Initiatives & Programs
NRHA and The John A. Hartford Foundation have partnered to compile resources for rural communities and their providers. The following initiatives and programs related to age-friendly care in rural communities include PACE programs, transportation resources, and more.
Program for All-Inclusive Care for Elderly (PACE)
PACE offers comprehensive medical and social services to specific older people (participants); most of participants are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
More Resources on PACE in Rural Communities
- Listen to Setting the PACE for Aging in Rural Kansas with Emilie Rains from KS Public Health Institute podcast, “Health on the Plains”
- Watch The Better Care Playbook’s, How the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly Can Meet the Needs of Dually Eligible Individuals in Rural Communities
Supporting Family Caregiving & Home-Based Primary Care
- Best Practice Caregiving provides a database of dementia programs for caregiving
- Diverse Elders Coalition offers Caring for Those Who Care, a resource for health, social service providers, and aging professionals to learn about the unique needs of diverse family caregivers. Caring for Caregiver Training Program
- The House Call Finder is one component of work supported by a four-part, coordinated grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation's Moving and Scaling Home-Based Primary Care Phase III.
- Watch USAging Webinar: Serving People Living with Dementia: Programs and Interventions to Promote Social Engagement
- Watch the Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy’s: Bridging a Care Gap: Policy Opportunities for Improving Access to Home-Based Primary Care for Rural Populations
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Transportation Resources for Older Adults
FTA programs can fund full-time mobility managers with 80% covered by federal funds and 20% covered by local funds to help connect people to transportation options. FTA funds a national technical assistance center dedicated to encouraging the adoption of mobility management: National Center for Mobility Management.
To assist with finding rural transit, the FTA created a new mapping tool to find rural, tribal, and older adult transportation programs across the U.S.: Community Transportation Database.
Public transit providers may not charge more than half of the peak fare for fixed route transit for Medicare cardholders with FTA half fare.
- Read more at Understanding Half Fare/Reduced Fare Requirements.
- An example of half fare implementation was in Fredericksburg, VA.
FTA offers transportation coordination assistance; vehicle sharing and incidental use coordination opportunities, including for Meals on Wheels. Read more at Transportation Coordination | FTA (dot.gov).
Older Adult Initiatives
Food Insecurity
- At the core of the Meals on Wheels service is a nutritious meal, companionship and a watchful eye on the health and safety of older people. For those who have trouble getting around, they bring the service to you. For those who can still venture out into their communities, they serve in gathering places.
Elder Justice
- Elder justice is the response taken toward elder abuse: including physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, neglect and abandonment, and financial exploitation. The Department of Justice and Department of Agriculture are working together to respond to elder abuse in rural and tribal communities with the Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative.
- The Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC) advocates for policies and programs that improve aging in communities for racially and ethnically diverse people; American Indians and Alaska Natives; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender people.
- Watch USAging webinars:
Reframing Aging
- The Reframing Aging Initiative is designed to counter ageism by improving perspectives on what it means to age and how the older generation contributes to our society. The effect will be more supportive policies and programs.
Quality Care
- The Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) Program has designed surgical standards to improve care and outcomes for older adult patients.
- Look into the Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation, like Pampa Regional Medical Center.
Multisector Plans for Aging
- Multisector Plans for Aging (MPA) help outline access to coordinated care and support services to ensure aging with health, dignity and connection.
- Learn more about team's working in your state with the Multisector Plan for Aging Learning Collaborative which is helping states advance multi-year, cross-sector planning efforts.
- If you are looking for successful local examples in rural communities, read these reports from the Inland Empire and Shasta, Butte & Glenn Counties who built out their recommendations (described in these reports) into a detailed action plan by March 2025.