Defining and Meeting the Needs of Native American Elders: Applied Research on Their Current Status, Social Service Needs, and Support Network Operation. Urban and Rural/Reservation American Indian Elders: A Reanalysis of the 1981 National Indian Council on Aging Nationwide Sample. Volume 1

摘要

The data used for this volume of the report comes from a special study, a survey of American Indian elders, commissioned by the Administration on Aging through a grant to the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) in 1980. The primary goal of this portion of the project was to reanalyze the survey and to document what is known about the status and characteristics of urban and reservation elders over age 55. The Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS) instrument was designed to obtain a multidimensional functional assessment of an older individual's resources and capabilities, and social service needs and use. The National Indian Council on Aging used a modified version of the instrument. These revisions, though few, provide additional information about issues important to American Indian aging. Ninety-six American Indian elders over 55 years old who live in one of the urban areas of Pittsburgh, Tulsa, Denver, Minneapolis, or Tacoma participated in the study. In comparison, the data set contains similar information on 282 American Indian elders over age 55 who live in rural and reservation environments. Findings are reported regarding: Cognitive Functioning; Demographic Characteristics; Social Resources; Economic Resources; Mental Health; Physical Health; Activities of Daily Living; and Need for and Use of Social Services.