Elder Abuse

OVC has released In Their Own Words: Domestic Abuse in Later Life (NCJ 227928), a training package designed to enhance the skills of victim service providers and others who interact with older adults in responding to domestic elder abuse. This 2-DVD set uses the voices of older victims to facilitate a dialog among a range of professionals about the dynamics of abuse, the barriers these victims have to overcome to live free from abuse, and interventions and potential collaborations that may be effective in such cases.

The National Resource Center on Native American Aging was established in 1994 at the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks. The resource center is a collaboration between the UND Office of American Indian Student Services (formerly the Office of Native American Programs) and the UND Center for Rural Health. With one of the nation’s largest enrollments of Native American students, the University of North Dakota has a long-standing tradition of service to Native Americans. Governed by a culturally sensitive Staff and national Steering Committee, the resource center continues this tradition of leadership and service to Native Americans and their communities.

Formed by a group of tribal chairmen in 1976, the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) has served as the nation’s foremost nonprofit advocate for the nation’s (est.) 296,000 American Indian and Alaska Native elders. NICOA strives to better the lives of the nation's indigenous seniors through advocacy, employment training, dissemination of information, and data support.

According to the National Society for American Indian Elderly, only 5% of the eligible American Indian senior citizens in the U.S. receive services.  Over 63% of American Indian senior citizens live at or below the poverty level. That’s nearly six times the national average!

Elder Abuse Among Alaska Natives is a report by the National Resource Center for American Indian, Alaska Native & Native Hawaiian Elders that is a sensitive perspective of problems evolving from the lack of respect shown to Native Elders. This paper begins the discussion of possible causes and responses that communities have formulated. It aims to help communities plan programs that will reduce and prevent Elder disrespect.

Addressing Elder Abuse with American Indian Tribes: A National Teleconference (September 24, 1995) is the text of teleconference sponsored by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) on the subject of addressing elder abuse with American Indian tribes.

Native American Elders Report (1997) provides summary highlights on Title VI program performance, including persons served and services provided for 1995. Additionally, summary data for program performance for the years 1991-1995 are included. It was compiled from data submitted to the Administration on Aging by the Title VI grantees for the 1995 project period.

Native American Elders by Edward Paine is a bibliography written for researchers seeking information about Native American elders. As a group, their importance is surprising given their small numbers. According to the 1990 census, there are approximately two million Native Americans residing in the Untied States. Of this total, roughly 100,000 are aged 65 and above. The sources contained in this bibliography may yield the reasons why such a tiny group commands respect within their communities. Then again, the resources below may counter the assumption of respect. Researchers may find information about this issue, as well as material related to the culture, health, and welfare of Indian elders.

The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the Administration on Aging (AoA) and the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA), has issued American Indian and Alaska Native Roundtable on Long-Term Care Final Report 2002, summarizes the discussions and consensus positions developed during a recent Roundtable Conference on American Indian and Alaska Native Long-Term Care.

The Elder Care Initiative goal is to promote the development of high quality care for American Indian and Alaska Native elders by acting as a consultation and liaison resource for Indian Health Service (IHS), tribal, and urban Indian health programs. The following are some of the documents found on this site:

• Innovations in Elder Care Program Book and Abstracts 2000 is an abstract presented at the NICOA/IHS Innovations in Elder Care Conference in Duluth, Minnesota.
• Comprehensive Elder Care PCC and the RPMS System is a report that describes the data entry mnemonic for functional status on the new PCC Comprehensive Elder Exam (IHS-865). It also describes the way this information can be displayed on the health summary and walks you through the reports available on elder functional status using data from the new Elder PCC - May 25, 2001.
• Geriatric Evaluation and Management Program, Policy and Procedures is a Sample Policy and Procedure for Geriatric Assessment and Management, developed and in use at the Southern Colorado Ute Service Unit, Albuquerque Area IHS. October 12, 2000.
• Innovations in Elder Care 2000 is an abstracts presented at the NICOA/IHS Innovations in Elder Care Conference in Duluth, Minnesota - May 15, 2001.
• The PCC Comprehensive Elder Exam describes the new PCC, it's purpose and uses - May 25, 2001.
• Zuni IHS Palliative Care Policy is a sample Palliative Care policy currently being implemented at the Zuni Comprehensive Community Health Center - April 04, 2000.

The Older Americans Act (OAA) directs the Assistant Secretary on Aging to assist the Secretary in all matters pertaining to problems of the aged and aging; collect and disseminate information related to problems of the aged and aging; and coordinate and assist in planning and developing programs for older individuals with a view to the establishment of a nationwide network of comprehensive, coordinated services and opportunities for elders. In an effort to carry out these mandates of the OAA, the Administration on Aging (AoA), the Native Elder Health Care Resource Center at the University of Colorado (NEHCRC), and the National Resource Center on Native American Aging (NRCNAA) at the University of North Dakota surveyed key tribal program administrators from 108 tribes nationwide. Their findings are found in a final report (December 1996) titled, "Home and Community-based Long-Term care in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

• Executive Summary
• Preface
• Introduction
• Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics
• Funding for Home and Community-Base Long-Term Care
• Study Design and Analysis
• Findings
• Discussion and Recommendations
• Summary
• References
• Appendix A: Home and Community-Based Long-Term Care Services
• Appendix B: Need and Availability of Services
• Appendix C: Sources of Care
• Appendix D: Sources of Funding
• Appendix E: Service Barriers
• Appendix F: Organizational Barriers

The National Society for American Indian Elderly (NSAIE) was established in 1987 to assist all Indian Elderly service programs, both on-reservation and off, and to improve the quality of life for American Indian elders. 

