This document contains testimony of witnesses in a field hearing on the future of the rural elderly. The opening statement by Representative Bob Whittaker (Kansas) notes that the aging of America creates a more difficult time for the rural elderly than their urban neighbors. Distance and low population density magnify the difficulties of inadequate medical care, low retirement income, and lack of transportation. Speakers discuss a volunteer network of services for the elderly, shared housing alternatives, types of group therapy, senior citizens law projects, and home nursing services. One speaker describes good accounting practices for transportation which allow multi-funded systems to meet financial reporting requirements of human service agencies purchasing rides. Problems of health care and mental health care delivery to the rural elderly are particularly prevalent. Problems include health manpower, support for family practice residency training, the high cost of medical education, the plight of rural hospitals, fee differentials under Medicare, and medical liability issues. A program that enlists the help of school nurses and counselors, public health nurses, and social workers as part time mental health workers in order to provide more manpower without additional budget is described. This document includes testimony by Monda Spool, director of North Central/Flint Hill Area Agency on Aging in Manhattan, Kansas; Karen Olson, president of Combinations, Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri; Ron Beane from the Department of Elder Affairs, Des Moines, Iowa; Debbie Ford of Beverly Enterprises in Hot Springs, Arkansas; Pat Donahue from Kansas Legal Services, Inc. in Topeka; Joan Remmers, a registered nurse from Sabetha, Kansas; Dr. Ernie Chaney from the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita; and Art Spies, administrative director of the National Institute for Rural Health Policy in Des Moines, Iowa. An appendix includes additional material from Linda Reinhardt, chairman of the Women's Committee, Kansas State Farm Bureau; and Dr. H. Ivor Jones of Shawnee Missouri, Kansas. (DHP)