Mapping Indian Elders

Purpose This project, Mapping Indian Elders, represents the national aging network\\u27s first application of Geographic Information System (GIS) computer mapping technology to identify health and demographic characteristics of a minority population. Methods Mapping Indian Elders takes into account national and local elder populations, where they live, how their numbers compare with others of similar age in the general population and how shifts may be occurring from rural to urban environments. In addition to the use of GIS mapping technology, the authors compare and analyze data from disparate databases. Results The GIS spatial and geographic reference capabilities result in a highly visual, easily understood set of maps which portray and characterize older American Indian populations. In addition to population trends, this publication takes into account 1) the availability of health care and related community services, including location of facilities and transportation and 2) selected health data from Indian Health Service databases. Conclusion The GIS information provided in this publication has significant implications for long-range planning and service delivery to a wide variety of special populations. The resulting products can support plans to identify needs, manage services, and review priorities