Urban American Indian Caregiving during COVID-19

Abstract

This study examined the experience of caregiving during a pandemic by asking five questions about how COVID-19 was impacting twenty American Indian caregivers providing care to a family member who was disabled, elderly, or had a chronic health condition. Interviews were conducted via Zoom. Themes identified were concern about the care recipient contracting COVID-19, increased caregiving intensity, increased Medical care issues, changes to caregiver health and health behaviors, and support received and increased need for support during the pandemic (material and emotional). Responses indicate that tribes and American Indian health organizations should initiate services that can support caregivers during the pandemic or make changes to their caregiver programs.

“‘We’d Just Patch Ourselves up’: Preference for Holistic Approaches to Healthcare and Traditional Medicine among Members of a State-Recognized Tribe”

“…In addition to more Native American healthcare providers, providers of all backgrounds could benefit from additional education and training in holistic approaches to health and well-being and natural, holistic practices to care. Furthermore, policies requiring this type of education and training could contribute to the quicker adoption of these approaches (Cordova-Marks et al, 2020).…”

“…There have been efforts to address systemic racism within the healthcare system (Gorin et al, 2012;Lavoie et al, 2016; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2022). One strategy is to incorporate more culturally relevant, natural, and holistic approaches in care (Napoli, 2002;O'Keefe et al, 2021) to respond to the preferences of Native American groups and individuals (Buchwald et al, 2000;Cordova-Marks et al, 2020;Walters & Simoni, 2002). Despite these endeavors, there is little research exploring how the patient and healthcare provider relationship may impact health disparities (Cordova-Marks et al, 2020;Gurr, 2014;Liddell, 2020;Liddell et al, 2018;Theobald, 2019).…”

“…One strategy is to incorporate more culturally relevant, natural, and holistic approaches in care (Napoli, 2002;O'Keefe et al, 2021) to respond to the preferences of Native American groups and individuals (Buchwald et al, 2000;Cordova-Marks et al, 2020;Walters & Simoni, 2002). Despite these endeavors, there is little research exploring how the patient and healthcare provider relationship may impact health disparities (Cordova-Marks et al, 2020;Gurr, 2014;Liddell, 2020;Liddell et al, 2018;Theobald, 2019). Moreover, there are no existing policies that mandate services to be based in cultural humility in the care of Native American patients (Cordova-Marks et al, 2020).…”

“…Despite these endeavors, there is little research exploring how the patient and healthcare provider relationship may impact health disparities (Cordova-Marks et al, 2020;Gurr, 2014;Liddell, 2020;Liddell et al, 2018;Theobald, 2019). Moreover, there are no existing policies that mandate services to be based in cultural humility in the care of Native American patients (Cordova-Marks et al, 2020).…”

“…In particular, some Native American people have expressed concerns that healthcare providers will not support and respect the incorporation of traditional conceptualizations of health and healing practices in treatment planning (Liddell et al, 2018; Broome & Broome, 2007; Walters & Simoni, 2002). Some Native American women have even reported experiencing their providers as condescending and paternalistic (Cordova-Marks et al, 2020; Walters & Simoni, 2002). Other Native Americans have cited a history of exploitation in research as the source of some of the ambivalence to engaging in the Western healthcare system (Gurr, 2014; Smith, 2013).…”