Bridging Culture and Community

In 2025, IA² produced three animated videos and related fact sheets that introduce and describe service options for elders under states’ Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver programs. The videos and fact sheets are designed to both inform about state-based HCBS waiver programs and encourage tribal elders and their caregivers to apply for important HCBS services as an alternative to costly nursing home care. They will be of value for service providers, including Title VI Directors to use with elders and caregivers within their communities. Medicaid HCBS Waiver Programs are state-specific, so the information must be tailored to individual states’ programs. It is our hope that the videos and fact sheets provide a template for future production for other states where tribal elders would benefit from Medicaid HCBS Waiver services. This project was made possible with financial support from the Office of American Indian Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian Programs at the Administration for Community Living through the National Indian Council on Aging.

Colorado

The International Association for Indigenous Aging (IA2), with support from the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA), presents this video to highlight the benefits, services, and application process for the Colorado Medicaid Home and Community Based Services – Elderly Blind and Disabled Waiver (HCBS-EBD). This video is intended to serve as an informational guide and tool to offer elders and their caregivers an alternative to nursing home care. The video highlights valuable services that address caregiving gaps such as lack of staff, high costs, remote access, and more. The Colorado HCBS-EBD waiver benefits Native American elders and their caregivers by providing comprehensive and low cost medical insurance and additional in-home services that keep elders at home instead of in a nursing home. Colorado has many options for consumer directed programs that allow families to choose, train, and pay their friends and family to provide care in their own homes. This video offers direct resources for finding out what services are available and how to access Colorado Case Management systems to apply for the program. The video is culturally sensitive to the concerns about the in-home assessment process and offers guidance on what to expect.

South Dakota

The International Association for Indigenous Aging (IA2), with support from the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA), presents this video to highlight the benefits, the services, and the application process for the South Dakota Medicaid Home and Community Based Services – HOPE waiver (HCBS-HOPE). This video is an informational guide and a tool to offer elders and their caregivers an alternative to nursing home care. This video highlights

the valuable services that address caregiving gaps. The South Dakota HOPE waiver benefits Native American elders and their caregivers by providing comprehensive and low-cost medical insurance and additional in-home services that keep elders at home instead of in a nursing home. South Dakota has many options for Family Caregiver programs that allow families to choose, train, and pay their friends and family to provide care in their own home. This video offers direct resources for finding out what services are available and how to access South Dakota Benefits Specialists to apply for the program. The video is culturally sensitive to the concerns about the in-home assessment process and offers guidance on what to expect.

National

The International Association for Indigenous Aging (IA2), with support from the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA), presents this video to highlight the benefits, the services, and the application process for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver programs. This video is intended to serve as an informational guide and a tool to offer elders and their caregivers an alternative to nursing home care. This video highlights the valuable services that address care gaps and provides direction for a national audience despite the complex and state specific HCBS system. The video makes available direct resources for finding the services available in each state and guidance on where to begin the application process, as well as shares information about paid family caregiver options and shares a culturally sensitive approach to accessing in-home supports for elders.