Complementary therapy use among older rural adults.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Integrative Health
• Rural Health

Background:

• Older adults in rural areas face unique healthcare challenges.
• Complementary therapies are increasingly explored for managing chronic conditions and promoting wellness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utilization, associated costs, and user satisfaction with complementary therapies among older adults residing in rural settings.
• To understand the patterns of use for both complementary therapy providers and self-directed practices.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive survey design was employed.
• Telephone interviews were conducted with a random sample of 325 older adults from rural Montana and North Dakota.
• Data collected included information on complementary therapy use, sources of information, reasons for use, and satisfaction levels.

Main Results:

• 45.2% of participants reported using some form of complementary care (providers or self-directed practices).
• Complementary providers were primarily sought for chronic problems, with high satisfaction reported.
• Self-directed complementary practices were mainly used for health promotion and found to be helpful.
• Out-of-pocket expenses for complementary care were generally low.

Conclusions:

• A significant portion of older rural adults engage with complementary health care, indicating its importance in their health management strategies.
• Understanding these choices is crucial for developing comprehensive healthcare approaches tailored to the needs of older rural populations.
• The findings highlight the need to integrate knowledge of complementary therapy use into primary care for older rural adults.