National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA)

Sleep Is Crucial to Healthy Aging

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by Kayla Sawyer. This article originally appeared on the NICOA blog.

It is a common misconception that sleep needs decline with age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that 61-64-year-olds get seven to nine hours, and adults 65 and older get seven to eight hours.

Unfortunately, as people age they tend to have a harder time falling asleep and more trouble staying asleep. Older people spend more time in the lighter stages of sleep than in deep sleep. They also experience an overall decline in REM sleep and an increase in sleep.... Read More

             

The Importance of Food Sovereignty

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by Kayla Sawyer. This article originally appeared on the NICOA blog.

A poor diet now causes more deaths than tobacco smoking and high blood pressure. A healthier diet pattern is associated with 25 percent lower likelihood of developing physical impairment with aging. According to a 27-year global diet analysis published this month in the journal the Lancet, one in five deaths globally — that’s about 11 million people — in 2017 occurred because of too much sodium and a lack of whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds, rather than too much trans fats, sugar-sweetened drinks and high levels of red and processed meats.

The Navajo Nation is the biggest and most populous reservation.... Read More

             

Social Security Scammers Are Calling

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by Kayla Sawyer. This article originally appeared on the NICOA blog.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is getting more reports about people pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) calling to get Social Security numbers and even money.

This is a scam that is growing exponentially each year. In 2017, 3,200 people reported SSA imposter scams, and lost nearly $210,000, according to the FTC. Government imposter scams made up nearly half of the 535,417 imposter scams reported to the FTC in 2018.

In one version of the.... Read More

             

NICOA Joins 2019 Aging in America Conference

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by Kayla Sawyer

The National Indian Council on Aging, Inc. (NICOA) will travel to New Orleans for the 2019 Aging in America conference on April 15-18 to learn best practices and gain insights from leaders in the field about the current state of aging in America. Join nearly 3,000 professionals to discuss a multitude of issues affecting older adults as well as the latest policies and trends.

According to the American Society on Aging, the conference will have “a strong focus on critical and emergent topics facing the field of aging, as well as cutting-edge and responsive programmatic, research, policy and advocacy efforts.” Topics will include social isolation, emergency and disaster readiness, housing.... Read More

             

Let’s Talk Aging, Caregiving and Cultural Competence at This Year’s Aging in America Conference

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It’s April, which means that the American Society on Aging’s 2019 Aging in America Conference (AiA19) is right around the corner! The Diverse Elders Coalition and our five member organizations will be on the ground in New Orleans from April 15th through the 18th, talking about issues of aging, caregiving, and cultural competence in our communities. Will we see you there?

For conference attendees, you can find a full list of the panels, workshops, film screenings, and events that the Diverse Elders Coalition and its members will be a part of at AiA19.... Read More

             

The Importance of National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, making it difficult to fight off diseases, infections and certain cancers. HIV specifically attacks the body’s CD4+ cells, a type of T-cell that has a critical role in our adaptive immune system. When an unknown virus, bacteria, or pathogen enters the human body, CD4+ cells are required to stimulate the immune system in making the machinery to fight off the unknown intruder. Without CD4+ cells, it becomes difficult for the human body to regulate immune responses, increasing the risk of death from diseases and infections as common as the cold. When HIV destroys CD4+ cells, impairing the functionality of the immune system, this leads to the acquired.... Read More

             

Elder Abuse Often Goes Unreported

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by Kayla Sawyer. This article originally appeared on the NICOA blog.

Unfortunately, the abuse and neglect of American Indian and Alaska Native elders occurs with alarming frequency in tribal communities. Tribal leaders from across the country have identified three major challenges in addressing elder abuse and neglect issues on reservations. There is a need to increase training about elder abuse and neglect, a lack of codes addressing elder abuse issues and a lack of policies and procedures for tribal agencies handling elder abuse and neglect issues.

More than 79 percent of elder abuse cases go unreported. Many tribes don’t have their own specialized elder protective service so there may not be anyone to report abuse.... Read More

             

Inadequate Data on Missing, Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

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by Kayla Sawyer. This article originally appeared on the NICOA blog.

TRIGGER WARNING: If reading this post triggers past traumas, please see the resources listed at the end of this article for assistance.

There is a serious lack of meaningful government data documenting rates of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. A recent study by the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) revealed that only 116 of the 5,712 cases of murdered or missing Native women were logged into the Department of Justice’s nationwide database.

U.S. attorneys’ offices declined to proceed.... Read More

             

Honoring Native Heritage and Supporting American Indian/Alaska Native Elders

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Photo by R. Madison

American Indian and Alaska Native Elders are the heart and soul of Native communities across the United States, and indigenous traditions of dance, food, cuisine and language around the world continue to thrive. We join our member organization, the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA), in celebrating the rich heritage of the more than 500 unique tribal nations across the United States and the Elders who are preserving and passing those traditions down to future generations.This Native American Heritage Month, we’re sharing highlights from the Diverse Elders Coalition blog throughout 2018, including:

The Importance of Good Sleep for Elders: “Not only do.... Read More
             
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