Chronic confusion and memory impairment in Hmong elders: Honoring differing cultural beliefs in America.

The Hmong began arriving to the United States as refugees in the mid 1970s and constitute a growing number of the population. Little is known about the prevalence and care of dementia in Hmong elderly individuals. The purpose of this article is to discuss the traditional beliefs and treatment of tem toob (memory impairment) within the Hmong culture. This includes a discussion of the authors' encounters with Hmong herbalists in open-air markets during a journey in Laos and Thailand. A story cloth is then featured to discuss a shamanic healing ceremony for an elderly woman with tem toob. Nursing implications are discussed.