Bertie Dinkle smiled from her seat at the Louisburg Senior Center. “This is my second home.” She had just finished her meal of chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and strawberry cake. She happily chatted with friends across the table. “I used to live in Overland Park, and they didn’t have anything like this,” Dinkle said about the center and the community around it. For some, aging in a rural area is a benefit. There’s a tight-knit, supportive community. And for folks like 94-year-old Dinkle who are in good health, the 20-30 minute drive to the nearest hospital isn’t a burden. But for others, going gray in rural America is fraught with challenges. Hospitals are further away, public transportation is scarce, isolation is likely, accessible housing is limited and basic resources like grocery stores and pharmacies are closing. The goal for most agencies and rural households: Age in place as long as possible.
Source: KCUR News
