U.S. Administration on Aging National Resource Centers on Older Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians

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Increased longevity continues to become more prevalent in Native American communities. This trend has placed greater demands on service delivery systems, which are even more complex and fragmented than in non-Indian communities. In recognition of this, under the Older Americans Act (OAA) Amendments of 2006, Congress mandated the support of at least two (2), and not more than four (4), Resource Centers that will focus on issues and concerns affecting individuals who are older Native Americans. The primary goal of these Centers is to enhance knowledge about older Native Americans and thereby to increase and improve the delivery of services to them. The National Resource Centers on Native American Elders (Centers) will concentrate on the development and provision of technical information and expertise and best practices to Indian tribal organizations, Native American communities, educational institutions including Tribal Colleges and Universities, and professionals and paraprofessionals in the field. Each Center must have a national focus and direct its resources to one or more of the areas of primary concern on which the center will focus which shall be; health issues, long-term care, including in-home care; elder abuse; and other problems and issues facing Native communities. Each Center is expected to incorporate the concepts and principles and cultural competencies into all aspects of their staffing, program, and activities. Additionally, each Center's activities will promote one or more of the AoA priority areas. These priority areas are; 1) make it easier for older people to access an integrated array of health and long-term care services, 2) help older people stay active and healthy, 3) support families in their efforts to care for their loved ones at home and in the community, 4) ensure the rights of older people and prevent their abuse, neglect and exploitation, 5) training and technical assistance, and 6) coordination within the university structure. Per the OAA, these funds shall be used to 1) gather information; 2) performance research; 3) provide for the dissemination of results of the research and 4) provide technical assistance and training to entities that provide services to the elderly Native American populations. Each Center is expected to develop special activities and best practices within its areas of primary concern which will address the special needs of different Indian communities. Each application must contain a description of anticipated outcomes for the activities, how these outcomes will be measured and how the overall success of the program/activity will be determined. For instance, staying active and healthy focuses on the identification and use of evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention interventions that can be applied by non-clinical personnel in a community setting. Statutory Authority The statutory authority for grants under this Program Announcement is contained in Title IV of the Older Americans Act (OAA) (42U.S.C. 3032), as amended by the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006, P.L. 109-365. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 93.048, Title IV Discretionary Projects).

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