Planning for the Future
Advance Care Planning in Native Communities
The Indian Health Service (IHS) Alzheimer’s Program and the Elder Health Team are developing advance care planning (ACP) and planning tools to help people think about and share what matters most to them in their future health care. ACP considers the care a person would and wouldn’t want, who they trust to speak for them, and the values, beliefs, and traditions they want honored.
In March, we released three new videos about timely dementia diagnosis and ACP. Advance Care Plans: Honoring Wishes and Traditions shares perspectives from providers and a family member. They explain why planning ahead matters and offer simple ways to start these conversations. The video shows that ACP is more than a medical task. It is a way to honor a person’s wishes, traditions, and loved ones.
To help shape this work, we held two virtual discussion groups in February. Participants talked about the emotions that can come with ACP and the importance of always honoring culture, family roles, and community values.
Participant insights are helping to shape the final ACP materials. They asked for simple language, a warm tone, and examples that reflect American Indian and Alaska Native families and traditions. Providers also said they need tools that make these conversations easier to introduce during regular visits, not only during times of crisis.
By listening to community members and frontline staff, we are creating materials that support trust, understanding, and choice. For more information on IHS Elder Health Care, visit the website.
Pictured: Sandy Haldane served as her mother’s and father’s health care agent once they reached a certain age.