The Minnesota Board on Aging Indian Elder Program purpose is to increase awareness of and improve the accessibility to services for Indian Elders in urban Indian Communities and on our eleven Indian Reservations across Minnesota. The Indian Elder Program Specialist assists Indian and non-Indian Community agencies in the planning and development of culturally sensitive programs and services and works directly with Indian Elders striving to organize local chapters within the Minnesota Indian Council of Elders.

The National Resource Center on Native American Aging was established in 1994 at the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks. The resource center is a collaboration between the UND Office of Native American Programs and the UND Center for Rural Health. With one of the nation’s largest enrollments of Native American students, the University of North Dakota has a long-standing tradition of service to Native Americans. The National Resource Center on Native American Aging (NRCNAA) publishes a newsletter entitled, Native Aging Visions, which provides information on Native American Aging and current activities of the Center. Fact Sheets are produced and distributed with the newsletter. Other relevant publications are also listed. Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view these files.

• Health Literacy Review: Promoting Wellness in American Indian Communities; Addressing Health Disparities and Health Literacy; Communicating with our Clients
• Engaging Native Elders and CHRs: Talking Circles in Community-Based Diabetes Education
  • Overview
  • Highlights of I.H.S. Standards of Care for People with Diabetes
  • Talking Circle Figure
• Collaborative Activities with Community Health Representatives from Northern Plains Tribes, written by Chris Burd and Liz Tyre, published in the Rural Nurse Connection, Spring 2003.
• National Family Caregiver Support Program: North Dakota's American Indian Caregivers, sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Human Services, Aging Services Division.
• Projections of Long Term Care Needs in Indian Health Service Areas
• Native Aging Visions newsletter
• Research Factsheets
• Home and Community Based-Long-Term Care in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
• Diabetes & Preventing Amputations

The following is a list of presentations relevant to the research conducted by the National Resource Center on Native American Aging:

• Kindling the Fires of Wisdom: The 2004 CHR-Elder Talking Circle Conference, May 11-13, 2004, Bismarck, North Dakota.
• 2004 Indian Health Service Research Conference, MCH Research, Historic Reality and Future Hope May 11-13, 2004, Scottsdale, Arizona.

The following presentations were given at the Administration on Aging Title VI Regional Training and Tribal Listening Session, April 2004, Rapid City, South Dakota, by the National Resource Center on Native American Aging:

• Identifying Our Needs: A Survey of Elders II (Region VIII)
• Applying Research to Long Term Care in Region VIII
• National Family Caregiver Support Program: North Dakota American Indian Caregivers
• Native American Care Needs Assessment: Development of a Long Term Care Planning Tool Kit
• Reducing Long Term Care Needs Through Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

The following presentations were given at the Administration on Aging Tribal Listening Sessions in Reno, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona, by the National Resource Center on Native American Aging:

• Identifying Our Needs: A Survey of Elders II (Region IX)
• Applying Research to Long Term Care in Region IX
• National Family Caregiver Support Program: North Dakota American Indian Caregivers
• Native American Care Needs Assessment: Development of a Long Term Care Planning Tool Kit
• Reducing Long Term Care Needs Through Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Other presentations by the National Resource Center on Native American Aging:

• Tips for Developing Health Promotion/Wellness Programming, presented by Alan Allery, Francine McDonald, and Mary Snobl, Title VI Regional Training Conference and Listening Session, Phoenix, AZ, February 24, 2004.
• Promoting Wellness in American Indian Communities: Addressing Health Disparities and Health Literacy, presented and facilitated by the National Resource Center on Native American Aging in partnership with the Minnesota Board on Aging, Pfizer Corporation, Arthritis Foundation North Central Chapter, and Indian Health Services, Mystic Lake, MN, October 29, 2003.
  • Health Literacy: What Is It and What Are Its Implications for Minnesota’s Native American Community? presented by Nicole Lurie.
  • Medicine Talk, presented by LT. Larry Patnaude.
  • Health Disparities: Native American Health Status in the Bemidji Area, presented by Dawn Wyllie.
  • Preventive Care for the Elderly, presented by Dr. Bruce Finke.
• National Resource Center on Native American Aging, Leander R. McDonald, Richard Ludtke, Francine McDonald, and Alan Allery, presented to the Administration on Aging Training & Listening Session, October 27-29, 2003.
• The Structure and Function of Needs Assessment Information, presented by Leander R. McDonald and Richard Ludtke to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, User Liaison Program, July 21, 2003.
• Research in Building Long-term Care Infrastructure for Native Elders, presented by Leander R. McDonald and Richard Ludtke to Idaho State University, April 10, 2003.
• Functional Limitations of Native American and Alaskan Native Elders
• Long Term Care and Health Needs of America's Native American Elders (Testimony presented to the Committee on Indian Affairs, July 10, 2002)
  • Full text version (pdf)
  • Presentation version (PowerPoint)

For more information, please contact Leander "Russ" McDonald at the National Resource Center on Native American Aging by calling (800) 897-7628 or (701) 777-3720.