ABSTRACT
The Navajo Nation has the largest reservation that is approximately, 27,000 square miles, while there are some reservations that are a few acres and some tribes with no land. More recent studies have examined performance-based physical functioning measures among American Indians. Availability of and access to programs and services vary across tribal communities as they do across any type of community. Tribal communities can finance elder-related programs and services through multiple sources, such as Medicaid, Medicare, the Older Americans Act, Department of Justice, and tribal revenue. The most commonly used programs and services were congregate meals, home-delivered meals, and senior center programs. The least commonly used programs and services were employment services, retirement communities, and nursing facilities. While the authors present aggregated information to describe rural older AI/ANs, the diversity across AI/AN communities cannot be overstated, including number of enrolled members, cultural practices, language, geography, landmass, economics, public health priorities, and aging-related services and programs.
