Photo by Christian Toews

Elders are an essential part of the Choctaw community. Many programs, like Healthy Aging, are available to help tribal elders to live healthy and productive lifestyles.

Healthy Aging helps elders live a better life

Published June 1, 2023

By Chris Jennings

According to the National Resource Center on Native American Aging (NRCNAA), 79.1% of reporting elders over the age of 55 said they had 1-4 chronic illnesses. High blood pressure was the most reported condition (58.1%), followed by arthritis (46.0%) and diabetes (35.8%).

15.2% said they had problems bathing and showering; 10.4% said getting dressed was difficult; and 28.8% said walking was difficult, all due to health or physical problems.

As people age, everyday tasks that were once easy become difficult. The Choctaw Nation Healthy Aging program aims to help those who most need it. Betty Wharton, director of the Healthy Aging program, says it started working with elders 65 and over, but it worked so well that they eventually dropped the minimum age to 55.

Healthy Aging still does what it initially set out to do, ensuring elders keep their appointments, take their medications, have food, and are safe at home. The program has expanded to cover much more than that now, providing wellness, social services, behavioral health services and case management.

Help is also available to non-elder high-risk patients. “If they are in their early 20s and have a devastating illness that keeps them at home and don’t have resources, we help them out,” said Wharton.

Wharton says it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what areas Healthy Aging covers, citing a recent example, “Well, just to give an example, say they live in a home where the septic tank is bad, we work with the Office of Environmental Health, and we work with housing [to get that fixed],” Wharton said.

Wharton says Healthy Aging has you covered from septic tanks to grocery shopping or can get you to the appropriate service to help with your problem.

“We work with all the different programs we have in the Choctaw Nation; we help them get signed up for their Medicare, Medicaid and Sooner Care. Any of those benefits that they can get that would help them. We help with yard work; we transport them back and forth, sometimes to their medical appointments, or help them get their commodities; we help them get their groceries; go banking. We try to take care of any of their needs at that point so they can be safe at home,” Wharton said.

Occasionally an elder will step in to take care of their grandchildren. According to the United States Census Bureau, approximately 2.7 million grandparents are the primary caregiver of their grandchildren. There’s a program called Grandparents Raising Grandchildren available through the Healthy Aging Program to help with that. “We help [grandparents] if they need assistance because a lot of times, just all of a sudden, the grandkids are on their doorstep, and they need help with clothing and other things,” said Wharton.

Help is available if you live within the Choctaw Nation and:

Caregiver and/or child have a CDIB
Parent of the child cannot live in the home
Caregiver must be related to the child by blood, marriage, foster parent or adoption and live with the child
Child must not be over the age of 18

Some of the things the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program can help with are:

Transportation needs
School supplies
Cultural activities
Beading supplies
Gardening supplies
Clothing
Day trips to museums or camps
School events
Fishing supplies
Legal services
Daycare

The Healthy Aging program can also help on the opposite end of the spectrum. The program helps younger people who are taking care of their elders through the Family Caregivers program. “Say, for instance, there is an elder in the home, and the caregiver needs a little bit of time away. It can be a 24/7 job if they have Alzheimer’s or dementia or are in a situation where they have to be watched very closely. They can get away for a little bit to go get their hair cut or get some get some rest,” Wharton said.

The Respite program is paid for by a Title VI grant made available through the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging. Respite care can be provided in the elder’s home or at the respite provider’s home.

To qualify for respite care, you must be an adult family member or another individual who is an unpaid, informal provider of in-home and community care to an older individual or an individual with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction.

The Caregivers Program is only available to those living in the Choctaw Nation but can make referrals to other agencies. Long-Distance caregivers looking for services and agencies to assist their loved ones, relatives, or friends who live outside of the Choctaw Nation, can call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

Serving as a front line of sorts in getting help to those that need it, Healthy Aging gets referrals from everywhere. “We get referrals from anybody. We get referrals from the doctors, and we get people from word of mouth. ‘Can you go check so and so’ They’re not keeping their doctor’s appointments, or they need help because their house is falling down, or their fence has grown up. I mean, that any type of safety issues we get we can check and see they if need assistance,” said Wharton.

If you need help with something that’s not on the list, contact Healthy Aging. Wharton says they always get calls asking if they can help with something, and the answer is often yes.

“We just meet any of their needs or anything that they feel like they have issues with, we’re going to help,” said Wharton.

Here is a comprehensive list of services and programs offered to Choctaw Elders.

202 Supportive Elder Housing

One-bedroom elder units are equipped with an Energy Star refrigerator, stove and central heating and air.

Community Health Nursing

Provides services for tribal members in our rural communities to keep them healthy.

Community Health Representative (CHR)

Assists Native Americans to maintain the health of themselves and their families.

Elder Advocacy

Provides community outreach, advocacy, training, preparation and other support services.

Elder Food Security (ARPA FRF)

Provides eligible Choctaw Nation tribal members with the opportunity to receive a $200 monthly grocery allowance beginning September 2021.

Eyeglasses, Dentures and Hearing Aid Program

Provides eligible Choctaw tribal members with eyeglasses, dentures or partials and hearing aids.

Healthy Aging

Provides wellness, social services, behavioral health services, case management and providers in geriatric-specific care to assist elders in achieving a higher quality of life or maintaining an optimal level of functioning and wellness.

Healthy Aging also offers the Healthy Aging Lending Closet program. Through this program, gently used medical equipment donations are repaired, sanitized and distributed to those in need. The Lending Closet is a way for people to donate gently used medical supplies they no longer need and provide them to people who need those items. For more information on the Lending Closet, call 580-916-9140 ext. 83849.

Independent Elder Housing

Affordable housing is available to low-income elders who can live independently. The units are designed for one person or one person and their spouse.

Nutrition Services

This program helps elders navigate healthy eating practices to improve overall health and help in fighting disease.

Senior Nutrition

Provides meals, information, referral, transportation, wellness activities and arts and crafts to Native American elders.

Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program

Eligible seniors in the Choctaw Nation service area can receive $50 benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables from authorized area farmers.

The following services can be used by tribal members of any age but are also great resources for elders:

Some of these programs have eligibility guidelines. Tribal members can find out more about elder services by using the “Elders” filter on the Programs and Services webpage.

Choctaw Community Centers are also a place for local elders. Free weekly meals are served to elders at Choctaw Community Centers throughout the Choctaw Nation. Community Centers also offer various opportunities, such as volunteer services and fundraising for group trips, games, lessons, etc. Contact your local Choctaw Community Center for more information on how you can take part in community activities.

The Choctaw Nation has long promoted its goal to enhance the lives of all members through opportunities designed to develop healthy and productive lifestyles. There are programs and services available for tribal members of all ages.

For more information on services for all ages, visit choctawnation.com/services/.