RePEATNN: Respect, Prevention, Education, Awareness, Training for Native Nations to Reduce Injury and Death of Individuals with Dementia or Developmental Disabilities Who Wander or Attempt to Wander

The University of North Dakota’s (UND) research team will work with representatives from three Tribal communities with whom there is an established trusting working relationship, to provide high quality education and prevention programming around the issue of wandering. The extent of injury and death among missing Native American individuals with dementia or developmental disabilities is a critical issue made worse by historical marginalization and lack of resources. The isolation of many Native American communities, particularly those in rural or remote areas, further complicates search and rescue efforts, making timely intervention more difficult and increasing the likelihood of adverse outcomes. The best prevention methods involve a combination of environmental modifications, technological solutions, behavior management, and caregiver or family, as well as, first responder and community education. The goals of the project are: 1) Lessen the number of deaths and/or injuries of individuals with dementia or developmental disabilities who wander from safe environments by creating or improving local wandering prevention and awareness programs. 2) Prioritize autonomy by proposing solutions to benefit and support individuals and their families in ways that are least restrictive and intrusive. 3) Advocate for improvements in medical coding of dementia by IHS and others, to diagnose dementia as its own unique ailment aiding the creation of accurate data sets and providing earlier diagnoses. To develop programs to prevent wandering, increase vulnerable individuals’ safety, raise awareness, and facilitate effective rescues, UND will establish a robust framework that includes regular communication, tailored education and training modules, and step-by-step support. This will be complemented by a website which will serve as a learning platform where the team, Tribal community members, and other organizations can share best wandering prevention practices and resources. By sharing the information learned and offering training and prevention assistance across Indian Country the team hopes to increase safety, strengthen trust between government agencies and Sovereign nations, strengthen trust between law enforcement and communities, prevent wandering, and facilitate rescues in Tribal and other communities.