Rural Dementia
Rural Dementia Care
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Rural communities experience disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).
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Wiese et al. (2023) conducted a comprehensive review to identify factors that may help reduce rural health disparities contributing to ADRD.
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Rural residents have a higher prevalence of modifiable dementia risk factors, including:
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Cardiometabolic conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes
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Sensory impairments such as visual loss, hearing impairment, and TBI
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Psychosocial and Behavioral Risks such as low education, depression, and social isolation (Xie et al., 2025)
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Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) play an important role as part of the dementia care team. OTPs collaborate with:
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Individuals with ADRD
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Formal care partners, including the interdisciplinary medical team
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Informal care partners, including family members and friends
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Through this collaboration, OTPs support function, participation, safety, and quality of life (QoL) for individuals living with ADRD.
Barriers and Facilitators to Rural ADRD Disparities
Rural Area & Dementia Resource List Rural Health Information Hub: HRSA-funded; the authoritative source on rural access, telehealth, and technology barriers — anchors the rural thread with citable data AOTA Podcast: OT in Rural and Underserved Communities AOTA Community of Practice: join by emailing this email cp@aota.org and fill out the forms sent out by email. Request to join: AOTA Dementia Community of Practice AOTA Rural Therapy Community of Practice Alzheimer's Association: Technology Safety for Older Adults — stage-appropriate guidance on monitoring, wandering, and home safety tech. https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/safety/technology-safety-older-adults Family Caregiver Alliance: balanced, non-commercial caregiver technology guidance https://www.caregiver.org AARP technology and caregiving reports: large-sample consumer data on older adults' actual tech adoption (useful counterweight to vendor claims) https://www.aarp.org/personal-technology/caregiving-smart-home-technology/ Alzheimers Gov.: Find local Services https://www.alzheimers.gov/life-with-dementia/find-local-services Caregiver Action Network: From Isolation To Connection, Rural Alzheimer’s Care & Behavioral Support https://www.caregiveraction.org/rural-alzheimers-care/