New GIA Report Explores the Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on Rural Aging
A new report from JAHF grantee Grantmakers In Aging (GIA) offers a fresh perspective on the opioid epidemic in rural America, broadening the discussion, highlighting the needs and concerns of older adults, and offering policy recommendations.
Rural places are home to many older people, but their needs, and the many different ways they are affected, are often overlooked. The report discusses that according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people in rural counties are nearly twice as likely to overdose on prescription painkillers as people in cities, and the wider impact is enormous as well. The report is targeted at funders and what opportunities there are. It offers ideas for policy solutions and discusses what is working, such as telepain consults and prescription drug monitoring programs.
To read the press release, click here.
To read the report, click here.