Tribal Nursing Homes

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities provide LTSS to elders and people with disabilities who have too many LTSS needs to receive care at home. Tribally run nursing homes offer these services in culturally appropriate settings.

Overview of tribal nursing homes in Indian Country

Staying connected to communities, families, and cultures supports quality of life for tribal elders. Tribally run nursing homes and assisted living facilities can provide long-term care for people who need support all day but want to remain close to their homes and communities.

See information about all nursing homes and assisted living facilities that serve Indian Country:

Tribal Nursing Home & Assisted Living Facility Directory 2024 (PDF) (986 KB, 17 pp) - Includes contact information and tribal affiliation for each facility.

Tribal nursing home best practices

Learn more about successes and lessons learned from tribal long-term care facilities. These best practices reports cover a variety of LTSS topics, from cultural sensitivity to traditional foods.

Fact sheet—Principles of Trauma-Informed Care (PDF) (410 KB, 3 pp)
Trauma and Person-Centered Care (PDF) (656 KB, 9 pp)
Resource Review—Caring for Adults with Disabilities (PDF) (637 KB, 7 pp)
Traditional Foods (PDF) (1.64 MB, 12 pp)
Patients with Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease (PDF) (311 KB, 10 pp)
Communicating with your Governing Board (PDF) (931 KB, 11 pp)
Literature Review—Dementia Assessment Tools in Indian Country (PDF) (487 KB, 14 pp)
Emergency Preparedness (PDF) (614 KB, 14 pp)
Cultural Sensitivity (PDF) (4.05 MB, 11 pp)
Financial Sustainability (PDF) (230 KB, 9 pp)

Additional resources

Webinar recording – UNITE Natives 2024 Part 2: Rezilient – Preserving Our Culture Through Z Codes
Webinar recording – UNITE Natives 2024 Part 1: Rezilient – Preserving Our Culture Through Our Elders
Webinar recording – Historical Trauma and Its Relation to COVID
Webinar recording – Cultural Sensitivity in Memory Care
Webinar recording – Culture Change in Long-Term Care
Webinar recording – Staffing Shortages in Tribal Facilities: Past, Present, and Future
Webinar recording – Keeping Tribal Elders Connected
Webinar recording – Supporting Tribal Long-Term Care Facility Heroes During COVID-19 Pandemic
Webinar recording – Tribal Long-term Care Facilities – Leading the Response to COVID-19
Webinar recording – Uniting Nursing Homes in Tribal Excellence: Needs Voiced – Needs Met
Webinar recording – Tribal Nursing Homes: A Seat at the Table
Webinar recording – Tribal Nursing Homes: Traditional Foods, Traditional Lives
Webinar recording – Tribal Nursing Homes: Best Practices and Challenges, Part I
Webinar recording – Tribal Nursing Homes: Best Practices and Challenges, Part II

UNITE—Uniting Nursing Homes in Tribal Excellence—is a collaborative of tribal nursing home stakeholders who network, discuss best practices, promote evidence-based education and trainings, and work on quality improvement initiatives.

Visit the U.N.I.T.E website to learn more about the collaborative and sign up for the mailing list.

UNITE conference calls

Calls are held quarterly on the third Thursday of the month at 12 p.m. Pacific time to discuss topics of interest. One current focus is dementia and Alzheimer's care in nursing homes.

2024