Positive Aging: Indigenous Peoples Aging with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

As a result of advances in treatment over the past 30 years, the number of older people living with HIV is growing. This is of particular concern for Indigenous populations in Canada given continuing over representation in HIV diagnoses. While there has been an increase in research on aging with HIV within the general population, little is known about the experiences of older positive Indigenous peoples. Research was conducted in partnership with the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN) at CAAN's Wise Practices V conference. Participants were conference delegates, representing a sample of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people living with HIV and/or service providers from across Canada. Participants ranged in age from 32 to 63 and had been positive for 5 to 29 years. Data was collected through four sharing circles (two with women, one with men and one with service providers) and four interviews (n=34). An open analytic approach was used to explore the content of the transcripts and codes were collaboratively developed by the research team through an inductive and iterative process. From our analysis we were able to develop an Indigenous model of successful aging (SA). This proposed Indigenous model of SA represents a holistic and subjective model that is far more achievable than traditional models of SA. Within this model five dimensions of health and wellness emerged as facilitators of SA: physical, emotional, spiritual, mental and social health. Additionally, resilience, age and culture were found to be protective factors to SA.

The goal of this project was to identify facilitators and individual strategies which enable SA within this population, in order to develop culturally mediated responses. Ideally, this knowledge can be used to help structure community and primary health services to promote SA with HIV in ways which are congruent with Indigenous culturally-defined notions of health.