American Indians experience diabetes and diabetic retinopathy at a rate considerably higher than the overall U.S. population, and the number and lifespan of American Indian elders is steadily increasing. These demographics, combined with the underrepresentation of American Indians in the rehabilitation system, document the need for an innovative service delivery model for training American Indian elders, both on and off reservations, in independent living skills. This article describes a federally funded rehabilitation project developed and implemented by the American Foundation for the Blind to teach American Indian health care workers about aging and vision loss and independent living skills.
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