ANTHC Elder Care
"Elders need to be near the river where they were raised,"
spoken by Rose Jerue in 1989, these words are the motto of ANTHC Elder Care.
ANTHC Elder Care works with our regional tribal health partners to identify the needs of Alaska Native Elders, and to investigate possible solutions for meeting those needs. ANTHC Elder Care is particularly focused on the long term care needs, and how to support elders and their families to remain as close to home as they can. When that is not possible, the goal is to develop culturally appropriate care and services in other settings.
What is Long Term Care?
Care of an elder or individual with a disability who requires on-going assistance with activities of daily living, such as cooking, bathing, dressing, eating, and shopping. Long Term Care services support elders and their families with medical, personal, and social services delivered over a sustained period of time in a variety of settings, ranging from a person's own home to institutional settings, to ensure quality of life, maximum independence and dignity. Long term care in Alaska Native and American Indian communities also includes support of family caregivers and the importance of maintaining cultural values in the delivery system.
Two committees guide the work of ANTHC Elder Care:
Alaska Native Elder Health Advisory Committee (ANEHAC):
ANEHAC is an advisory committee formed by the ANTHC Board of Directors and includes individuals nominated by their regional health organization. An ANTHC Board member serves as chair of the committee. The committee meets twice a year, usually in April and October. They serve as a joint advisory group to the National Resource Center for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiin Elders at the University of Alaska Anchorage http://elders.uaa.alaska.edu/.
ANEHAC's mission:
"With our cultural and traditional wisdom and knowledge the Alaska Native Elder Health Advisory Committee will advocate for the health and well-being of Alaska Native people."
Alaska Tribal Health System Long Term Care Committee (ATHS LTC Commitee):
Vision: Alaska Native Elders and those with disabilities have access to the long term care services necessary to keep them as close to home as possible, as healthy and safe as possible, and that affords them as much independence as possible.
The ATHS LTC Committee is chartered by the Alaska Tribal Health Directors, and members are appointed from each regional and/or tribal health organization. This group met monthly during 2008 to write the Tribal Long Term Care Service Development Plan, which was completed in December 2008 and distributed to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the Alaska Legistlature. The plan is in response to the Medicaid Reform Initiative, a legislative initiative to work with tribal health organizations to provide additional Medicaid services that would be reimbursed totally from the Federal government.
Resources:
Alaska Native Elder Health Advisory Committee Charter
Alaska Native Elder Health Advisory Committee List
Long Term Care Committee Charter Long Term Care Continuum Fact Sheet
Long Term Care Needs of Alaska Native Elders Report
Tribal Long Term Care Services Development Plan |
