Native Elder Research Center

Resource Center for Minority Aging Research

Native elders are at greater risk for numerous acute as well as chronic illnesses. Native elders suffer more frequent comorbidity of such conditions, thereby compounding the adverse health effects. In addition, they have less access to needed services, and are slower to seek available care, which leads to more serious, complicated presentations. Despite recognizing these circumstances, relatively few inroads have been made in altering the individual-, family-, community-, and system-related factors that contribute to them. Barriers to advancement in this area include the following:

the lack of relevant, immediately applicable research;
the paucity of well trained Native Investigators engaged in translating such research into terms that can be readily consumed by their communities of origin; and
the general resistance of AI/AN communities to research that fails to incorporate their priorities, members, and local systems of care in meaningful ways.

For more information about the NERC/RCMAR Program Contact:

Teresa Cochran, Program Specialist
E-Mail: Teresa.Cochran@ucdenver.edu
Tel: (303) 724-1477 Fax: (303) 724-1474