%0 Journal Article %J Journal of Applied Gerontology %D 2016 %T Social Supports as Enabling Factors in Nursing Home Admissions: Rural, Suburban, and Urban Differences %A Cohen, Adrienne %A Jennifer R. Bulanda %K Adult children %K Demographics %K Health Conditions and Status %K Healthcare %K Retirement Planning and Satisfaction %X This study investigates differences in social support and nursing home admission by rurality of residence. We use discrete-time event history models with longitudinal data from seven waves (1998-2010) of the Health and Retirement Study to prospectively examine the risk of spending 30 or more days in a nursing home (n = 5,913). Results show that elders with a health problem who live in rural areas of the South or Midwest have approximately 2 times higher odds of nursing home entry than elders living in urban areas in the Northeast. Rural elders report somewhat higher social support than non-rural elders, and controlling for these forms of social support does not explain the higher risk of a nursing home stay for Southerners and Midwesterners living in rural areas. Results suggest that social support has a similar association with nursing home entry for rural, suburban, and urban elders. %B Journal of Applied Gerontology %V 35 %P 721-743 %G eng %U http://jag.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/01/09/0733464814566677.abstract %N 7 %4 social support/rural aging/nursing home/end-of-life planning/Regional variations %$ 999999 %& 721 %R 10.1177/0733464814566677