ABSTRACT
Numerous public benefit programs are available to assist struggling older adults with freeing up financial resources and enabling them to meet critical health needs. Utility benefits such as the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program provide vital assistance to help rural older adults offset the costs of heating and cooling their homes, thereby reducing respiratory disease symptoms and emergency room visits. Public benefits can offer rural older adults the critical help needed to remain independent and in their own homes and communities. National Council on Aging stigma research also revealed that exposure to others who enroll in benefits programs makes older adults less likely to feel isolated and embarrassed as a result of participation, which can be difficult in rural areas that lack a high penetration of social services. The Northern New Mexico Benefit Enrollment Center provides benefits outreach and enrollment assistance to residents living in its 8,000 square mile service area, which consists of many Native American communities.
