Once per quarter, NOSORH facilitates an Aging in Rural Learning Group for State Offices of Rural Health. The Learning Group is a great opportunity for participants to join group discussions and informative presentations on various aging programs, projects and topics. People living in rural communities are poorer, sicker and (getting) older. With that knowledge comes the challenge of determining the SORH role without overstepping. The Aging in Rural Group attempts to chip away at that dilemma.
Interestingly, there are many resources readily available on the subject aging in rural. Here are a few web links that you may find useful as you begin your foray into rural aging populations:
Administration for Community Living – https://acl.gov/
The Administration for Community Living was created around the fundamental principle that older adults and people with disabilities of all ages should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and with the ability to participate fully in their communities.
National Institute on Aging (NIH) – https://www.nia.nih.gov/
NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads the federal government in conducting and supporting research on aging and the health and well-being of older people. The Institute seeks to understand the nature of aging and the aging process, and diseases and conditions associated with growing older, in order to extend the healthy, active years of life.
Department of Justice – Elder Justice Initiative – https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice
The mission of the Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s seniors. We engage in this work by focusing on the following mission areas: Building Federal, State and Local capacity to fight elder abuse, promoting justice for older Americans, supporting research to improve elder abuse in policy and practice, and helping older victims and their families.
These are just a sample of the many resources available to SORH that are interested in the rural aging population arena. If you have interest in engaging with the Aging in Rural Group please reach out to Scott Ekblad, Group Facilitator (ekblads@ohsu.edu), or Tammy Norville (tammyn@nosorh.org).