Community Partnerships for Older Adults: A Case Study

Over the past several decades, federal policy has made states and communities increasingly more responsible for providing long-term care for older adults. The Community Partnerships for Older Adults, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, saw this as an opportunity to explore new, sustainable ways to meet current and future needs for community-based long-term care. This initiative focuses on collaborative organizational partnerships, a distinctive philosophy of teaching and learning through the exchange of experience between communities, and program learning focusing on known factors promoting organizational sustainability. Using principles that emphasize the development of social capital and collective efficacy, the authors present a case study of the early experiences of this initiative to address the challenges inherent in meeting the growing supportive service needs of older adults. The implications of this multi-site community intervention for social work education and practice in aging are discussed

The Impact of Rural Residence on Multiple Hospitalizations in Nursing Facility Residents.

PURPOSE: This study explored issues surrounding hospitalization rates among rural and urban nursing facility (NF) residents. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data from the Minimum Data Set (MDS+) collected by states participating in the national Multi-State Case Mix Demonstration were used to assess whether rural NF residents experience higher rates of hospitalization compared with urban residents and to understand the extent that resident, facility, and market/area characteristics contribute to these differences. RESULTS: Rural NF residents were more likely than urban residents to have multiple hospitalizations. Further analysis demonstrated that the effect of rural residence on the probability of multiple hospitalizations is greater among newly admitted rural residents than among rural residents not classified as new admissions. In addition to rural residence, other factors associated with an increased likelihood of multiple hospitalizations included state of residence, diagnosis of congestive heart failure, and no discharge planned at the time of NF admission. IMPLICATIONS: The findings of this study have important implications for both clinical care and health policy related to the financing and administration of NFs

Rural Hospitals and Long-term Care: The Challenges of Diversification and Integration Strategies

Book chapter from Service Delivery to Older Adults: The Challenges of Diversification and Integration Strategies. Service Delivery to Older Adults provides a comprehensive discussion of contemporary challenges experienced by older rural residents and their communities in accessing and providing services. Many of the chapters provide details about programs and services which have been successful and may serve as models for others to consider.https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/facbooks/1193/thumbnail.jp