older rural residents. Findings from AARP studies on home and community preferences, social isolation, telehealth and broadband access, and brain health will be presented.

Integrating the Informal Sector for Improved Waste Management in Rural Communities

2019 ◽  
pp. 208-224
Author(s):  
Veronika Alhanaqtah
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Informal Sector ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Based

The chapter dwells on the theoretical and practical aspects of the informal sector involvement in the system of waste management in rural communities. First, the author discusses peculiar properties of the informal sector involvement such as social, economic, and environmental peculiarities. Second, organizing the informal sector in rural areas is considered. Such issues as the role of community members, organizational structures of community-based organizations, problems of community-based waste management, and directions of its solutions are covered. Third, the author provides summary of experience and policy recommendations for the integration of the informal sector in the waste management system in rural areas. The author concludes that policies facilitating the integration of the informal sector result in increasing recyclable recovery rates and reduction of total waste-management costs. Partnership with the informal recycling sector improves resource efficiency in rural areas and contributes to poverty reduction and environmental improvements.

scholarly journals Exploring the reasons why women prefer to give birth at home in rural northern Ghana: A qualitative study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Adatara ◽  
Johanita Strumpher ◽  
Esmeralda Ricks
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Traditional Birth Attendants ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Skilled Birth Attendants ◽  
Thick Description ◽  
Birth Attendants ◽  
Care Services ◽  
At Home

Abstract Background Skilled birth care during childbirth is reported in literature as one critical strategy for reducing maternal morbidity and mortality. Despite the importance of birth care provided by skilled birth attendants, women in rural areas of northern Ghana still give birth utilising the birth services provided by Traditional Birth Attendants. Methods A qualitative approach was adopted to explore the reasons for women preference to deliver at home in rural areas of northern Ghana. Individual interviews were used to obtain a thick description of factors and experiences of women associated with home births in rural areas in Ghana. The research population consisted of 10 women who utilised birth care services provided by Traditional Birth Attendants in a rural of northern Ghana. Data collected from the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed to identify themes. Results Findings showed that women gave birth at home in rural northern Ghana due to: Perceived poor quality of care and conduct of Skilled Birth Attendants; women received better care from Traditional Birth Attendants; due to financial constraints and women lacked access to healthcare facilities in the rural areas. Conclusion The study highlighted some barriers experienced by participants to the utilisation of birth care services provided by skilled birth attendants in rural northern Ghana. There is a need for skilled birth attendants to collaborate with Traditional Birth Attendants in rural and deprived communities to provide quality and culturally acceptable care in the rural communities to encourage women to patronise the services provided by skilled birth attendants.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document