Elizabeth Qua Lynch

April 10, 2015

2015 Unity Conference Workshop Recap and Summary of Findings

Workshop Title: The Impact of Diabetes-Alzheimers and Dementia Diseases for American
Indians
Location: 40th Annual American Indian Unity Conference, Raleigh, NC
Date: Friday, March 20, 2015
Time: 10:30 am 12:00 pm
Recap of Workshop:
The workshops content addressed the impact that diabetes and cognitive decline (more
specifically Alzheimers disease) have on the American Indian population. A correlational
connection was made to show how both of these health concerns intersect, which in turn affect
their overall health. There were 19 workshop attendees who participated in open discussion
regarding their personal and familys experiences with memory decline. This discussion was
later expanded to gain insight into how the American Indian tribes as a whole are being
affected. The discussion questions were designed to gage this populations level of accepted
memory decline. In other words, How does members of this population distinguish between
normal and abnormal memory decline? The discussion questions listed below were used as
prompts to encourage conversation.
Workshop Discussion Questions:
So far we have been talking about memory changes, and now we want to hear from you.
1.) What memory changes do you see in your community?
a. Have you noticed a change in our elder? What changes have you seen?
2.) Before today, what in your opinion would be normal memory changes that you would
see as people get older?
a. How do they affect you personally?.... your family?.... and your tribe?
3.) Before today, what would be examples of abnormal memory changes that you would
see as people get older?
a. How do they affect you personally?.... your family?.... and your tribe?
4.) Last but definitely not least, what do we as health educators need to do to provide better
resources in your community for Alzheimers disease?
Summary of Findings:
The majority (if not all) of the participants reported having personal and/or family
experiences with cognitive decline, while a significant amount had experiences dealing directly
with Alzheimers disease. Several stories were shared about how the disease affects the family.
Many of which defined the patients as having good and bad days. Participants defined the
following actions as determinants of normal aging: misplacing items like keys, trouble recalling

Elizabeth Qua Lynch

April 10, 2015

the name of people, and losing nouns (unable to name an object). Individuals often time rely on
and need written notes to remind them of tasks to complete or important facts to remember.
Participants reported a few behaviors that help them distinguish between normal and
abnormal cognitive decline, which included patients getting lost in places that they were once
very familiar with and repetitively asking the same questions within a short time frame. For
example, when a patients sees an apple and cannot think of what the object is called, the
cognitive decline is normal; however, when the patients cannot recognize what the object is,
the cognitive decline is abnormal.
Participants eluded that the elders of their tribal communities were not as engaged as
they once were. Many expressed that the family dynamic changes once someone develops
cognitive decline. Family members often become primary caregivers, which often leads to
stress and a heavy emotional toll. They conveyed a will to keep their family members who
experience cognitive decline at home, rather than placing them in a nursing home. They have a
difficult time letting go. Placing their loved ones in a nursing home was defined as being a
contradiction to cultural traditions. It was also mentioned that cognitive decline directly affects
the preservation of their tribal history and stories. Orally passing down these traditions is an
inherent practice of American Indian People. When their elders develop forms of cognitive
decline that inhibit this practice to continue, a substantial portion of their tribal history is being
lost.
Many of the participants communicated the need for similar workshops addressing
cognitive decline and Alzheimers disease to be done within their tribal communities. They felt
as though they benefited from the workshop and that others in their communities would as
well. One woman mentioned that she was not going to overlook her personal memory concerns
anymore and that she felt the need for her and other American Indians to start talking amongst
themselves in their own communities about that ways cognitive decline affects their loved ones
and what they can do to address it.