Demographic changes, which are defined by internal migration, immigration, and changing age structure, affect rural communities. In this paper, demographic changes in rural locations with a focus on older adults will be discussed. This theme is topical nowadays, as there are a lot of rural communities in the USA, which experience population aging (Thiede, Brown, Sanders, Glasgow, & Kulcsar, 2017). The writing is based on the information from the website www.ruralhealthinfo.org, located in the source named “Rural Health Information Hub.”
The module Demographic changes and aging population on the mentioned website contain information on the number of older adults living in the USA. It also includes estimates of their number in 10 and 30 years in the state. It is pointed out that the problem of aging is especially significant in rural areas because the majority of the elderly live in the countryside. The issue further deteriorates as the aging population causes an increased need for healthcare, which is more difficult to deliver in rural places than in the cities (“Demographic changes and aging population,” n.d.). Therefore, the presented information includes some useful data about the aging process in rural areas. It observes the problems that are caused by this process. It turns out that the most significant issue for the elderly in rural areas is the lack of accommodation, such as retirement communities. In addition, they experience a lack of assistants in living facilities. I think that youth should be aware of these facts as they may affect their personal or work-related experience with older adults. I, personally, will try to help the elderly from rural areas through donations and volunteering in the hospitals and retirement communities. Social workers can also contribute to the decision of these problems through application to higher authorities with new projects on building more accommodations for the elderly in the countryside.
However, even though the resource pays readers’ attention to the issues of older adults, it has no information on what should be done to improve the situation. The prerequisites and reasons that caused the aging process in the USA are not included either. Also, some of the problems caused by the aging process are not mentioned. For instance, the issue of overwhelming society’s ability to provide services to other people while addressing the issues of the elderly (Hash, Jurkowski, & Krout, 2015). Therefore, even though the resource raises important questions, there is still room for its improvement.
References
Demographic changes and aging population. (n.d.). Web.
Krout, J., & Hash, K. (2015). What is rural? Introduction to Aging in rural places. In K.M. Hash, E. T. Jurkowski, & J. A. Krout (Eds.), Aging in rural places: Programs, policies, and professional practice. (pp.3-22). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company, LLC.
Thiede, B., Brown, D., Sanders, S., Glasgow, N., & Kulcsar, L. (2017). A demographic deficit? Local population aging and access to services in Rural America, 1990-2010. Rural Sociology, 82(1), 44-74.