The Potential For Co-Op Development To Assist Seniors In Rural America

One of the greatest risks to senior citizens in rural areas is that they will lose access to basic goods and services in the communities in which they live. Usually living on fixed incomes, they look for affordable choices for all their consumer purchases, from housing to health care. Those who are mobile may be able to drive to neighboring communities or urban areas to make their purchases or to get health care services; those who still have family or networks of friends in the area also may have good access to more options; but as family members move away and age or failing health make travel more difficult, many senior citizens become more and more dependent on the products and services that are available and affordable closest to where they live. Co-ops can help to make that happen.