Social Engagement in Rural Communities: Takeaways from the 2023 USAging Annual Conference

At the 2023 USAging Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Salt Lake City, USAging staff held a roundtable discussion on rural health and social engagement. Staff asked participants about the local challenges related to connecting with older adults living in rural, tribal, frontier and other geographically isolated communities. The groups shared factors that prevent organizations from effectively engaging with these older adults and caregivers. Participants also shared creative approaches, best practices and innovative programming that help socially engage this population.

The feedback includes perspectives from 54 participants from all regions of the U.S. in a broad range of sectors including but not limited to aging and disability services, transportation, technology, health care and government. Here are the highlights.

Barriers to Rural Connection

Participants discussed the challenges they experience reaching older adults in their respective service areas. Accessible and affordable transportation, internet access, language access and food security in rural communities are often limited. There was consensus that since rural agencies typically cover large service areas, the longer travel time for staff means that people living in physically isolated towns are harder to reach. Participants also described a common hesitancy in rural communities to trust outside providers. There is often distrust of providers, agencies and individuals that are not from these communities. The frequency of issues discussed by the roundtables is shown in Figure 1: Top Issues Discussed by Roundtables.

Local Partnerships Enhance Rural Social Engagement

While there are unique barriers to reaching rural older adults, roundtable participants said community-based organizations and communities find innovative ways to connect with individuals. Participants suggested partnering with these local, trusted organizations to build trust and leverage the strong sense of community these areas hold. Some potential partners include senior centers, libraries, schools, local stores, restaurants, medical providers and faith-based organizations.

Participants shared their own creative social engagement programs and services to reach rural communities including telephone reassurance, friendly visitor programs, health promotion events, exercise programs, intergenerational programming and caregiver support programs. About 40 percent (n = 21) of participants suggested providing incentives to encourage participation in social engagement programming. Some suggested joint marketing with other local organizations to spread the word in remote areas.

To address limited internet access, 80 percent (n = 42) of participants suggested using hotspots to allow staff and individuals better broadband access. Participants suggested intergenerational training to teach staff and older adults how to effectively use technology to enhance social engagement. A few participants suggested utilizing emergency texting services to reach isolated individuals, so long as messaging is clear and trusted.

To address workforce issues, all roundtables (n = 54) suggested using volunteers to staff services and programs which can benefit program participants and volunteers alike. The most prominent volunteer group mentioned were local RSVPs (Retired and Senior Volunteer Programs). To analyze the effectiveness of social engagement programming, 65 percent (n = 35) of participants suggested surveys, assessments and existing systems to track information. Participants suggested collecting demographic information, engagement levels and qualitative data to support the continuation of social engagement programs and better target individuals residing in rural communities.

Sustainability of Rural Social Engagement Programming

Participants expressed an overwhelming need for advocacy for additional funding, particularly administrative or unrestricted funds to support staffing in rural agencies. About 25 percent (n = 14) of attendees mentioned that they would like more information about private partnerships, grants and technology opportunities available to rural agencies to support social engagement programming. There was consensus that rural agencies can benefit most from assistance with training and implementation of social engagement programs to continue the amazing work that is happening in rural communities.

Additional Resources

Ali Fehlhaber