Needs assessment of Standing Rock elders.

This paper describes the results from a needs assessment of American Indian elders residing on the Standing Rock Reservation in the Dakotas. Interviews were conducted by indigenous interviewers with 187 elders aged 49 to 90. Three scales were included: the Iowa Self-Assessment Inventory, the Family APGAR, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Findings revealed a high degree of economic stress, high levels of chronic illness and physical disability, and problems in accessing medical care and medicine. The importance of the role of the extended family in coping with problems needs to be considered in the development of health-related programs.