Gibbs Model Of Reflective Essay

As a people, our rate of chronic disease is still 2.5 times higher than that of other Australians, and Indigenous people in this country die 15 to 20 years younger than those in mainstream Australia. More than half of

“The status of Indigenous health in contemporary Australia is a result of historic factors as well as contemporary socio-economic issues” (Hampton & Toombs, 2013, p. 1).

Marmot, M. (2011). Social determinants and the health of Indigenous Australians. Med J Aust, 194(10),

This paper will examine the healthcare of Indigenous Australian peoples compared to non-indigenous Australians. The life expectancy gaps between the two are a cause for alarm when statistics show Indigenous Australian peoples die on average 17 years earlier than non-indigenous Australians (Dick 2017). This paper will examine the social determinants of health to explore these factors and what interventions are in place to improve health status and life expectancy gaps for equality. The Federal Government has seen the implementation of the Northern Territory Intervention and the Closing the Gap Initiative. This essay will examine these two strategies and discuss the effectiveness of both policies. It will explain the differences, similarities and look at the success so far to

The inequalities in today’s indigenous communities are still strongly evident. Heard, Khoo & Birrell (2009), argued that while there has been an attempt in narrowing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians, a barrier still exists in appropriate health care reaching indigenous people. The Indigenous people believe, health is more than the individual, it is

Living in a remote area has always been thought to have negative influences on the individual. There are 35 % of the total population in Australia living in rural area(Phillips, 2009).Rural areas in Australia and all over the world are not geographically isolated and disadvantaged only but also culturally and economically deprived which has great consequences on the health status of the population. The main two factors that have a major effect on rural health are socioeconomic status and cultural issues(Beard, Tomaska, Earnest, Summerhayes, & Morgan, 2009).

As a country Canada prides itself on Universal health care for everyone equally (Macqueen, 2011). However, there are many discrepancies seen in the health care that Aboriginals and non-aboriginal Canadians receive (Weeks, 2013). As a result, Aboriginals health is deteriorating in nearly every aspect on a much larger scale than the rest of the Canadian population (Weeks, 2013). As reported in the article Aboriginal seniors face more challenges staying healthy, accessing care: report from “The Globe and Mail” aboriginal seniors are struggling accessing health care and staying healthy (Ubelaker, 2013). Aboriginals are much more susceptible to health issues such as chronic diseases, disabilities and infections and are having to travel unethical distances in order to access health centres (Weeks, 2013).

The aboriginal population in Canada is growing, and it is known that 56% of Aboriginals live on an rural reserve or community (Government of Canada, 2014; NCCAH, 2011). It is important to note that those Aboriginals living on reserves and in communities have a significantly higher rate of health issues than those living in cities (NCCAH, 2011). This stems from the limited access to healthcare that Aboriginal rural areas receive (NCCAH, 2011). The lack of healthcare causes higher numbers in diseases, conditions, and disorders among the Aboriginal people of Canada (NCCAH, 2011).

The Department of Health (2011, p17) states that “as the distance from major cities and regional centres increases, disease risk factors and levels of illness increase.” The health of Australians in rural and remote locations is generally poorer in comparison to people who live in major Australian cities and towns. There are a number of health concerns for remote communities including the following (Department of Health, 2011, p17):

The Aboriginal community includes a number of communities and extended family networks. It is widely acknowledged that past practices have not had a positive effect on Aboriginal people. Current health and welfare policies acknowledge the impact of past policies and seek to work collaboratively for a better future. Best Start promotes collaborative practice.

Clients with complex needs could be left to navigate the health care system on their own, due to limited resources and over stretched health workforce (Charlesworth, 2015). The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that many chronic diseases such as stroke, diabetes and heart disease are preventable, creating a vast potential to develop a primary healthcare approach to address these issues (World Health Organisation, 2013). Studies indicate that Australian indigenous populations are over represented suffering with chronic diseases (Usher, 2011). In rural Indigenous communities, the life expectancy is ten years less than the non-indigenous populations, expressing the inequity of a health system that cannot supply the skill share needed to promote health access or provide comprehensive care to rural areas of Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2016).

It is estimated that Australia is composed of roughly 418,000 - 525,000 Indigenous people (Better Health Channel, 2015), which is a mere 2.5% of the Australian population (Reddust.org.au, 2015). Indigenous life expectancy is averaged to be seventeen years less than those from non-indigenous culture (Aihw.gov.au, 2015). People from aboriginal backgrounds have the highest rate of illness across the country, which most commonly includes, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Respiratory System Diseases, injury and Disability (Better Health Channel, 2015). Indigenous health care facilities do not meet appropriate standards and due to lifestyle habits healthy behaviours often do not result.

CR and other secondary prevention interventions need to be flexible and adapted to meet the needs, preferences and cultural safety of Indigenous individuals (7). Patient-centred access to health care must be approachable, acceptable, available, affordable and appropriate (7). A drive time of over an hour is a common barrier of access to CR for individuals living rurally and is linked to the lack of referral to and enrolment in CR (7). Approximately 15% of Indigenous Australians live in geographical regions with poor physical access to CR-providing health services (7). A possible solution to this is the utilisation of alternative methods of delivery such as home-based CR via telehealth or mobile health platforms (7). Coordination to ensure continuity of care for Indigenous patients is necessary to address the lack of knowledge of and referral to CR services (7). Partnerships and information flow between health services and referral pathways create integrated networks (7). While metropolitan public hospitals are a major referral pathway for

Bridging the divided gap between the Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous societies has always been an intense debate across multiply decades no matter the topic at hand. With incredible access to a wide category of health services today, this is not always the case for remotely rural country and outback towns Australia wide, especially childbearing women acquiring antenatal, birthing and postnatal care. This essay will endeavour to explore health outcomes between Indigenous Australian women with non-Indigenous Australian Women and both their newborns, as well as the impact of health policies that remotely remove childbearing women from their rural communities to give birth. While analysing and exploring the concept of “birthing on country” and how this may relate to aiding in closing the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Women and their newborns, while also considering reflecting on how these topics may impact and reflect my own midwifery practice.

“Compared with urban residents, people living in rural communities have shorter life expectancies, higher death rates and higher infant mortality rates.” (Ministry Advisory Council on Rural Health, 2002 p. 1) In relation to shorter life expectancies, Indigenous peoples are three times more likely to have diabetes then non-Aboriginals and there is a higher prevalence of major chronic disease, suicide, smoking and alcohol abuse as well as low incomes and lower levels of education. Considering all these factors, it is especially important that the health care that is needed in these rural, Indigenous communities is easily accessible and affordable. There are many health care barriers that prevent the rural and remote Indigenous Communities from accessing such needed care. Lack of accessibility to health care and lack of resources and health care professionals are two of the main barriers faced today. A holistic balanced approach including mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health is needed to maintain wellbeing and there are many barriers preventing these communities from receiving it.