NSB202: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Well-being and Health

This essay analyzes the 'Closing the Gap' framework in the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and well-being. It discusses the framework's objectives, including improving life expectancy, reducing child mortality, and enhancing access to education and employment. The essay examines the role of a nurse in applying this framework, using a case study of an Aboriginal man named Matt. It also defines and explores the challenges associated with 'patient escort' services, and highlights the role of the Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer in delivering culturally safe care. The essay references the AHRC Close the Gap 2018 report and the Close the Gap campaign, emphasizing their goals and approaches to addressing health disparities. The conclusion summarizes the key points, emphasizing the importance of culturally safe care and the overall health plans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

Sociology
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Well Being
Name
Professor
Course
Date

Sociology
Topic chosen: A. Closing the gap
Introduction
As a nurse working in a hospital setting in Brisbane, I am expected to utilize the closing
the gap framework in helping Matts r who is a 24 year old year old Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander man from Palm Island in order for him to go take care of his mother.Matt faces various
challenges inn the ward. Closing the gap thus refers to a particular government strategy with the
main objective of decreasing demerits among Aboriginal and Torres Strait individuals with
respect to life expectancy rates, child mortality rates, and continuous access to early childhood
education, educational overall achievement and the existing employment results. Closing the
Gap' Australian governments' policy framework involves a formal commitment that has been
created by all Australian state governments in order to achieve both Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander equality within a given time frame of a span of approximately 25 years.Matt is
determined to take care of his mother. (Aspin, Brown, Jowsey, Yen, & Leeder, 2012).this paper
will also discuss patient escort. According to the case study provided, Matt is currently an
inpatient who needs transfer to the discharge lounge.in this way he will travel back to Kirwan
Townsville in order to care of his mother.
In this case, it is highly significant since it enables Matt's mother who is an indigenous person
from Townsville to Brisbane.
‘Closing the Gap' Australian governments' policy framework
This particular framework was extensively developed as an immediate response to the
call of the special justice report and the close the gap campaign.it involves the agreement policy,
aided by the Australian government and the aboriginal people to work together in order to

Sociology
acquire success inequality in health status levels and life expectancy rates (Dudgeon, Wright,
Paradies, Garvey,& Walker,2014). So as to monitor the change, this framework set measurable
targets needed to evaluate key improvements in the health and wellbeing sector of the aboriginal
individuals.
Closing the gap literally aims at ensuring the improvement of the lives of these people.it is
evident that the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) drafted the framework which
included open targets, accountabilities and reporting needs forming a critical basis for more
discussing with the Aboriginal and Torres strait individuals and other communities regarding
their wellbeing.
The frameworks consisted of targets and areas of priority that needed high changes like the
health, economy, housing, justice, land and water resources, job sector, youth and family
relationships (Gee, Dudgeon, Schultz, Hart, & Kelly,2014).
The framework proposed that various significant issues like discrimination, racism and also
social inclusion, health and cultural practices in these communities will be addressed across all
the existing systems.
The framework is distinctive since it was agreed upon through the use of formal partnerships,
commonwealth, local states, and regional governments together with these communities in order
to instill important changes in the visions of the people.
The framework is different since it offers an annual national snapshot of progress achieved in
each target group hence assisting people to evaluate focus.
It takes a holistic approach through involving various agencies used to enact policies and offer
services needed

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Close the gap campaign; this particular campaign aims at closing the health and life expectancy
gap existing between the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and those non-
indigenous people from Australian regions within a given time frame (Jongen, McCalman,
Bainbridge, & Tsey, 2014).
This specific campaign is literally designed on evidence which indicates important
improvements in the available health status of the people as a vision expected to be achieved by
the year 2030.
The campaign implements a human-based approach in order to target the well-being and health
of an individual through measurable forms and assessment developments.
The campaign is different since it comprises of a close the gap statement of intent as the key
touchstone of its objectives. The campaign involves a program for training and awareness and
inspires cross-government action.
What is the AHRC Close the Gap 2018 report refers to in its fifth major finding, as the ‘funding
myth about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health'
The AHRC Close the Gap 2018 report refers to the review committee that incorporates
the significant time used in to improve the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander health. The AHRC
Close the Gap 2018 report, therefore, it is an organ in Australia that is used to fight for the health
rights of the Indigenous and non-indigenous people in Australia (Holcombe, 2018). The AHRC
Close the Gap 2018 report thus aims to close the health and life expectancy between the Torres
Strait Islander and the Aboriginal people in Australia. During the 2018 meeting, the organization
came up with a lot of findings which were related to the concept of health in Australia.

