Older Indigenous Adults.. Health Care is a form of Cultural Care

    What is an Elder? Within indigenous context, and Elder is someone who has been recognised by their community as having spiritual or political representative, or simply someone over the age of 55 who has been recognized as possessing gifts, traditional language and cultural knowledge and skills honoured within the specific group. Elders are valued for their life experience and their ability to put things and situations into prespective for younger people. "Traditionally, North American Aboriginal family life has been characterized by the extended family system that included a man and women, their children, and more distance relations (e.g., grandparents, aunts, and uncles) living together in a mutually supportive environment." (Williams, 2000, p.5) This term, Elder, is not to be confused with an older Indigenous adult. While the two often are appropriate given how the traditional teachings are kept, a person with expansive traditional knowledge who is younger than age 55 can be termed an 'Elder'.
    The national average age for non-indigenous people to be considered a "senior" is aged 65 and over. Within Indigenous context, that is lowered to 55 and over. But sadly, literature that deals with aging indigenous people is sorely lacking. But what little lirtature there is indicates that Diabetes and resulting complications, renal failure, cancer and heart disease are the most common health issues experienced by older indigenous people. With the advance of modern technologies in many fields, traditional medicinal plant knowledge which was harboured by Elders has now been replaced by pharmaceutical companies and Elders' traditional roles have been replaced or removed completely. They are not treated with the same respect as they had been prior to colonization. With changes to the family stucture that does not include grandparents living in a mutually supportive environment, many indigenous older adults are loosing a support system that can help them stay in their own homes and communities rather than in nursing homes or pallative care facilities. Sadly, many of the research data available esclused Inuit and Métis people living off reserve.
    Despite these things, indigenous older adults are defined as successful in their old age by how they manage their non-material possessions. According to Wilson, Rosenberg, Abonyi and Lovelace (2010), amongst the Inuit  "Individuals' attitudes in later life, in particular their willingness to transmit their accumulated wisdom and knowledge to their juniors, are the critical determinants of whether an individuals is viewed as having successful old age." (Wilson, Rosenberg, Abonyi and Lovelace, 2010, p.371) Poverty also is abundant among older adult groups, even more so amongst older indigenous groups. This can cause a plethora of problems, including if an older indigenous adult is on essential medication for treatment of disease. The decline of mental health is another issue that can complicate health. Of course, systemic racism in hospitals won't help older indigenous peoples, like in the case of Marion Spence or Brian Sinclair (Who was only 45, ten years younger than the considered average of indigenous adults). In many cases, older indigenous adults are at risk of Spiritual Abuse, which Dumont-Smith defines as "The erosion or breaking down of one's cultural or religious belief systems." (Marshall and Vaillen Court, 1993 via Dumont- Smith, 2002, p.4) as many older indigenous adults are also survivors of the residential school system. With all these factors in place, it would not be a stretch to believe that older indigenous peoples are at risk for all forms of elder abuse.
    To get a complete idea about the needs of older indigenous adults, there has to be an acknowledgement of the diversity that exists amongst indigenous groups. A comparison of On and Off reserve, Indigenous/ Inuit and Métis people would provide valuable data in regards to older indigenous people's health issues and concerns, as well as providing culturally sensitive ways to impliment policies and care so that older indigenous people can live with lives of dignity and respect that they deserve. After all, if they are keepers of cultrual and traditional spiritual wisdom, wouldn't it make sense to have their health needs taken care of so they can pass that on, and live "successful" older age lives according to their community standards?

~Shauna

Abonyi, S., Lovelace, R., Rosenberg, M., Wilson, K. (2010) Aging and Health: An Examination of Differences Between Older Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal People. Canadian Journal on Aging, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 369-382.

Dumont-Smith, C. (2002). Aboriginal Elder Abuse in Canada. Retireved November 21, 2011 from http://www.ahf.ca/downloads/ahfresearchelderabuse_eng.pdf

Williams, L. (2002). A Changed Lifestyle: Older Aboriginal Adults. Wellspring. Spring 2002. Retrieved November 21, 2011 from http://www.centre4activeliving.ca/publications/wellspring/2002/spring-older-aboriginals.pdf