GREEN BAY — With Alzheimer’s cases expected to rise in Indigenous populations, medical professionals, like Debbie Miller, a dementia care specialist for the Oneida Nation, must overcome unique obstacles in tribal communities.
“There are certain cultural sensitivities that I navigate,” she said. “Some of our tribal members follow Western medicine, but others follow a more traditional culture, and I respect their beliefs.”
Tribal cultural values can also be an advantage when discussing Alzheimer’s disease with Indigenous families because of the deep respect and care for elders.
“I have tribal members in my family and we have a strong passion for caring for our elders,” Miller said.
Native Americans are 15% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than white people and up to 70% more likely than Asians, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
One in three Native American seniors will develop Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and the number of Native Americans with dementia is expected to quadruple by 2060.
This is partly because advances in medicine allow people to live longer.
“There are a lot more older (tribal) members and age is the biggest risk factor (for Alzheimer’s disease),” said Kate Kahles, a program manager who works with tribal communities in Wisconsin. for the Alzheimer’s Association.
A healthy diet can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but food options have historically been limited on rural reservations.
The U.S. government had forced Indigenous peoples to settle on reservations that were usually in areas with poor agriculture, resulting in poor food for generations.
Related: How expanding a Tribal Food Program to Wisconsin’s 11 tribes also increases First Nations food sovereignty.
Related: ‘It’s about who we are, my heritage, my culture’: Indigenous tribes in Wisconsin grapple with quantum blood dilemma amid drop in enrollment
This poor diet has led to a health crisis on reservations, with some of the major killers for Aboriginal people being heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Heart disease and cancer both caused 20% of Indigenous deaths in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Indigenous people in Wisconsin are also more than three times more likely to die from diabetes than the white population, according to the state agency.
Indigenous populations on rural reservations in Wisconsin also tend to age due to lack of housing and jobs as young families move to cities.
Kahles said there was also generally a lack of specialized health care, such as neurologists, in rural areas, including reservations.
About two-thirds of Native Americans say they know someone with Alzheimer’s disease, but only 25% of Native Americans say they fear developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Kahles said Alzheimer’s disease is generally not a major concern within tribal communities, as it is considered part of the normal aging process and a person’s journey to the spirit world.
She said many tribal communities also revere long-term memories of historical events in elders, and since Alzheimer’s disease typically affects short-term memory, its symptoms can easily be missed.
But Kahles said tribal communities are also very close-knit and people care deeply about their families and neighbors, which is positive for medical professionals looking to combat Alzheimer’s disease.
“Nobody wants to talk about dementia,” Miller said. “It’s a scary thing. But even if it’s not a good situation, you need to think about it in order to take better care of your loved ones. …Many families still don’t know I’m here, but education programs are helping to make inroads with families.
Miller started Memory Cafés in Oneida, which are social gatherings that allow people with memory loss to connect with loved ones and build new support networks.
“Socialization is so important to the tribal community,” she said. “Those who attended love talking about history and tracing family trees. …I tried to create activities related to tribal history. We focused a coffee on the apple orchard on the reserve and discussed how it all started.
Frank Vaisvilas is a member of the Report for America body that covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact him at fvaisvilas@gannett.com or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frankYou can support his work directly with a tax-deductible donation online at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check payable to The GroundTruth Project with the subject Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.
#Native #Americans #face #risk #Alzheimers #Wisconsin #tribes #obstacles