The purpose of this project is to assist tribes, villages, and homelands in creating a record of the health and social needs of their elders. This can help tribes with data needed for their Title VI nutrition and caregiving grants awarded from the Administration on Aging (AoA) and can also help with tribal planning, long-term care discussions, and grant-writing.
The survey information also compares the Native American elders to the general U.S. population to determine the extent of existing social and health differences. A survey instrument was constructed using questions from nationally administered questionnaires so comparisons could be made with data from the nation. Data is collected on: general health status, activities of daily living, vision, hearing and dental care, screening, health care access, tobacco and alcohol usage, weight and nutrition, social support/housing, demographics and social functioning.
Interested in participating? Below is a list outlining the services our Center provides and what is expected from the tribal entities. To view documents related to the needs assessment process, visit the Cycle III materials page.
We Provide:
Survey instruments - a standardized tool at no cost to tribes, villages, and homelands
Assistance with local supplemental questions
Assistance with sampling
Training on data collection
Data entry and analysis
Statistical profiles
Comparison with national norms and with overall tribal norms
Technical support
You Provide:
A tribal resolution granting permission to participate in the needs assessment project
Locating a list and selecting names for the sample
Data collection
Receiving the findings and getting them to the right people
Local implementation and coordination
This cycle is run every three years when grants are due to the Administration on Aging. We ask that you use the most updated version of the survey and discard old versions so that we can give you the most recent comparisons.
NOTE: If you are working as a VISTA worker with the National Society on American Indian Elderly, please visit the NSAIE project page for your survey instrument and information.
For more information, contact Yvonne Jackson, Director of the Office for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian programs, Administration on Aging at: (202) 357-3501.
