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For older people whose social networks are dwindling, arts and culture give opportunities to keep socially, civically, and mentally active in their communities. The arts provide a symbolic and emotionally expressive communication system for elders with cognitive limitations, allowing them to engage with their care partners and the larger community.

Social isolation is an epidemic in the United States, affecting two-thirds of older adults and three-quarters of young people (as reported during COVID). Social isolation is linked to depression, poor sleep, and impaired immunity. It increases the risks of dementia by 50 percent, stroke by 32 percent, and coronary heart disease by 29 percent, and significantly increases the risk of premature death from all causes.

This funding guide offers grantmaking recommendations to help funders become engaged in rural mobility and suggests a dynamic research and policy agenda to empower older people in rural places to lead fuller lives. 

The Future of Rural Transportation and Mobility for Older Adults is a companion white paper to GIA’s Mobility & Aging in Rural America: The Role for Innovation. The paper examines rural mobility through a lens of technology and across a longer timeframe.

This report summarizes key issues relevant to understanding complex care and offers resources and case studies for funders interested in entering the field or deepening their existing work. It also profiles funding opportunities, explores existing models, and shares philanthropic lessons learned.