Rural Aging

Prepared by Dr. Janice Elich Monroe, CTRS utilizing information provided by Dr. John Krout, Ithaca College Gerontology Institute Director.

Over 450,000 New York elders live in rural environments. The majority of these individuals do not live on farms and they represent a wide range of personal and cultural attributes. Many myths exist about rural elders that overstate the positive impacts and understate the negative impacts of living in rural areas. Rural elders face a "double jeopardy". They often have lower incomes, live in sub-standard housing, have no more frequent contact with adult children, and face greater access problems to fewer social and health service professionals. These individuals are also oftentimes less healthy that urban elders with higher rates of chronic and acute illness.

Although rural elders are in need of more social and health related services they face many barriers in securing these services. The decreased tax base often limits availability of services in rural areas. There are simply not enough people and money to render health care programs cost effective. In addition, it is difficult to attract health care professionals to work in rural areas. Health care professionals who work in rural environments are often required to travel long distances to provide their services, they get paid less, and oftentimes have to work alone (professional isolation). Health care services are also oftentimes difficult to access due to transportation problems. Many rural elders do not drive nor do they have social support systems that can get them to heath care centers miles away from their home. There is also typically a lack of public transportation available to them. Deeply ingrained attitudes of distrust may impact the individual’s willingness to access services. In addition, low levels of education may lead to a decreased awareness of health related issues. Cultural attitudes may also impact willingness to seek out services. Individuals may choose to utilize home remedies first and seek health care only when their condition becomes unbearable.

For more information regarding the provision of health care services for  rural elders you may want to read the following articles in:

Krout, John A., editor. (1994). Providing community based services to the rural elderly. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Articles of interest:

An overview of older rural populations and community based services, pages.3-18.

Home health services in rural America by Linda J. Redford & Alison B. Severns, pages 221-241.

Additional Online Resources

Changes in the Older Population and Implications for Rural Areas
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Aging Internet Information Notes: Rural Aging
Administration on Aging

Rural Family Medicine
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Rural Interest Group