News
New Data Brief Highlights Critical Roles of AAAs Serving Rural Communities
- By: USAging
- On: 04/02/2021 09:28:38
- In: Hot Topics in Aging
A new Data Brief released by n4a, Meeting the Needs of Older Adults Living in Rural Communities: The Roles of Area Agencies on Aging, highlights key data on AAAs serving rural areas. AAA support services are especially critical in rural areas, which have larger proportions of older adults than non-urban areas, and where residents are more likely to live in poverty, have higher rates of chronic conditions and have less access to health care and transportation options.
Using data from the 2019 AAA National Survey, the new Data Brief explores differences and similarities between AAAs serving rural and non-rural areas in structure, budget, workforce and service provision, including home repair and modification, transportation and evidence-based programs.
Key findings from the report include that AAAs in rural areas:
- Are more likely to administer their local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) than AAAs serving non-rural areas;
- Are more likely to be part of a council of governments or regional planning and development agency than AAAs serving non-rural areas; and
- Have lower median budgets and fewer median full-time staff than AAAs serving non-rural areas.