Rural Caregiving in the United States, 2012 Research, Practice, Policy Caregiving: Research • Practice • Policy Series

Caregivers living in rural areas face daunting obstacles. In addition to the isolation and anxiety that many caregivers across the country experience, rural caregivers must also cope with limited access to uncoordinated resources and severe shortages of trained professionals. Although many research, policy, and practice upgrades have been made in response to caregivers? general concerns, the specific problems facing the rural caregiver have been less frequently addressed.

Focusing on what is known as well as what is needed ? and zeroing in on major subgroups within this diverse population ? Rural Caregiving in the United States replaces misconceptions of the nonurban experience with real-life issues, findings, and solutions. For example, this pioneering volume:

• Covers a broad range of issues unique to rural caregiving, including research, education/training, policy, and practice.
• Identifies specific needs related to education, training, and support for rural caregivers.
• Examines both the positive and negative effects of rural living on caregivers as well as patients.
• Discusses the importance of in-home care in lieu of scarcer forms of for-profit care (e.g., hospitals).
• Addresses not only discrepancies between rural and urban health care systems but racial and ethnic disparities within rural health care.
• Explores the advantages of using information technology to address rural health care limitations.  

Rural Caregiving in the United States offers uniquely knowledgeable perspectives to researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in the caregiving fields, including psychology, social work, nursing, gerontology and geriatrics, medicine, public health, public policy, and educational policy.

Foreword by Rosslyn Carter.- Introduction.- Chapter 1. Caregiving in Rural America: A Matter of Culture; K. Chwalisz, K.C. Buckwalter, R.C. Talley.- Section I: Caregiving Populations.- Chapter 2. Family Caregiving: Implications for Rural Practice, Policy, Education, and Research; C.L. Gilliss, L.L. Davis, M.S. Harper.- Chapter 3. Elder Caregiving in Rural Communities; K.C. Buckwalter, L.L. Davis.- Chapter 4. Care for Children and Youth in Rural Areas; S.K. Walker, K.L. Reschke.- Section II: Practice and Research Issues.- Chapter 5. Addressing Disparities in Rural Health; T.M. Greer.- Chapter 6. Mental Health Concerns for Caregivers in Rural Communities; M. Morthland, F. Scogin.- Chapter 7. Research in Rural Caregiving; R.T. Goins, S.M. Spencer, J.C. Byrd.- Section III: Healthcare System Issues.- Chapter 8. Workforce Issues in Rural Caregiving; P.A. Calico.- Chapter 9. Telemedicine: The Use of Information Technology to Support Rural Caregiving; P. Yellowlees, T. Nesbitt, S. Cole.- Section IV: Assistance Strategies.- Chapter 10. Education, Training, and Support for Rural Caregivers; K. Chwalisz, S.M.C. Dollinger, E.O. Zerth, V.L. Tamkin.- Chapter 11. Strategies to Support Rural Caregivers; C.S. Wilkin, B.M. Stanback.- Chapter 12. State Responsibilities to Support Rural Caregivers; M. Greene, M.M. Perkins, K. Scott, C. Burt.- Chapter 13. Rural Caregiving: A Quilt of Many Different Colors; R.C. Talley, K.Chwalisz, K.C. Buckwalter.

Ronda C. Talley, Ph.D., MPH, is Executive Director of the Suzanne Vitale Clinical Education Complex at Western Kentucky University and Professor of Psychology. Her prior work experience includes serving as Executive Director of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving; Associate Director of Legislation, Policy, and Planning/Health Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Associate Executive Director at the American Psychological Association. Dr. Talley received the Outstanding Alumni Award from Indiana University and the Jack Bardon Distinguished Service Award from the Division of School Psychology of the American Psychological Association.

Kathleen Chwalisz, Ph.D., is a Counseling Psychologist with a specialization in health psychology. She is chair of the Section for the Promotion of Psychotherapy Science and former chair of the Counseling Health Psychology section of Division 17 of the American Psychological Association. Her research interests include health psychology, rehabilitation psychology, neuropsychology, training of psychologists, program development and evaluation, qualitative research methodology, and structural equations modeling. Her research articles have appeared in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, Rehabilitation Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Journal of Psychology in Medical Settings, and she has numerous chapters in professional books in health psychology and rehabilitation psychology. She is currently on the editorial board of Rehabilitation Psychology, and she previously served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Counseling Psychology and Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development. She is currently principal investigator for the SIU Rural Caregiver TelehealthIntervention Trial, a community-based clinical intervention trial sponsored by the National Institute of Aging and the National Institute