THE WELL‐BEING OF OLDER PERSONS IN SMALL RURAL TOWNS: A TOWN PANEL APPROACH

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Abstract
There is a significant lack of information regarding older residents of small rural towns. A major interdisciplinary interview study of 990 older residents (65 years +) of 18 small towns (2,500 or less) was conducted to (1) assess the social and psychological well‐being of mental health of these residents, (2) assess their perceptions of 11 ecological/architectural and 3 psychosocial community‐level environmental dimensions, (3) determine the extent to which individual differences in mental health are predicted by these environmental features, and (4) translate the findings into a set of more practical recommendations for applied professionals. A town panel field strategy was employed that facilitated access to each town. The methodological features of this approach, as well as evidence of its success, are detailed. These include gaining entree, establishing rapport, handling publicity, selecting respondents, and issuing payment. A rural‐oriented interviewer training program is discussed. Illustrative, descriptive, and multivariate results of the survey are presented. Implications for holistic, interdisciplinary (as opposed to segmented) planning approaches are considered.

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