Making connections for elder care
Leadership from Kahnawake headed to Akwesasne last week to learn about elder care in the community. Courtesy Mohawk Council of Kahnawake
Bridges were built between organizations in Kahnawake and Akwesasne last week, with a special meeting at the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) office facilitating discussions about how best elders can be supported in the community.
“We can learn a lot from one another,” said Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) chief Arnold Boyer, who visited Akwesasne for the trip alongside representatives from Onkwata’karitáhtshera and Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takéhnhas Community Services (KSCS).
The group took part in the Aging in Akwesasne event, meeting with leadership in the community to hear about initiatives and programs that support elders. They toured the Tsiionkwanonhso:te Long-Term Care Facility, the Kanonhkwa’tsheri:io Health Facility, and the Iakhihsotha Home for the Elderly, which Boyer said was an eye-opening experience.
He was particularly impressed with the way in which Akwesasne has set up its elder care facilities to allow for interaction between the oldest and youngest generations in the community - the Iakhihsotha Home for the Elderly is an assisted living facility located right next to the local daycare.
“They’ve got this constant interaction during the day with the little children, they can talk to each other and tell each other stories,” Boyer said.
He said a set up like that could have a place in Kahnawake in the future, and conversations will continue between leadership in Kahnawake and Akwesasne to learn about how those initiatives work best.
“That’s our objectives, getting together and learning about what our strengths are, what our weaknesses are,” he said.
He also hopes to learn more about how to make elder care more central to MCK from Akwesasne-based organizations - for instance, Akwesasne has a program where elders can borrow air conditioners when they need one, a program that he would like to see working in town.
“In my opinion, they’re more in tune with their elders there. Everything is really elder based,” he said. “Historically we’ve had strong collaboration with them, and this visit was vital for establishing a long-term partnership with Akwesasne, and I hope we can learn a lot, share resources, and stand proud together.”
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Leadership from Akwesasne will be in Kahnawake this week to learn more about how Kahnawake tackles elder care, with the view to building collaboration in the future.
