Equitable outreach: leveraging a university-community partnership for fall prevention training with older adults in rural Texas.

Abstract

Older Texans living in rural areas may face challenges in accessing resources and services not felt by their urban counterparts, especially related to fall risk reduction. In a state the size of Texas, entities wishing to serve these individuals encounter barriers due to the vast geography that must be covered to reach rural communities. This paper explores a novel partnership between a university and a community organization to work toward rural equity in fall risk reduction education in Texas. We apply the Interactive and Contextual Model of Community-University Collaboration to describe efforts to gain entry into rural communities, develop and sustain the partnership, recognize outcomes, and resolve threats. Through shared decision-making and co-creation, we show how university-community partnerships can be a powerful tool for promoting rural equity and ensuring older, rural Texans have access to fall risk reduction education.