Rural healthy aging interventions

We are grateful for the financial support from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF), the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU) and the Canadian Centre on Health and Safety and Agriculture (CCHSA) through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CHIR). [...] This study was guided by the following objectives: 1) To address gaps in our understanding of the health service needs of seniors living in rural communities; 2) To identify the policy, community and kin-level interventions that support healthy aging in place. [...] Saskatchewan has one of the highest percentages of seniors in Canada, and is one of the few provinces without an aging or long-term care strategy. [...] There is a paucity of research that examines the supports that enable rural seniors to remain within their homes and communities to age. [...] Cantor’s theory and model provide a basis for understanding the multiple factors that influence rural aging while highlighting the interdependent nature of the social care system from both an ecological and individual perspectives.