November marks Native American Heritage Month, an important opportunity to honor, celebrate and acknowledge the contributions and resiliency of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hawaiian Native communities. This month is also an opportunity to learn about and address the barriers that tribal elders continue to face, such as access to critical health services and economic security.
For many tribal elders, accessing health care is a challenge due to the limited number of Indian Health Services facilities and the long distances that elders on reservations may have to travel to access providers. Additionally, other barriers like the limited availability of home and community-based services and nursing facilities, the limited number of specialists in the IHS network, and lack of coverage for traditional medicine impact tribal elders’ ability to age with dignity. Limited access to nutritious and Native meals, housing shortages, and poverty contribute to negative outcomes for tribal elders’ overall well-being, too.
The number of tribal elders – including those who live on or off reservations – in the United States is rapidly growing, and service providers and others should be culturally responsive to their needs and advocate for policies and practices that eliminate inequities for tribal elders.
Below are additional resources for advocates:
- Justice in Aging’s issue brief, Justice for Tribal Elders
- Justice in Aging’s issue brief, Supporting Tribal Elders Through Social Security
- National Indian Council on Aging’s Resources
- Native American Elder Justice Initiative’s Healthy Food, Healthy Brain Series
- Native American Elder Justice Initiative’s Trainings
