Activity 1: Summary
The paper explores explains the use of a public health approach in promoting advance care to Aboriginal people in regional communities. The study reports that many indigenous Australians encounter high mortality rates compared to non-indigenous Australians. These deaths are related to the prevalence of progressive diseases. The factors that predispose the indigenous Australians to the risk of diseases include remoteness of their location and scanty access to health services (Sincalir et al., 2014). To avert this trend, there is need to offer these indigenous communities quality and affordable healthcare through advance care planning (ACP). This type of care puts emphasis on the patient. It calls for entrenchment of values and goals to ensure that the type of treatment offered is in harmony with the patient’s values. The use of ACP reduces the high rates of dementia, cardiovascular diseases and kidney diseases that affect the people in this community in the last stages of their lives. Since most of these people prefer to die at home than travel long distances in pursuit of medication, this approach offers a solution to the indigenous communities.
The study relied on drat ACP brochures that were used as basis of interview. About 80 adult members of the community received invitations to take part in group discussions and audio-taped interviews. The Noongar community centre hosted group discussions. The results revealed historical perceptions of death among the members of this community. People who die preferred to be buried at the homes in the company of their family members, relatives and friends. In this regard, the need for hospice facilities to meet the demands of friends and relatives who travel long distances to fulfil cultural obligations cannot be overemphasized (Sinclair et al., 2014). The study revealed that some participants did not require ACP since they needed the emotional support of their family members and kin. However, the perceived vulnerability that occurs an advanced age has triggered most members of this community towards embracing ACP.
Activity 2: Palliative Care to the Aboriginal population
The Aboriginal people in Australia is an umbrella term that describes many indigenous Australians which exhibit different languages and subcultures. This population constitutes 2.5% of the entire Australian population. According to Queensland University of Technology (QUT, 2014), various factors affect the provision of healthcare services to these people. The historical factors include association of the Aboriginal communities with Europeans. During that time, the Aboriginal communities were subjected to unhealthy healthcare policies by the European governments over their resistance to the European domination. There was uneasy relationship between these two groups of people. The social factors included welfare, education and employment. Again, the European community failed to develop an integrated education and employment system that would equip the aboriginal communities with skills and knowledge needed to carry out work. The consequence of this neglect was seen in the many illiterate members who could not initiative a meaningful healthcare discourse. Education enhances health literacy and enables an individual to be responsive to his/her healthcare needs. However, the absence of education exposes an individual to vulnerability.
Physical and environmental factors include housing, sanitation and provision of clean water. These services were limited during the engagement between the Aboriginal communities and Europeans. Proper housing and sanitation can improve the health condition of an individual. Provision of clean water reduces the incidences of water-borne diseases and increases the health outcomes of an individual. Mortality and morbidity data encompasses the issues such as life expectancy between the two groups of people in Australia (QUT, 2014). There exists a mortality gap between Aboriginal people and non-indigenous people in the country. Chronic diseases are the causes of high mortality rate among indigenous communities. Thus, provision of palliative care to the Aboriginal people of Australia can improve their health outcomes. The story of Tom reveals some of the problems Aboriginal people go through. Tom is experiencing some breathing problems which Nancy (the Aboriginal liaison officer) attributes to being worried about so many things. Despite his attitude towards the morphine, Tom accepts to be put through it provided it would not make hid drowsy. This episode confirms the response of the Aboriginal people towards palliative care.
References
Queensland University of Technology (QUT). (2014). Engaging with Aboriginal
communities in providing palliative care. Retrieved from http://www.pcc4u.org/learning-modules/focus-topics/topic-2-aboriginal-populations/1-caring-for-aboriginal-people-with-life-limiting-illnesses/activity-2-engaging-with-aboriginal-communities-in-providing-palliative-care/
Sinclair, C., Glenda, W., Knight., & Auret, K. (2014). “A public health approach to
promoting advance care planning to Aboriginal people in regional communities.” Australian Journal of Rural Health. 22: 23-28. Print.
