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RAAN RURAL VOICES REPORT
Lutheran Services in America’s Rural Aging Action Network (RAAN) Program Summary and Evaluation report describes the innovative and successful RAAN approach to mobilizing whole communities and empowering older adults who want to age independently at home in rural communities.
As the number of older adults aging in rural communities continues to grow, there is a need for relevant rural solutions like RAAN that meet the unique needs and build on the unique strengths of rural communities. This report includes highlights such as the RAAN approach framework, key steps to implementing the program, and the program’s benefits as shared by older adults, caregivers, and community partners.
This report also includes the evaluation framework and findings conducted by our partners at the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston from focus groups and interviews with older adults, family caregivers, and community partners and data analysis of program measurements.
Find a summary of the lessons learned in this report. For further information or to partner with Lutheran Services in America Rural Aging Action Network, please contact Regan McManus.
While rural health access remains a challenge across the United States, it is critical that the voices of rural older adults inform local, state, and federal policy decisions to advance change. As the new Rural Health Transformation Fund takes shape at the state level, an opportunity exists to strengthen access to health and social services in the communities where they are needed most, especially for older adults covered by Medicaid and those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
Our new report “Rural Voices Shaping Transformation,” developed in partnership with The SCAN Foundation and Public Policy Lab, draws directly from conversations with older adults in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota through the Rural Aging Action Network. The report documents real-life experiences of aging in rural communities, highlighting gaps in access to quality care and essential services such as food, transportation, and opportunities for social connection.
Find out how centering lived experience informed critical policy recommendations, including:
Ensuring stable Medicaid access for dual-eligible rural older adults
Expanding and modernizing home- and community-based services
Strengthening benefits navigation and supportive services, particularly for those with complex needs
Whether you work at the federal, state, or community level, this report offers important recommendations to ensure we move closer to responsive, dignity-centered care for those who need it most.
For further information or to partner with the Lutheran Services in America Rural Aging Action Network, please contact Regan McManus.
Get Your Copy of “Rural Voices Shaping Transformation”
Get Your Copy of the RAAN Program Summary and Evaluation
CONTACT
Regan McManus
Director of Aging Initiatives
rmcmanus@lutheranservices.org