HLTHIR404D - Indigenous Community Disadvantage In Health

[Shazzalinco23]

Hi all,

I am currently working on HLTHIR404D work effectively with Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander people.

I am up to the project in this book and it is a huge project.

Write a paper explaining why Indigenous people in Australia are still disadvantaged with regard to health and health services. Consider both historical and contemporary issues - in context.

Then develop, record and explain the strategies that might be put in place to overcome access, equity and disadvantage issues and to make health services culturally safe.

Make a list of the resources that might be required in order to address these issues and explain how the resources you have listed would best be appropriated.

Why, do you think, it is necessary to ensure greater accountability on the part of the funding bodies, government agencies and health providers.

Answers must be comprehensive, detailed, demonstrate appropriate research procedures and be supported by suitable references.

They must address all of the following topics/learning outcomes:
- Reflecting an awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures in work practices
- Reflecting an awareness of own and other cultural realities in work practices
- Communicating effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Reflecting cultural safety in workplace and professional relationships
- Working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities

As you can see, I wasn't joking about how big it is and I really have no idea where to start.

I have a week before it is due and need as much guidance and assistance as possible!
Thanks

[Lorina]

Big assignment!

I'm going to give you some information that may help:

Working, Walking and Learning Together
Indigenous Disadvantages
Indigenous Health

Hope this gets you started,

,
Lorina

[Shazzalinco23]

This is what I think I need to write in each section

Write a paper explaining why Indigenous people in Australia are still disadvantaged with regard to health and health services. Consider both historical and contemporary issues - in context. Do I need to speak about historical events/issues that have caused Indigenous people to be more disadvantaged when it comes to health and health services. E.g. The Stolen Generation - Without having any family history or knowing who you may be related to can cause health issues.

Maralinga Nuclear testing - When these tests were being conducted Indigenous people were subjected to radiation on purpose to see what the outcomes radiation does to humans, this would have affected the health of those being subjected to this. Health services not often being placed outside of cities for Indigenous people to access easily- Having to travel a big distance to be able to access health services. Not having enough Indigenous people working within health services for Indigenous people to have a choice with what doctor they speak to. Are these the sort of issues I need to discuss and have I correctly used them in context?

Then develop, record and explain the strategies that might be put in place to overcome access, equity and disadvantage issues and to make health services culturally safe. Is this where I develop and list strategies that can help overcome the issues I have mentioned above? E.g. Advertising and welcoming more Indigenous people to apply for health services, promote training courses to help Indigenous people gain the training required to work in health services, create services that can help with the distance that needs to be travelled to access health services (mini buses, traveling medical services), when creating a new health service for those who live out rural, ensure that it is placed in an area where it will be accessed.

Make a list of the resources that might be required in order to address these issues and explain how the resources you have listed would best be appropriated.

I think I have just answered this in the above examples but also any professional resources such as Indigenous group bodies that can provide guidance on how to meet their needs etc. (Obviously I would extend on them more)

Why, do you think, it is necessary to ensure greater accountability on the part of the funding bodies, government agencies and health providers.
Do I explain my opinion on ensuring that funding bodies, government agencies and health providers do their jobs and ensure that what they are saying they do gets done, ensuring funding is correctly being used and allocated to things that need improvement etc.?

Answers must be comprehensive, detailed, demonstrate appropriate research procedures and be supported by suitable references.
By expanding each answer to be more detailed and referencing my information correctly this answer should be completed throughout my project.


They must address all of the following topics/learning outcomes:

- Reflecting an awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures in work practices
By speaking of historical events and individual cultural needs and rights of each individual?

- Reflecting an awareness of own and other cultural realities in work practices
Addressing my own bias's that may exist and speaking of other cultural realities such as harassment, bullying and racism within working environments and practices?

- Communicating effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Mention how I would speak to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and how I could ensure I was communicating effectively with them, even if the need of using an interpreter is required.

- Reflecting cultural safety in workplace and professional relationships

Not sure how to answer this
- Working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities
Ask Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the communities about what their opinion is on health care and what services they feel they require and what they think needs to be improved.

Thanks

[Lorina]

Yeah it sounds like you have the gist of what they are asking. So, firstly you need to address the disadvantages of health from the Indigenous Community - you could also include the Stolen Generation, etc.

Once you have extended on what you have briefly outlined above I think that you have addressed each of the criteria's of the question. Just make sure you provide enough details because they seems to want a pretty in depth response.

So, for now you are on the right track with what you have written above.

