Authors

Unknown

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Today, an increasing number of American Indian and Alaska Native elders need assistance, and most prefer to have long-term care services provided in their home and communities. While many people associate long-term care only with nursing homes, home and community-based long-term care is actually much broader than this kind of care. It consists of a range of services aimed at helping people with chronic conditions to compensate for limitations in their ability to function independently and helping caregivers to sustain their roles in assisting at-risk family members and friends. These home and community-based long-term care services range from the least restrictive services, usually provided in the community, to the most restrictive services, usually provided in an institution such as a nursing home. To learn more about specific issues affecting home and community-based long-term care in Indian country, the Administration on Aging, the Native Elder Health Care Resource Center at the University of Colorado, and the National Resource Center on Native American Aging at the University of North Dakota surveyed key tribal program administrators from 108 Federally recognized tribes nationwide. Information was collected about: 1) availability of home and community-based long-term care (HCBLTC) programs and resources in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities; 2) how the programs and services are funded; and 3) barriers to establishing such programs and services in AI/AN communities.

Publication Date

1996

Publisher

Administration on Aging, Washington, DC.

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