Health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

Question 1

What is the impact of low health resources on Aboriginal people?

Answer 1

• Alienation from land
• Discrimination and prejudice
• Trauma
• Loss of autonomy, dependence on handouts
• Poverty, ill health, unemployment
• Poor housing, poor education
• Stigma

Question 2

Describe the impact of the stole generation on the aboriginal community

Answer 2

• Impact of stolen generation is immense and continues today
• Disconnect from family and culture
• Institutionalised child abuse
• Intergenerational trauma

Question 3

Describe what defines health from an aboriginal perspective?

Answer 3

• Not just physical wellbeing of individual, refers to social, emotional, cultural wellbeing of whole community
• Each individual is able to achieve full potential as a human being,
• Emphasis on autonomy and strong connections with family, community and land

Question 4

What is Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHO)

Answer 4

• Primary health care service operated by local Aboriginal community
• Focus on culturally safe practice, relationship building and advocacy
• Strong relationships with community
• Holistic health care
• Place where aboriginal people fee safe and have their health care needs met in culturally appropriate ways

Question 5

What is cultural safety?

Answer 5

Recognising impact one’s own culture, beliefs and behaviours has on service provision to others

Question 6

What is the goal of Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) Framework?

Answer 6

• Develop a culturally safe and responsive allied health workforce
  1) Respect for centrality of culture
  2) Self-awareness: challenges own assumptions
  3) Proactivity
  4) Inclusive Engagement
  5) Leadership
  6) Responsibility and Accountability

Question 7

What are strategies to ‘Close the Gap’?

Answer 7

• Ensure that Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services are preferred model for government invested in primary health care
• Commit to providing adequate and long term financial resources
• Address social issues that impact indigenous health
• Meaningful partnerships between indigenous and non-indigenous communities/health services

Question 8

What is cultural safety not?

Answer 8

Does not involve studying other cultures (except one’s own); it involves reflecting on own beliefs, how they might impact one’s behaviour and whether that behaviour supports/limits someone else’s wellbeing