INTRODUCTION:
Population aging in rural areas poses specific challenges to primary health care, particularly due to access barriers, social vulnerabilities, and the fragmentation of public policies. In this context, community-based participatory research emerges as a methodological strategy capable of strengthening health planning through listening to and fostering the protagonism of territorial subjects¹. This study aimed to collaboratively develop an action plan focused on comprehensive health care for older adults living in rural areas, grounded in the expanded clinical approach and community-based participatory research.

METHODS:
This was a participatory research study2 conducted between November 2025 and January 2026, based on the establishment of a community advisory committee composed of older adults, health and social assistance professionals, representatives of the municipal council, and intersectoral initiatives. Six in-person meetings were held using participatory dynamics, brainstorming, collective discussions, and records in field diaries and voice recordings. The activities corresponded to phases 1 to 5 of community-based participatory research, with a focus on problem identification and the collective construction of strategies.

RESULTS:
The formation of the committee enabled the creation of an intersectoral space for qualified listening and co-production of knowledge. The participatory diagnosis identified the insufficiency of intersectoral actions to protect against and address violence against older adults as the central problem. The analysis revealed that underreporting, associated with fear and the cultural naturalization of violence, constitutes a critical barrier. Participants mapped local assets and agreed on strategies for an integrated action plan between health and social assistance.

CONCLUSIONS:
Community-based participatory research proved effective in transforming latent demands into management priorities. Strengthening health planning for rural older adults requires intersectoral articulation, valuing community knowledge, and qualifying practices within primary health care.