Inclusive Practice: Improving Health Services for Aboriginal Women

This essay explores the health crisis among Aboriginal women, highlighting the higher risks of breast cancer, pregnancy complications, and child mortality due to isolation, lack of knowledge, and limited resources. It discusses the culturally sensitive health services provided by organizations like VACCHO, which include accommodation of cultural needs, comprehensive care, and community involvement. The essay addresses barriers such as confidentiality, racism, and lack of transport, and emphasizes the importance of initiatives like the "Closing the Gap" framework, Koory maternity services, and culturally competent healthcare providers. Cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-informed therapy, and traditional healers are suggested to address mental health and trauma. The essay concludes that while health service programs have shown positive impacts, improving access to these services is crucial for managing the health crisis and reducing mortality rates among Aboriginal women. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and study tools for students.

Running head: INCLUSIVE PRACTICE
Inclusive practice
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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INCLUSIVE PRACTICE
Introduction:
The health crisis amongst the aboriginal women is increasing exponentially which in turn
increases the mortality rate of the aboriginal women. Aboriginal women are identified as the
separate group and due to the lack of transport to treatment centers, the increased risk of breast
cancer, mortality rate (Swain & Barclay, 2015). However, after implementation of the culturally
sensitive health services, the risk factors of the breast cancer and mortality rate decreases
(Gwynne et al., 2016). Therefore, this paper will illustrate targeted human resources and health
services available to this group of the population.
Discussion:
Aboriginal women have the higher risk of breast cancer, pregnancy risk due to alcohol
consumption and child mortality rate because of the isolation, lack of knowledge and fewer
pharmaceuticals present in this remote area. The health services provided by the Victorian
Aboriginal Controlled Health Organization (VACCHO) are including the accommodation of coal
and cultural needs, availability of absolute care, available food provision of health care in
indigenous friendly space, the role of the community and family often play a crucial role in care
process (Panaretto et al., 2014). In the remote areas, due to certain measurements and
confidentiality and cultural barriers, racism, the risk of breast cancer, low birth weight of the
baby, high mortality rate observed (Durey et al., 2016). Therefore, these health services provide
the free check up to the all aged group of the women, high quality of the nutrition and improved
nutritional status. A number of women are the victim of sexual assault, especially younger
women. “Closing the gap” framework is implemented for the better outcome which ensures the

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health services without any racial discrimination and culturally competent. Other health services
such as koory maternity services, in-home support, Healthy for life, Australian hearing services,
and competent gynecologist are available for providing care (Campbell et al., 2015). Home visit,
aboriginal doctors, midwives and culturally competent are also appointed for the aboriginal
women who are suffering from the pregnancy complication due to alcohol intake. The health
care services improve the health of the mother and newly born child and therefore, the
involvement of family and community, taking preventing measurements for lowering the risk
factors of the pregnancy, infant mortality and improved lifestyle can resolve the issue. Those
women who have the higher risk of pregnancy, to treat them cognitive behavioral therapy,
trauma-informed therapy is used. To make it available to them, mental health nurses should be
appointed along with peer workers who would provide care by compassion and empathy in order
to address the issue (Campbell et al., 2015). Traditional healers appointed in the healthcare
services provide the education and therapy, which shifted their priorities from the drug abuse in
order to resolve trauma. The employees provide the care considering values and beliefs of the
indigenous women so that they did not feel offended while receiving care and get easy access to
the care. Non-indigenous staffs were provided training for the considering the cultural beliefs,
which in turn provide access to the healthcare (Panaretto et al., 2014). Since the healthcare
services ensure the best patient-centric culturally competent care, the flexible appointment can be
an important initiative to make the health care services more available. Moreover, since the lack
of a transport system to the treatment services, the quality of the healthcare decreases that in turn
increases the health crisis. Providing transport was note as an effective way of improving the
availability of health services (Gwynne et al., 2016). In some instance, it also includes extended
opening hours of the clinics helps the aboriginal women to get easy access to health care services

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(Gwynne et al., 2016). Implementation of the health records outside of the patient and staff
scheduled is an effective way of making access to health care services (Gwynne et al., 2016).
Aboriginal women lived below the poverty level and the cost is not only related to the treatment
but also related the medicines. Managing budget can remove the barriers of the health services
for aboriginal women who have the higher risk of the health crisis.
Conclusion:
Thus, it can be concluded that, health crisis amongst aboriginal women as compared to
the non-indigenous part of the country. The impact of health service programs has shown a
positive side such as the life expectancy of Aboriginal Australians during delivering. The health
care services ensure the accommodation of social needs, high quality of the nutrition proper
medicines for managing the problem. However, the access to the services is crucial for managing
the health crisis, which in turn would decrease the mortality rate.

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References:
Campbell, M. A., Hunt, J., Walker, D., & Williams, R. (2015). The oral health care experiences
of NSW aboriginal community controlled health services. Australian and New Zealand
journal of public health, 39(1), 21-25.
Durey, A., McEvoy, S., Swift-Otero, V., Taylor, K., Katzenellenbogen, J., & Bessarab, D.
(2016). Improving healthcare for Aboriginal Australians through effective engagement
between community and health services. BMC health services research, 16(1), 224.
Gwynne, K., Irving, M. J., McCowen, D., Rambaldini, B., Skinner, J., Naoum, S., & Blinkhorn,
A. (2016). Developing a sustainable model of oral health care for disadvantaged
Aboriginal people living in rural and remote communities in NSW, using collective
impact methodology. Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, 27(1), 46-53.
Panaretto, K. S., Wenitong, M., Button, S., & Ring, I. T. (2014). Aboriginal community
controlled health services: leading the way in primary care. The Medical Journal of
Australia, 200(11), 649-652.
Swain, L., & Barclay, L. (2015). Medication reviews are useful, but the model needs to be
changed: Perspectives of Aboriginal Health Service health professionals on Home
Medicines Reviews. BMC health services research, 15(1), 366.