Health and Wellbeing of Indigenous Older Adults Residing in Long Term Care

Indigenous Elders and older adults are integral to cultural revitalization, building intergenerational connections, and sharing knowledges. Although previous research has indicated shorter life expectancies and high rates of chronic diseases, Indigenous peoples are living longer and healthier lives than ever before, yet still do not have equitable access to healthcare that promotes wellbeing, especially into later life. When health conditions worsen and more intensive health services are needed, moving closer to these services (i.e., moving to an urban centre) or to a long term care (LTC) facility may be necessary, yet these relocations often separate Indigenous older adults from health-promoting factors like family, friends, community, and culture. Research on aging-related health services for Indigenous older adults in Canada is overall quite limited. Little is known about the Indigenous older adult population living in LTC, their service needs/usage, and changes in this population over time. I am proposing to use longitudinal data from TREC (Translating Research in Elder Care) to describe the health and wellbeing of Indigenous older adults residing in LTC facilities.