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Mental health services for rural elderly: Innovative service strategies

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Abstract

This paper reviews issues in planning and delivering mental health services to rural dwelling elderly. First, comparative data on the prevalence of mental illness among rural elderly, and the availability and accessibility of mental health services in rural areas are presented to provide a basis for subsequent discussion. Next, several strategies for improving the development and delivery of geriatric mental health services to rural areas are discussed. These include: increasing the number and quality of rural mental health providers; adapting or developing diagnostic techniques to improve case identification among rural elderly; providing culturally sensitive mental health services; strengthening informal and formal care linkages in rural communities; developing innovative service delivery models building upon the strengths of rural settings; and emphasizing fluidity as well as continuity in treatment models.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Virginia, Madison House, 170 Rugby Road, 22903, Charlottesville, VA

    Zona Chalifoux R.N., M.S., C.N.

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  1. Zona Chalifoux R.N., M.S., C.N.
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  2. Jane B. Neese Ph.D., R.N.
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  3. Kathleen C. Buckwalter Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.
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  4. Eugene Litwak Ph.D.
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  5. Ivo L. Abraham Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.
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Additional information

Ms. Chalifoux is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at James Madison University, and a doctoral candidate and Research Associate, Southeastern Rural Mental Health Research Center, at the University of Virginia. Dr. Neese is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and at the time of manuscript preparation was a fellow with the Center on Aging and Health at the University of Virginia. Dr. Buckwalter is Professor of Nursing at the University of Iowa. Dr. Litwak directs the Division of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University, New York. Dr. Abraham is Professor of Nursing at the University of Virginia and former Co-Director of the Southeastern Rural Mental Health Research Center.

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Chalifoux, Z., Neese, J.B., Buckwalter, K.C. et al. Mental health services for rural elderly: Innovative service strategies. Community Ment Health J 32, 463–480 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02251046

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