Research Alert: January 8, 2025

Rural-Urban Differences in PACE Organization and Enrollee Characteristics

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) operates in the majority of states and numerous rural areas. Despite well-documented differences in population socio-demographic characteristics between rural and urban areas, as well as unique challenges and strengths related to providing long-term services and supports in rural areas, little is known about how PACE enrollee characteristics vary between rural and urban areas. This brief addresses that gap.

Key Findings:

• PACE supports older adults and people with disabilities (age 55 and older) with comprehensive services to help participants remain in the community when possible.
• Rural PACE organizations serve fewer enrollees, on average, than urban PACE organizations (159 vs. 495).
• Enrollees in rural PACE organizations are more likely than those in urban PACE organizations to be younger than age 65 (12.9% vs. 9.3%) and less likely to be age 85 or older (18.5% vs. 22.2%).

Additional Resources of Interest:

• More FORHP-funded research on Aging
• More information about the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
• More information from the Rural Health Information Hub's topic guide: Community Supports for Rural Aging in Place and Independent Living