Once again, the rural scholars program visited the Vineyard to study a pressing Island issue. This year's topic was homelessness and the housing shortage.
Five medical students spent the past two weeks on the Island studying elder care and services as part of the rural scholars program. Neglect by a caregiver and self neglect were cited as the top two types of abuse facing Vineyard elders.
As a wave, or tsunami rather, of baby boomers is expected to populate the Vineyard in the coming years, the Island faces a number of challenges delivering health care to its seniors. Six rural health scholars from the University of Massachusetts Medical School recently documented those challenges in a report on the current mental health needs of the Island’s elderly population. Transportation, isolation and access to mental health services emerged as major areas needing improvement.
