scholarly journals Ngununggula: The story of a cancer care team for aboriginal people

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-51
Author(s):  
Janelle Trees ◽  
Trish Levett ◽  
Kyla Wynn ◽  
Rowena Ivers

In Dharawal Country in regional New South Wales, a small and powerful team provides cancer prevention, screening, support and care for Australian Aboriginal people, their families and communities. In keeping with Aboriginal practices and values, their uniquely holistic approach encompasses everything from food security and finding childcare, to support at diagnosis, surgical, radiation or chemo treatment, through to holding funerals, facilitating yarning groups, and Ceremony for survivors of cancer and their carers. The team created a manual for Aboriginal Health Workers, and other staff of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, together with training webinars, and modules. The program is also designed for Aboriginal Liaison Officers and Palliative Care Workers who work in hospitals. The book and the training modules are called Ngununggula. The name, from the Gundungurra language, means working and walking together. “We’ll make ourselves available to anyone that wants to tread this path because we know all the pitfalls. We’ve learned them. We’ve tripped and had to climb out of them again. Anyone that wants the shortcuts—more learning, less pain—here they are. We want to share and help. I want the message to get out all over the place. I want to share the resources, to support anyone else who wants to run programs or build a team like we do.” Kyla Wynn, Counsellor/Co-ordinator Cancer Care Team, Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service. Partners include: Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council, Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service, University of Sydney, University of Wollongong, Menzies School of Health Research.

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Adams ◽  
Merilyn Spratling

This article outlines the development of accredited Aboriginal Health Worker training in Victoria. The processes of community consultation are presented as the primary reason for the successful implementation of the training program in its first year of delivery. The most important community consultation processes involved the active input of Elders and Aboriginal Health Workers. The training was seen as more credible by other Koorie people because of the input of these groups. The supportive role played by both the State and Commonwealth governments as well as industry groups are also explored. The successful implementation of the Aboriginal Health Worker training program demonstrates that Aboriginal people know what is best for them and can effectively initiate, organise and deliver their own culturally appropriate training programs.


2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pam McGrath ◽  
Emma Phillips ◽  
Stephanie Fox-Young

The rich data drawn from a study to develop an innovative model for Indigenous palliative care are presented to help address the paucity of authentic Indigenous voices describing their grief practices. Interviews with patients, carers, Aboriginal health care workers, health care workers and interpreters were conducted in four geographical areas of the Northern Territory in Australia. Insights and descriptions of the cultural processes and beliefs that follow the death of an Aboriginal person led to the identification of a number of key themes. These included: the emotional pain of grief; traditionalist ways of dealing with grief; the importance of viewing the body; the sharing of grief among large family and community networks, with crying, wailing, ceremonial singing, telling stories and dealing with blame all playing a part in the bereavement processes. Ways for Westerners to offer assistance in culturally sensitive ways were also identified by the participants, and are reported here to enable health workers to begin to understand and respond appropriately to traditionalist ways of experiencing and reacting to grief.


Sexual Health ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Hengel ◽  
Handan Wand ◽  
James Ward ◽  
Alice Rumbold ◽  
Linda Garton ◽  
...  

Background: In high-incidence Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) settings, annual re-testing is an important public health strategy. Using baseline laboratory data (2009–10) from a cluster randomised trial in 67 remote Aboriginal communities, the extent of re-testing was determined, along with the associated patient, staffing and health centre factors. Methods: Annual testing was defined as re-testing in 9–15 months (guideline recommendation) and a broader time period of 5–15 months following an initial negative CT/NG test. Random effects logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with re-testing. Results: Of 10 559 individuals aged ≥16 years with an initial negative CT/NG test (median age = 25 years), 20.3% had a re-test in 9–15 months (23.6% females vs 15.4% males, P < 0.001) and 35.2% in 5–15 months (40.9% females vs 26.5% males, P < 0.001). Factors independently associated with re-testing in 9–15 months in both males and females were: younger age (16–19, 20–24 years); and attending a centre that sees predominantly (>90%) Aboriginal people. Additional factors independently associated with re-testing for females were: being aged 25–29 years, attending a centre that used electronic medical records, and for males, attending a health centre that employed Aboriginal health workers and more male staff. Conclusions: Approximately 20% of people were re-tested within 9–15 months. Re-testing was more common in younger individuals. Findings highlight the importance of recall systems, Aboriginal health workers and male staff to facilitate annual re-testing. Further initiatives may be needed to increase re-testing.


1985 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Wright

Lake Mungo, in New South Wales, is the home of the first known people in this country. Here, the oldest known evidence of Aboriginal people in Australia has been found. Because of its importance, it is a site which everyone should know about. To give us a feeling for Lake Mungo, Billy Reid, the illustrator of The Aboriginal Health Worker and The Aboriginal Child at School, came with me on a trip. We travelled west to the Darling River (whose Aboriginal name is Calewatta), and then south-east to Lake Mungo itself. Billy made wonderful drawings to represent the deeds and everyday life of those people. This can be reconstructed from the fossil evidence found at Lake Mungo. He has also drawn some scenes of life along the banks of the Calewatta - the river which is Billy’s own home. He hails from Bourke.


