Leaders at the White Earth Band Public Health Department are trying new ways to connect tribal members with the Band’s health services. February is American Heart Month so the tribe’s nurses are offering health screenings at locations across the reservation. Reporter Melissa Townsend was at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minnesota earlier this month for the women’s heart health day. She has this report.
Transcript
Leaders at the White Earth Band Public Health Department are trying new ways to connect tribal members with the Band’s health services.
February is American Heart Month so the tribe’s nurses are offering health screenings at locations across the reservation.
Reporter Melissa Townsend was at Shooting Star Casino in Manohmen, Minnesota earlier this month for the women’s heart health day.
She has this report.
It’s elder day at the Shooting Star Casino.
That means tribal elders get a free meal and 20 dollars to spend in the casino.
Cindy Rastedt thought this would be a great day to connect elders with tribal health services.
CINDY: We live in the country we are in a federally designated medical shortage area. mkay - so our tribal health division tries to supplement and we do a great job. (:11)
[ambi sound]
Cindy’s team have taken over one of the rooms in the conference center attached to the casino.
In one corner there is a nice long table with coffee and fruit platters.
Across the room, there’s a table buzzing with very friendly nurses.
HEATHER: I’m Heather Heisler. I’m registered nurse and we’re at casino today doing heart healthy event.
Heather explains today’s event is exclusively for women.
HEATHER: Heart disease is the number one killer for women so we have women come in. They fill out a risk assessment that they fill out and the more checks they fill out, the higher their risk for heart disease and we’ll be checking their blood sugars, the blood pressure and their weight.
There’s a pretty steady stream of elders, casino employees and younger women coming through the door.
MELISSA: Did you get screened today?
JOYCE: Yup I did. Came out good - all my blood work. (:07)
Joyce High Elk agreed to talk with me about her health and family history.
JOYCE: My mom and dad both died from massive heart attacks.
MELISSA: Is that why you are here today?
JOYCE: No - I just come to get the rice [laughs](:13)
As an added draw, tribal members who go through a quick health screening and consult get a pair of gloves and a bag of wild rice.
JOYCE: Come here to get the gloves and rice [laughter] (:05)
That’s only part of the story. She is keeping tack of her blood pressure and blood sugar because of her family history…
JOYCE: There were 12 in our family 6 boys and 6 girls and all the boys are diabetic and none of the girls are. (:09)
When you have diabetes sugar builds up in your blood and that damages the blood vessels and nerves that help control the heart and of course that leads to heart problems.
That’s how Joyce lost 5 of her 6 brothers.
JOYCE: Except Pete, he’s the only brother I have left.
Joyce’s brother Pete has Downs Syndrome.
And for nearly 40 years Joyce has been taking care of him.
She is one of millions of women caring for family members.
According to the National Caregiver Alliance, 65% of unpaid care providers in the United States — are women.
JOYCE: When my mom died. she died of a massive heart attack, went to work one day and had her heart attack and never came home. And Pete was living with her then so I had to learn how to give him a shot that day. So they took me into the clinic and I practiced on an orange.
MELISSA: And you have your own family too to take care of?
JOYCE: Yea, I have 2 daughters, the baby was 2 and my older one was 4 when this happened and so I had them to take of too, plus him. (:40)
Joyce says her husband was also there to help.
She says when she first started taking care of Pete 40 years ago, one of the big surprises to her was how careful he had to be about his diet.
But now, nearly 40 years later, healthy eating is just a habit.
JOYCE: I don’t give him anything sweet - nothing. And he can get one diet pop a day otherwise I give him water, you know, a lot of water. I give him fruit, lot of fruit, veggies. On his birthday I give him a little slice of cake I mean, that ain’t going to kill him. Cake and ice cream. (:18)
How else can you blow out your candles and make a wish?
The tricky thing is that sugar doesn’t come only from pop or cake or ice cream — it also comes from carbohydrates.
JOYCE: Bread.
Yup bread, pasta, potatoes, that kind of thing.
JOYCE: Cause that turns into sugar too. So I watch that. Yea. (:06)
Joyce is taking great care of Pete.
But for those still working to eat the right food and control their blood sugar, the White Earth Band has a dietician on staff.
It’s another way the Band is working to help tribal members -and their caregivers - manage their diabetes and their overall health.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.