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Community, Health, and Family

Accessing Cognitive Health Care in Rural America: Family Perspectives on the Availability and Quality of Medical and Community Resources Verdah Rehan*, Verdah Rehan, Aaliyah Goodwin, Allison Walton, Ali Rasheed, Hye Chai, Lesley Ross, Lena Simon, Alyssa Gamaldo, Abigail Stephan,

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) cases are steadily increasing among older adults living in rural communities, with the greatest disparities in ADRD mortality rates between rural and urban communities observed in the Southeastern United States (Ho & Franco, 2022). Rural settings often have more limited access to healthcare options, leading family members to play a critical role in ADRD detection and outcome management. Despite this, little is known about how family members across generations—many of whom may be in a position to support detection, health decision-making, and care—perceive and navigate the medical services and resources available in their community. Thus, this investigation explores family members’ perceptions of the medical system in their rural communities, with a particular focus on support for cognitive health and patients in older adulthood. Older, middle-aged, and young adults (N=63 participants from 15 families) completed a survey and participated in a family-based focus group that included questions about their experience accessing medical services and resources in their rural communities. Our thematic analysis revealed several salient factors, including reliance on informal supports and educational hubs (e.g., churches, local organizations), limited awareness of local medical/healthcare resources, lack of access to available specialists, and the need for families to travel outside their communities to obtain diagnostic and specialty care. Notably, these observations and sentiments were shared across generations within families. These findings suggest a need for more accessible and clearly communicated health information. Additionally, the findings represent an opportunity for health researchers and medical professionals to partner with trusted community organizations to more effectively reach and support families in rural communities as they navigate cognitive health concerns, ADRD detection and management, and aging.