IA2 Staff Present on Alzheimer’s and Dementia @ National Tribal Public Health Summit

Jolie Crowder, Senior Project Director, was honored to be selected as a presenter for the National Indian Health Board’s Tribal Public Health Summit. Dr. Crowder presented Tools for Tackling Alzheimer’s and Dementia in Tribal Public Health:Honoring Sovereignty, Culture, Diversity, and Tradition. The presentation included an overview of the impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia on American Indian and Alaska Native populations, discussed other available Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resources and programs for brain health and BOLD Act funded Centers of Excellence, and shared resources and information currently available on brain health and dementia from IA2 and others specific to Native populations.

Sobering statistics shared as part of the presentation:

• 1 in 3 American Indian elders 65+ are projected to develop dementia (compared with 1 in 9 from the general population)

   

• 1 in 6 American Indians and Alaska Native people 45 and older report problems with their memory that have gotten worse in the last year
• the number of American Indians 65+ living with dementia is projected to grow more than 5 x
• 63% of Native American caregivers have faced discrimination navigating care for family living with dementia
• Native Americans report the least concern about developing Alzheimer’s; they also believe they won’t live long enough to get it

A number of CDC-funded brain health activities are underway at IA2, including: