ABSTRACT
The United States is made up of diverse geographic, economic, and political regions. Older rural people, by almost all economic, health, and social indicators, are poorer and less healthy; they have poorer housing, fewer options in personal and public transportation, and significantly more limited access to health professionals and to community-based programs and services. The list of deficiencies and inequities may be surprising for those unfamiliar with the very real circumstances of many rural elders. Limited but growing research exists on rural elderly; much less, however, is available on rural minorities. Race, ethnicity, and culture are important factors for healthcare providers to consider, as minority status has been associated with poorer health and reduced health and human-service utilization. Minorities constitute a significant proportion of the overall population in some rural communities. Blacks constitute a large segment of the elderly in the rural South. In general, rural areas have fewer formal supportive services available to the elderly than do urban areas.
