National Healthy Brain Initiative
The project establishes IA2 as a national hub for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) serving Indian country. IA2 will provide training, technical assistance, subject matter expertise, and resources for tribes, tribal leadership, healthcare and public health staff, Urban Indian Health Centers and organizations, and tribal elder services advocates across the country. Activities are designed to advance community engagement and help build capacity among tribes and tribal member-serving organizations, promote healthy cognitive aging strategies across the lifespan, and foster dementia-capable tribal communities.
Project partners include J. Neil Henderson (Choctaw), director of the University of Minnesota’s Wisdom Keepers Medical Discovery Team; Tassy Parker (Seneca), director of the Univ. of New Mexico’s Center for Native Health; Larry Curley (Navajo), executive director of the National Indian Council on Aging; and Mike Splaine, owner and principal of Splaine Consulting.
IA2’s project will address two strategies and eight action items from the Road Map for Indian Country, taking a multidisciplinary public health approach. It will identify and feature locally-tailored, culturally relevant activities to address Native disparities in the burden of ADRD.
For the past three years, IA2 has played a pivotal role in the development of the Road Map for Indian Country and engaged in meaningful work to address ADRD. IA2 conducted national webinars and focus groups for tribal health and senior program directors culminating in a report for the Alzheimer’s Association that contributed significantly to the Road Map.
Access and View IA2 Co-Created Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain Materials 
NEW: IA2 can now print on demand flyers and posters from the IA2 / ASTHO and NCUIH suite of materials below and send directly to your tribal office or urban Indian health center! Print requests are limited to $250 in materials per tribe or urban Indian center. To place your order now or see pricing per item click the print icon to the right or click here.
IA2 previously created a state-of-the art suite of materials, with funding from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) as part of a CDC-funded initiative to inform and educate tribal community members about the direct relationship between heart and brain health.
Flyers and Posters
Materials are intended for American Indian and Alaska Native communities and can be posted in senior centers and inter-tribal organizations, healthcare facilities, administrative offices, tribal newspapers/radio stations, and as mailers to tribal members. You can disseminate flyers within healthcare offices, senior centers, and through events such as health fairs, festivals, and other relevant affairs.
Healthcare provider guide
The provider guide is intended to support healthcare providers and administrators to inform and guide their conversations with American Indian and Alaska Native patients about the connections between brain health, including risk factors, protective health behaviors, and key messages.
Other Available Resources for Native American Elders, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers
Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country Training Materials
Alzheimer’s Association Indian Country Resources
National Indian Health Board Resources
National Council of Urban Indian Health Resources
Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country Training Materials
This training is designed for trainers working with American Indian and Alaska Native caregivers who care for an elder with memory loss and thinking problems (dementia). One of the main themes of the Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country Trainer’s Manual is to teach caregivers to know the stage of dementia corresponding to their loved one’s functioning. Knowing how to determine the stage allows the caregiver to use activates and tasks that fit the elder’s changing abilities.
Alzheimer’s Association Road Map for Indian Country Resource Page
National Indian Health Board Brain Health Website
- Talking Points for Elders and Caregivers by National Indian Health Board
- Talking Points for Healthcare Providers and Public Health Professionals
- Talking Points for Tribal Leaders
National Council of Urban Indian Health Wisdom Keeper Webpage
- Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain Urban Flyer Adaptation
- Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain, Urban Poster Adaptation
- Animated Video: Keeping Wisdom Keepers Healthy
- Animated Video: Recognizing the Signs of Alzheimer’s in Wisdom Keepers
- Animated Video: Wisdom Keepers Living Healthfully with Alzheimer’s
- Social Media Graphics Series: Early Detection Matters
- Social Media Graphics Series: Help the Wisdom Keepers Keep Their Wisdom
- Social Media Graphics Series: Reduce Your Risk
- Download The Toolkit!