Aging in Community Project
Challenges for Older Adults in Rural North Dakota
Older adults often want to stay in their own homes and communities as long as possible, but access to health care and finding resources that promote health and wellness in rural communities can be challenging.
North Dakota is faced with unique challenges in caring for and about its older residents. Two-thirds of its counties are designated as frontier (less than six residents per mile). A documented shift of the state’s population from rural counties to urban areas has resulted in a higher proportion of older adults in small towns and sparsely populated locations.
Between 2019 and 2029, the state’s population of people 65 and older is projected to increase by 32%. In contract, the working-age population (ages 20 to 64) is projected to decrease from 59% in 2016 to 55% in 2029, placing additional burdens on a critical workforce shortage.
What is Aging in Community?
Rural communities face many challenges in helping older adults age well in their homes and communities. Gaps in formal and informal services and supports, lack of suitable housing and social isolation are just a few of the issues confronting older adults who reside in rural areas. Aging in Community is a program designed to develop local community-based models to address the needs of older adults and their family members residing in the area. AIC’s purpose is to assist older adults to be able to remain in their rural communities.
The current sites are in Western Morton County and the Lisbon Area. NDSU Extension has received a multiyear grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, as well as funding from North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, to fund the project.
Services Provided
- Connection to community resources for clients and caregivers
- Food preparation and nutrition classes
- Medicare State Health Insurance Assistance Program counseling
- Home adaptive solutions
- Social engagement opportunities
- Advanced care planning assistance
- Fall prevention education
- Powerful Tools for Caregivers (education for family caregivers)
- Physical and cognitive fitness opportunities
- Transportation to medical appointments and local errands
- Technology assistance
- Options for mental health well-being
Aging in Community Pilot Sites
The North Dakota AIC project is being piloted in Lisbon and Western Morton County.
Assuring North Dakota is a good place to live and age well is a complex problem needing an integrated and collaborative solution. To address the need for collaboration, each location has identified local stakeholders to serve on a steering committee that will provide input on the development of pilot programs.
Both the rural Morton County and Lisbon area locations are staffed with a program coordinator and volunteer coordinator/program assistant. They are serving older adults and their families with a variety of services, including transportation assistance provided by trained volunteers.
In the Media
In a rural small town, a group of locals steps up to support senior health - NPR
Funding
NDSU Extension has received a multiyear grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, as well as funding from North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, to fund the project.
