Elders are highly respected and revered in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. It is well known they possess volumes of wisdom, knowledge, and carry honorable strengths of spirituality. Respecting our elders and honoring stories, culture, and language can help protect against elder abuse, mistreatment, and financial exploitation.
As a population that carries so much light and has carved depths of foundational strengths, it is difficult to share that a disturbing number of Native American elders are victims of abuse and neglect. As many as one in three Native elders report experiencing emotional, physical, and sexual maltreatment in the past year or neglect or financial abuse by a family member — almost double the number reported for the general population. Factors contributing to the problem are loss of a traditional lifestyle, dementia, poor economic conditions, mental health or substance use, and social isolation. Experiences of historical trauma, shame, and fear can impact an elder’s decision to seek help.
On June 15, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Indian Health Service joins its federal partners and organizations worldwide in calling attention to the under-recognized and under-reported problem of elder abuse. This day is an opportunity for all communities to learn and raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation and find ways they can make a difference in the lives of elders.
The IHS is helping do our part to end elder abuse. Some examples of programs and resources include:
- Training to become a sexual assault examiner/forensic examiner.
- Two new Forensic Health Care Guidebooks, including information on caring for elders.
- Training, information, and resources on Alzheimer’s and dementia.
- A new Notice of Funding Opportunity for dementia models of care grants that require services and supports for caregivers.
Let’s honor our gich-aya’aag (Ojibwe for elders/great beings) by raising awareness and bringing an end to elder abuse!
***If you have been a victim or suspect elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation, call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 to be connected to local help. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or the local police for immediate help.
Helpful Resources:
- National Center for Elder Abuse Tribal Resources, Administration for Community Living
- National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative
- National Resource Center on Native American Aging
- National Resource Center for Alaska Native Elders
- Elder Justice Initiative, Department of Justice
- International Association for Indigenous Aging
- Southwest Center for Law & Policy (Legal training and technical assistance to tribal communities), funded by the Department of Justice
- Tribal Law and Policy Institute, funded by the Department of Justice, Children’s Bureau, and others
- Tribal Long Term Services and Supports National Resource Center, funded by the Administration for Community Living
- Forensic Healthcare | Indian Health Service
- Forensic Health Care and Caring for American Indian and Alaska Native Patients and Medical Forensic Examination Considerations guidebooks are available for download, and include details related to Caring for American Indian and Alaska Native Elders.
- Contact Us and Stay Connected through the IHS Forensic Health Listserv – Sign Up | LISTSERV Email Groups (ihs.gov)
Are you or someone you know interested in becoming trained as a sexual assault examiner/forensic examiner? Through the Forensic Nursing Consultant Program contract, Texas A&M University Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing is offering forensic health care related training and courses for our IHS, tribal, and urban Indian organization providers (courses such as forensic examiner training, clinical skills labs, and more – CEs/CMEs are available.) Visit their website to register for courses.