2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert (Sonny) A. G. Pilkington ◽  
Owen B. J. Carter ◽  
Alexander S. Cameron ◽  
Sandra C. Thompson

Smoking among Aboriginal people is extremely widespread (50 v. 17% of the general population). Aboriginal Health Workers (AHW) are at the vanguard of tackling this problem but many themselves smoke and little is known of their knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding smoking cessation. Structured telephone interviews were conducted with 36 AHW, including 31% current smokers, 31% ex-smokers and 38% non-smokers, to assess their current smoking cessation practices and knowledge of health risks, nicotine dependence, cessation strategies and pharmacotherapies. AHW considered diabetes, alcohol use and heart disease more problematic than smoking among Aboriginal people. Fear of appearing hypocritical stopped many who smoke from discussing smoking cessation with clients but also stopped some non-smoking AHW whose colleagues or family smoked. Cultural concerns about telling others ‘what to do’ was also a major impediment. Knowledge of the health effects of smoking was good, but knowledge of appropriate advice around cessation pharmacotherapies was suboptimal. AHW trained in smoking cessation were more knowledgeable and active in smoking cessation, but most AHW had received no training, despite being keen to do so. Specific smoking cessation training is sought and appears needed by AHW, particularly in the areas of brief interventions, motivational interviewing, dependence assessment and pharmacotherapies.


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Wilkin ◽  
Pranee Liamputtong

This paper discusses the methodological framework and perspectives that were used in a larger study aiming at examining the experience of working life among female Aboriginal health care workers. Currently, the voice of Aboriginal women who work in the Australian health system has not received much attention. In comparison to other occupations and backgrounds, there is virtually no literature on Aboriginal woman health care workers despite 15% of health care and social service industry employees in Australia being Aboriginal. In this study, we selected female participants because of the fact that of these 15% of health workers in the Victorian health system, 76% of them are women. This paper outlines some of the barriers in researching Indigenous communities. These barriers were overcome in this study by framing the research in feminist theory, decolonising theory, empowerment and by employing the photovoice method. The photovoice method was used because it is relatively unobtrusive and has the capacity to be empowering. All data was extrapolated from the participants’ own narratives that were prompted by the photographs they had taken. The data produced were rich descriptions and narratives that were oral as well as visual. Finally, the article discusses the experience of using the photovoice method from the researcher and participants’ perspective.


2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 168 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Ah Kit ◽  
C Prideau x ◽  
PW Harve y ◽  
J Collin s ◽  
M Battersb y ◽  
...  

The Chronic Disease Self-Management (CDSM) strategy for Aboriginal patients on Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, was designed to develop and trial new program tools and processes for goal setting, behaviour change and self-management for Aboriginal people with diabetes. The project was established as a one-year demonstration project to test and trial a range of CDSM processes and procedures within Aboriginal communities and not as a formal research project. Over a one-year period, 60 Aboriginal people with type-2 diabetes in two remote regional centres participated in the pilot program. This represents around 25% of the known Aboriginal diabetic population in these sites. The project included training for four Aboriginal Health Workers in goal setting and self-management strategies in preparation for them to run the program. Patients completed a Diabetes Assessment Tool, a Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF12), the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WASAS) at 0, 6 and 12 months. The evaluation tools were assessed and revised by consumers and health professionals during the trial to determine the most functional and acceptable processes for Aboriginal patients. Some limited biomedical data were also recorded although this was not the principal purpose of the project. Initial results from the COAG coordinated care trial in Eyre suggest that goal setting and monitoring processes, when modified to be culturally inclusive of Aboriginal people, can be effective strategies for improving self-management skills and health-related behaviours of patients with chronic illness. The CDSM pilot study in Aboriginal communities has led to further refinement of the tools and processes used in chronic illness self-management programs for Aboriginal people and to greater acceptance of these processes in the communities involved. Participation in a diabetes self-management program run by Aboriginal Health Workers assists patients to identify and understand their health problems and develop condition management goals and patient-centred solutions that can lead to improved health and wellbeing for participants. While the development of self-management tools and strategies led to some early indications of improvements in patient participation and resultant health outcomes, the pilot program and the refinement of new assessment tools used to assist this process has been the significant outcome of the project. The CDSM process described here is a valuable strategy for educating and supporting people with chronic conditions and in gaining their participation in programs designed to improve the way they manage their illness. Such work, and the subsequent health outcome research planned for rural regions, will contribute to the development of more comprehensive CDSM programs for Aboriginal communities generally.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Straw ◽  
Erica Spry ◽  
Louie Yanawana ◽  
Vaughan Matsumoto ◽  
Denetta Cox ◽  
...  

This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Kimberley Aboriginal people with type 2 diabetes managed by remote Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services using phenomenological analysis. Semi-structured interviews formulated by Aboriginal Health Workers, researchers and other clinicians were used to obtain qualitative data from 13 adult Aboriginal patients with type 2 diabetes managed in two remote communities in the Kimberley. Together with expert opinion from local Aboriginal Health Workers and clinicians, the information was used to develop strategies to improve diabetes management. Of 915 regular adult patients in the two communities, 27% had type 2 diabetes; 83% with glycated haemoglobin A &gt;10%. Key qualitative themes included: the need for culturally relevant education and pictorial resources; importance of continuous therapeutic relationships with healthcare staff; lifestyle management advice that takes into account local and cultural factors; and the involvement of Aboriginal community members and families in support roles. Recommendations to improve diabetes management in the remote communities have been made collaboratively with community input. This study provides a framework for culturally relevant recommendations to assist patients with diabetes, for collaborative research, and for communication among patients, Aboriginal Health Workers, community members, researchers and other clinicians. Interventions based on recommendations from this study will be the focus of further collaborative research.


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