Community Resources for Older Adults With Age-Related Disabilities and Chronic Conditions: A Scoping Review

Authors

• Oejin Shin, Illinois State UniversityFollow
• Sojung Park, Washington University in St. Louis
• Soobin Park, Washington University in St. Louis
• Sarah Sunghye Kang, University of California, Los Angeles
• Sunghei Han, Washington University in St. Louis
• Eunsun Kwon, Fairleigh Dickinson University
• Seoyeon Ahn, Duke-NUS Medical School
• BoRin Kim, University of New Hampshire, Durham

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Publication Title

Research on Aging

Keywords

community resources, older adults, disability, chronic conditions, aging in place home- and community-based services, accessibility

Abstract

Community resources are essential for supporting older adults with disabilities and chronic conditions, yet how these resources are conceptualized and evaluated across the empirical literature remains unclear. This scoping review synthesizes U.S.-based research on community resources for older adults with age-related disabilities and chronic conditions, guided by the PAGER framework. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science, ultimately including 21 peer-reviewed studies. Findings reveal four primary resource domains: healthcare-based services, home- and community-based services (HCBS), behavioral health supports, and environmental or structural resources. Accessibility and utilization emerged as the most consistently examined dimensions, while quality and effectiveness received limited attention. Structural barriers—including geographic inequities, workforce shortages, financial constraints, and insurance gaps—persistently limit equitable access. Existing research remains fragmented, often treating health, social, and environmental domains in isolation. This review identifies critical gaps in integrated, participation-centered approaches and calls for theory-informed frameworks that account for the intersecting needs of older adults aging with disability.

Funding Source

This article was published Open Access thanks to a transformative agreement between Milner Library and Sage Journals.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

DOI

10.1177/01640275261458993

Comments

First published in Research on Aging (2026): https://doi.org/10.1177/016402752614589933

Recommended Citation

Shin, O., Park, S., Park, S., Kang, S. S., Han, S., Kwon, E., Ahn, S., & Kim, B. (2026). Community Resources for Older Adults With Age-Related Disabilities and Chronic Conditions: A Scoping Review. Research on Aging. https://doi.org/10.1177/016402752614589933