Friday, May 20 2011 8:41AM
Healthcare centers for elderly rural Arizona residents are needed closer to their homes, according to a report.
According to the Cronkite News, economic experts in Arizona believe a lack of medical centers and public transportation in rural areas of the state has become a considerable issue for elderly residents.
Many senior residents living in rural Arizona communities need to drive great distances to receive medical assistance, the paper states. With many of these residents living alone and without transportation, the need for additional medical services near their homes is something healthcare officials think needs to be discussed.
Regarding the current healthcare system in Arizona, Len Kirschner, president of the Arizona chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), told the newspaper, "I describe our current healthcare system as chaotic, costly, confusing, inefficient, inequitable and occasionally superb. That's not what people need."
Some people working at senior centers, such as Rebecca Brothers, are helping provide transportation for elderly residents who need to go to doctor's visits, according to the paper. However, more permanent solutions may be needed to meet the transportation needs of the high number of rural elderly residents.
According to the Arizona Department of Economic Security's State Plan on Aging, nearly 13 percent of Arizonans were at least 65 years old in 2009 — many of whom lived in rural communities, the paper states.