Grant: Project Grant

Brain and heart conditions are the leading causes of healthy life-years lost and mortality worldwide and Indigenous people are particularly affected. These conditions co-occur in patients, but medical care is often fragmented. We address the challenge of improving Brain-Heart care integration for Indigenous elders in an under-resourced Indigenous health and social services system, where elders require frequent transition in care from community to family health teams and regional hospitals. We propose to improve the quality and safety of care, by co-creating an Anishinaabe Brain-Heart Health and Wellness Model of Care, rooted in elder and provider experiences, Indigenous Knowledge, culturally safe management guidelines and cross-sector collaboration. This project actualizes the TRC Call to Action #22 to recognize Indigenous healing practices within the health care system, and Call to Action #19 to identify and establish measurable goals to close gaps in Indigenous health status. The model can inform the co-development of culturally safe management guidelines and improvements in care for chronic illnesses in Indigenous communities across Canada.