Preventing Alzheimer’s for our Wisdom Keepers

Every elder is a critical member of the community.  As storytellers, we must keep our minds healthy so we can tell the stories of our ancestors to preserve our traditions.  The population of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) elders aged 65 and older is expected to triple over the next three decades, but unfortunately the number of AI/AN elders living with dementia is projected to grow over 5 times between 2014–2060. Yet many forms of dementia can be prevented, or detected early to promote healthful living with the condition.

The National Council of Urban Indian Health has long collaborated to provide our out elders, including prevention and early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia’s.  This includes collaboration on:

• The Road Map for Indian Country: Provided by the Healthy Brain Initiative, the Road Map for Indian Country outlines eight public health strategies that can help American Indian and Alaska Native communities learn about and begin planning their response to dementia.
• Healthy Brain Initiative Planning Guide: Designed for public health professionals who work with American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, this planning guide helps select Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map for Indian Country (Road Map) strategies and get started with implementation. The guide’s six quick steps will direct you to a path for success that best meets your specific needs. Easy-to-use worksheets and resources will help you prioritize, plan, and promote Road Map strategies within AI/AN communities.

For more information on NCUIH’s collaborations, please see our Program Manager Evelina Maho’s blogpost at the International Association for Indigenous Aging.