Rural environments present distinct challenges and opportunities for aging populations. In the U.S., the population is aging more rapidly in rural areas than in urban areas. Increasingly, place-based factors, including rurality, are being recognized as directly contributing to healthy aging and playing a vital role in promoting or precluding health equity. Understanding and addressing those challenges is essential to ensure healthy aging and promote health equity across the lifespan and all geographies. This Generations Now blog post discusses how the State of California is developing a Rural MPA Initiative investing in local plans for aging in rural communities and why investment in understanding the unique challenges and dynamics of aging in rural communities is critically important to ensure healthy and successful aging and promote health equity across the rural–urban divide.
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Patrice L. Dickerson, PhD
Director, Programs & Thought Leadership
American Society on Aging
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