Kenaitze enhancing sustainable models of dementia care - kenaitze indian tribe is a federally recognized tribal government serving 2,094 enrolled tribal members who are kahtnuht'ANA dena'INA…

The Department of Health and Human Services Indian Health Service awarded Kenaitze Indian Tribe a $200,000 cooperative agreement under the Indian Health Service Health Management Development Program (CFDA 93.228) on September 1, 2026, to enhance sustainable models of dementia care for tribal and Alaska Native elders and their caregivers in the central Kenai Peninsula.

Kenaitze will deliver comprehensive, culturally relevant, evidence-based dementia care services through its existing infrastructure, including the Dena'ina Wellness Center—operated in partnership with the Indian Health Service and offering primary care, dental, optometry, behavioral health, chemical dependency, wellness, physical therapy, pharmacy support, and traditional healing—and the Tyotkas Elder Center, which serves tribal and Alaska Native residents ages 55 and older with nutrition services, transportation, home visits, light housekeeping, traditional craft activities, and elder advocacy. The project addresses diagnostic and treatment gaps in dementia care within the elder community through early identification and comprehensive service coordination. Kenaitze's four elder advocates and one advocacy supervisor will work directly with community members to connect them to available services.

The award period runs through August 31, 2028, with place of performance in Kenai, Alaska. The program supports development and enhancement of tribal management infrastructure to assume or expand Indian Health Service programs and functions.

Kenaitze enhancing sustainable models of dementia care - kenaitze indian tribe is a federally recognized tribal government serving 2,094 enrolled tribal members who are kahtnuht'ANA dena'INA ("people of the kenai river", kenaitze) athabascan; and approximately 5,000 alaska native/american indian (an/AI) residents of the central kenai peninsula borough. The term UN'INA is the dena'INA word meaning "those who come to US"; the tribe uses this term to refer to all kenaitze tribal members, an/AI, and other community members who seek services from kenaitze programs. Kenaitze's dena'INA wellness center (DWC), a state-of-the-art facility operated in partnership with the indian health service (IHS), offers a wealth of services including primary care, dental, optometry, behavioral health, chemical dependency, wellness, physical therapy, pharmacy support, and traditional healing. The DWC is located just across the parking lot from the tyotkas ("auntie's place") elder center, which is the nexus for elder services. Tyotkas programming provides services to tribal and an/AI elders ages 55 and older, including weekday lunches served at the center (with a delivery option for less mobile elders), transportation for errands and appointments, home visits and light housekeeping, traditional craft-making activities, social events and field trips, elder advocacy and abuse prevention, and caregiver support. Tyotkas has four (4) elders advocates and one (1) advocacy supervisor who work directly with tyotkas UN'INA in order to help them access the full breadth of available services. The purpose of this project is to provide comprehensive, culturally relevant, evidence-based dementia care services to our UN'INA and their caregivers to ensure that these conditions do not remain undiagnosed and untreated within our elder community as they age. The following project goals and objectives have been established to address the most prominent gaps in kenaitze's existing model of care: 1. Enhance early intervention by increasing awareness and recognition of dementia among DWC primary care providers and kenaitze program staff through ongoing education and training. To undertake this initiative, kenaitze will connect primary care providers with at least one (1) dementia specific continued medical education (CME) course each project year. Tyotkas staff will also conduct two (2) annual trainings for kenaitze tribal programs staff on recognizing early warning signs of cognitive decline in UN'INA. 2. The improvement of interdisciplinary communications and information sharing within the established case management team to enhance timely, accurate diagnoses and deliver culturally competent, comprehensive care for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Kenaitze will establish an MOU between DWC and tyotkas elder center to define party responsibilities and will update the release of information (ROI), which outlines the terms between the two parties that allows for the sharing of information relevant to ongoing case management. Bimonthly multidisciplinary dementia case management team meetings will begin in month 4 to facilitate the consistent exchange of patient information and inform decisions about individualized patient care. 3. Enhance caregiver health, mental wellbeing, and the understanding of dementia-related conditions through the provision of support and educational resources. Kenaitze will deliver equitable access to respite services by providing stipends for a maximum of 39 hours of respite and/or adult day center services to participating UN'INA and their caregivers monthly throughout the performance period. Tyotkas staff will collaborate with community partners including genacta and frontier community services and/or other home health agencies to schedule and track the allocation of these stipends. Additionally, awarded funding will be used to equip the advocacy supervisor with the professional development necessary to expand in-person caregiver training opportunities throughout the service area.