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According to current findings the Close the Gap Campaign anticipate to increase the health
standards of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Proudfoot & Habibis, 2015).
In February the Close the Gap 2018 released a year review. The aim of the review was to
examine how the Australian government should succeed in closing the health gap experienced
and how the overall health standards of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will not
succeed if serious actions are taken. Different researchers have revealed how the AHRC Close
the Gap 2018 has tried to come up with new strategies to increase the general healthcare in
Australia. This means that Close the Gap Campaign has a gap statement plan which has specific
roles.During the 2018 campaign by the committee, there was a number of objectives which were
discussed. The overall aim of the campaign was to develop a comprehensive and long term plan
of action that will emphasize existing inequalities within the society. The campaign called for
equality in terms of health standards between the Aboriginal population and the Torres Strait
Islanders in Australia. In addition, the AHRC Close the Gap 2018 report articulated on the full
participation of the Aboriginal population and Torres Strait Islander people and the non-
indigenous population to matters related to healthcare by the end of 2030 (Smallwood, 2018).
Definition of the term ‘patient escort’, and discuss the common challenges that they may face.
This is typically defined as a special service offered by volunteers in order to accompany
patients who require assistance in moving about the existing health facility. It is evident that matt
as an inpatient is awaiting transfers to be discharged from the hospital.
It aims at the improvement of the quality of a particular patients cares. It involves training or
helping the movement of patients to several departments, hospitals, rooms or the lobby in order

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to be discharged (Nguyen, & Cairney, 2013). Other escorts enable visitors in the hospital to
identify their destination in the entire hospital setting.
Patient escorts face various challenges in their work. Some of the problems are the fact many of
the patients being transferred have suffered severe and long term medical conditions requiring
expensive close supervision and specialize flight services y the key management. Therefore they
face the pressure and stress of organizing their transfer.
They also face challenges of shortage of facilities and escort materials such as wheelchairs and
stretcher-bound patients which is highly selective since it is costly depends on the medical
requirements of the patient at hand.
Some personnel has minimal training and skills regarding repatriation experiences which makes
it difficult to achieve the service (Priest et al 2011). This can prompt the patient to die on the way
or face extra complications.
They also face bad attitude, perspective, judgment and harsh behavior from the patients.
Loss from time period to another, an escort may face problematic issues where he /she maybe be
requested to work extra shifts in order to cover for a colleague who is absent. This puts more
pressure and makes their work more strenuous.
As a nurse, it was important to ensure Matt's mother received an escort from Townsville to
Brisbane in order to empower them and complete their wellbeing care.
Role of the Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer how the role may support the
delivery of culturally safe care to both Matt and her mother.

Sociology
The section reveals the role played by the Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer
and ho the roles are related to the case study of Matt and her mother. Different findings have
tried to reveal the work of Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer in relation to the
healthcare issues. Some of the roles which have been revealed through different reports carried
out in Australia include;
The Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer always provides emotional and social-
cultural support to both the Torres Strait Islander and the Aboriginal population in Australia as
seen in the case study between Matt and her mother (Hersh, Armstrong, Panak & Coombes,
2015). This means that Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer will give support to
families in Australian when using the hospital at GV Health in the county. Being in the hospital
most of the times is attributed to fear and other emotional issue but the Aboriginal/Indigenous
Hospital Liaison Officer is always available to comfort the Aboriginal people and the Torres
Strait Islander. Matt received a comfort while he was in the hospital and all these were done by
the Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer thus improving culturally safe care.
In addition, the Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer helps in understanding the
medical procedures in the healthcare unit. This means that they are the link between the
professionals in the hospital and the patients. Through the Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital
Liaison Officer, the patients in health care unit they are in a position to participate in decision
making thus enabling them to reveal their medical concern to the relevant doctors in the
healthcare units. In the case study of Matt and her mother, one can observe how the
Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer support the GV Health thus assisting in
improving the culturally safe care in Australia (Fitts et al., 2018).

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The other role of the Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer is helping patients to make
arrangements for admission in the hospital and when they can be released to go home. Through
Matt and his mother case one tends to realize how the Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison
Officer tend to link appropriate community programs which induce culture safety within the
society.
Conclusion
Therefore, to sum up, the paper has clearly described the overall health standard for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Australia. It has indicated how as a nurse, I used my
confidence demeanor, informed patient advocacy and culturally safe care aspects from the
hospital in order help matt complete his care regardless of his culture background. In this way I
was able to solve Matt’s problems that he experience while being admitted in the wards. The
campaign carried out focused to improve health equality in Australia. According to the paper, the
overall role of Aboriginal/Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer is to support the people in the
hospital thus helping in promoting culturally safe care in Australia. In addition, as a nurse I help
in guiding the patients on how to arrange for admission and when they should anticipate going
home after the medication. Therefore, the entire health services between the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander should focus to improve the overall health plans in Australia.

Sociology
References
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