,
Lorina

[Shazzalinco23]

This is what I have written about the issues that are historical and current. Any suggestions on how else I go about answering the requirements in the questions.
Cheers

The most significant and persistent inequalities in health can be seen when comparing the health of people with differences in educational level, occupation, income, employment and area of residence, there are also marked differences in health between people who are from different ethnic or indigenous background and who have different physical or mental abilities.
Indigenous Australians have poorer health across all age groups and across all measures including life expectancy, cardiovascular disease, injuries, poisonings, chronic disease, respiratory disease and hospitalisations.
Relative to the rest of the population, indigenous children and young people have lower birth weight, higher infant mortality, lower immunisation rates, lower use of maternal and child health services, higher incidence of hearing problems and higher rates of mental illness. This poorer health status has significant flow-on impacts, including reduced educational outcomes and higher rates of unemployment. Many historical and current events occurring affect Aboriginal people to this day, especially their health and access to health services.
The stolen generation
Between 1910 and 1970 up to 100,000 Aboriginal children were forcibly taken or taken under duress from their families by police or welfare officers. Most of the children taken were under five years old and were not allowed to speak their native language, their ceremonies were forbidden and they were not allowed to make contact with or know any information about their natural families.
The main motive of taking Aboriginal children from their families was to assimilate Aboriginal children into European society over one or two generations by denying and destroying their Aboriginality.
The physical and emotional damage caused to those taken away and their families from whom they were taken from was profound and lasting. Many of the children were raised in hostile environments without any cultural ties or identities. As adults, they suffered and still suffer to this day: insecurity, lack of self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness, depression, suicide, violence, delinquency, abuse of alcohol and drugs and the inability to trust. Many of these adults also never had parental models which also lead to the difficulty of raising their own children, continuing this cycle.
The severity of the separation had consequences of the whole Aboriginal population causing them to feel angry, powerless which then led to a lack of purpose and trust within government, police and officials.
Still to this day, many of the Aboriginal people who were affected by The Stolen Generation still have no record of who their family is and what their family medical history is which causes issues when accessing medical services.
Maralinga Nuclear Testing
In the 1950’s and 1960’s Britain often used Australian land and people to conduct nuclear testing where people were deliberately exposed to the blasts of the radiation in order to see the effect of radiation. The testing areas had no boundaries and any warning signs were written in English and the local Aboriginal population could not read these.
Throughout the time of the tests occurring, Aboriginal people wandered through the contaminated areas and lived in the nuclear craters for warmth and for killing the blinded rabbits for meat. When the Aboriginal people were found in the contaminated areas, they were compulsorily showered with their fingernails thoroughly scrubbed with soap and they were loaded into vans, trucks and trains and expelled from the sight. At no point were the Aboriginal people have explained to them what was happening and why.
Still to this day their land and their Dreaming tracks at Maralinga are still contaminated with the presence of plutonium which is a dense silvery radioactive metal of the actinide series, used as a fuel in nuclear reactors and as an explosive in nuclear weapons – dangerous to people in large amounts. This means that the land and Dreaming tracks at Maralinga still cannot be safely accessed by Aboriginal people without the risk of being contaminated. Those who were at Maralinga during the nuclear testing and those who accessed the land and the Dreaming tracks after the nuclear testing still suffer with the side effects to this day, causing a range of health issues such as increasing the chance of developing cancer, lowering of the immune system and could cause birth defects or the ability to conceive successfully.
Indigenous people remain the least healthy sub-population in Australia, even though there have been a number of improvements in areas of health services in recent years. Indigenous people generally experience more risk factors for ill health than other Australians do. Alcohol use and smoking tobacco are major causes of health problems for Indigenous people along with higher than normal blood pressure and lower than recommended daily vegetable and fruit intake.
In the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey that was conducted from 2012- 2013 results stated that:
Tobacco smoking

• In 2012 to 2013, two in five (41.6%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over smoked on a daily basis

• In 2012 to 2013, current daily smoking was more prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than non-Indigenous people in every age group

Daily vegetable intake
• In 2012 to 2013, around one in six (15.7%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2–14 years met the guidelines for daily vegetable intake

• In 2012 to 2013, around one in twenty (4.8%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over met the guidelines for daily vegetable intake

• Based on age standardised proportions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over were significantly less likely than non-Indigenous people to be meeting the guidelines for daily vegetable intake (rate ratio of 0.8)
Measured blood pressure
• In 2012 to 2013, one in five (20.4%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults had measured high blood pressure (systolic or diastolic blood pressure equal to or greater than 140/90 mmHg)

• In 2012 2013, four in five (79.4%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults with measured high blood pressure did not report high blood pressure as a long-term health condition

• Based on age standardised proportions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults were more likely than non-Indigenous adults to have measured high blood pressure (rate ratio of 1.2).

[Lorina]

Ok your first few paragraphs are well written. When it comes to the following:

Alcohol use and smoking tobacco are major causes of health problems for Indigenous people along with higher than normal blood pressure and lower than recommended daily vegetable and fruit intake - you need to add why they are disadvantage because of this.

From here you need to answer the following question:

Then develop, record and explain the strategies that might be put in place to overcome access, equity and disadvantage issues and to make health services culturally safe.

,
Lorina