LTSS Newsletter—August 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent this bulletin at 08/19/2024 09:00 AM EDT

Stay tuned for the September 2024 LTSS webinar
American Indian/Alaska Native Long-Term Services and Supports

Technical assistance for culturally competent care
August 2024
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Addressing the stigma surrounding dementia

A recently published article about a listening session with Native elders highlights the need for programs to increase people’s awareness and understanding of dementia.

Titled Visiting with Elders—Aging, Caregiving, and Planning for Future Generations of American Indians and Alaska Natives, the article references the stigma that often surrounds dementia in tribal communities.

It also features comments about the need for education to help community members be more patient with elders who have dementia.
     
   

Culturally relevant dementia resources

  
       
   

As the number of Native elders with dementia increases, so does the need for culturally relevant resources to help tribal communities better understand what dementia is and how to support families affected by it.

 

For examples of such resources, visit the LTSS TA Center’s LTSS and Dementia page and watch seven brief videos showcasing efforts of the International Association for Indigenous Aging around Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

 

  

Grantee-implemented dementia interventions
Cover of the report, Grantee-Implemented Evidence-Based and Evidence-Informed Dementia Interventions

A new report, Grantee-Implemented Evidence-Based and Evidence-Informed Dementia Interventions (PDF, 1.62 MB, 57 pp), highlights programs that meet the Administration for Community Living’s criteria for dementia interventions.

 

The report briefly describes each program and cites relevant peer-reviewed literature. Several of the programs are run by tribes, including:

 

  • Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country, which focuses on family caregiver training and is run by Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc., in Wisconsin, and Spirit Lake Tribe in North Dakota
  • Powerful Tools for Caregivers, a program focused on self-care for family caregivers and run by the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc.
  • Music and Memory®, which focuses on eliciting positive memories and reducing behavioral symptoms by playing elders’ favorite songs and is run by Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes in Oklahoma

 
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Want to learn more about or discuss LTSS in Indian Country? Looking to connect with others working in the same field?

Join the Tribal Affairs Group on LinkedIn.
Upcoming webinar

Stay tuned for the September LTSS webinar

There will be no LTSS webinar in August. Check back soon for more information about the September webinar.

 

In the meantime, visit the LTSS TA Center to view archived LTSS webinars, such as Intergenerational Transmission of Traditional Practices and Foodways.

 
Caregiver's corner

RSV vaccine for elders 75 and up

As summer winds down, remind caregivers everywhere to get elders vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

 

A common cause of hospitalization and death among elders, RSV tends to spread more widely during the fall and winter months. For that reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all elders ages 75 and up get a single dose of RSV vaccine now, if they have not had that shot previously.

 

The vaccine is also recommended for people ages 60 and up who:

 

  • Have chronic medical conditions, such as asthma or congestive heart failure
  • Live in long-term care facilities

 
Funding opportunities

AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP

Applications due: September 18, at 5 p.m. Eastern
Learn more about the AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP funding opportunity

 

The AmeriCorps Seniors Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) funds projects that provide people ages 55 and up with opportunities to make a difference in their communities.

 

Tribes and tribal organizations are encouraged to propose projects focused on priorities such as:

 

  • Supporting elders and their caregivers
  • Helping elders re-enter the workforce
  • Preventing and mitigating fraud and scams
  • Supporting behavioral health initiatives

 

Reconnecting Communities Pilot program

Applications due: September 30
Learn more about the Reconnecting Communities funding opportunity

The Reconnecting Communities Pilot program offers community planning grants and capital construction grants to support transportation projects that improve people’s access to health care, jobs, schools, and more.

 

Find a recording of a tribally focused informational webinar about this opportunity on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website.

 
Upcoming events

Financing behavioral health toolkit launch webinar

August 22, at 2 p.m. Eastern
Register for the behavioral health toolkit webinar

 

Join the National Council of Urban Indian Health as they present their new toolkit, Investing in Wellness: Financing Behavioral Health. The toolkit highlights sustainable financing opportunities to strengthen access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

 

Webinar on cognitive stimulation therapy for people with dementia

August 27, at 2 p.m. Eastern
Register for the webinar on cognitive stimulation therapy

 

The National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center will host a webinar, Cognitive Stimulation Therapy Programs: Directly Supporting People Living with Dementia. Presenters from two organizations will discuss their cognitive stimulation therapy programs, which help people strengthen their cognition and improve their well-being.

 

Webinar on compassionate goals-of-care conversations

September 3, at 1 p.m. Eastern
Register for the webinar on compassionate goals-of-care conversations

 

The American Society on Aging will host a webinar that outlines the important elements of compassionate conversations about the goals of care for people living with serious illness. The presenter will provide tips for facilitating these conversations and explain how people benefit from the resulting care plans.

 

Webinar on adult guardianship

September 18, at 1 p.m. Eastern
Register for the webinar on adult guardianship

 

The American Society on Aging will hold a webinar on how adult guardianship works, alternatives to adult guardianship, and strategies to protect elders and people with disabilities.

 

Send us your news

Do you have news to share about LTSS in Indian Country? Send it to ltssinfo@kauffmaninc.com for possible inclusion in an upcoming newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too.

 

About the newsletter

American Indian/Alaska Native Long-Term Services and Supports Solutions is published monthly by the CMS Division of Tribal Affairs to share information, funding opportunities, and resources with LTSS planners, tribal leaders, and supporters.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Indian Health ServiceAdministration for Community Living