Holistic Care: Addressing Health Needs of Aboriginal Communities

This report delves into the concept of holistic care, emphasizing its importance in addressing the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients, especially those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It highlights the principles of holistic care, including optimal health, the healing power of love, whole-person care, and prevention and treatment. The report focuses on the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organization (NACCHO) and the Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern (AMS), showcasing how these organizations provide culturally appropriate and comprehensive health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It examines the AMS's approach to managing type 2 diabetes, the prevalence of which is high in this population, and the integration of traditional healing practices. The report also discusses the importance of creating a healthcare environment free from racism, building trust, and involving patients and their families in decision-making. The report concludes with a discussion of the importance of holistic care models in improving health outcomes for Aboriginal communities.

Running head: HOLISTIC APPROACH 1
Holistic Approach
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Holistic care
Holistic care is a concept of healthcare that puts into consideration the physical,
emotional, social, and economic as well as the spiritual needs of the patient. Furthermore, it
involves looking at how an individual responds to infection and how the disease affects his/her
ability to meet self-care needs. Since individuals suffering from both intellectual and
developmental disabilities go through clinical comorbidities that needs an array of intervention,
there is the need of coordinated and integrated care to improve health outcomes (Brunger &
Wall, 2016). The aim of holistic care therefore is to provide multidisciplinary, coordinated and
whole person care for people suffering from the above mentioned conditions. Basically, there are
different principles of holistic care and include optimal health, healing power of love, whole
person and prevention and treatment. Holistic care optimizes well-being and outcome of patient
care, healthcare professionals should therefore incorporate holistic approach while providing
care to patients.
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organization (NACCHO) was
set up in 1974 in a meeting at Albury. Currently, there are 143 ACCHSs distributed across
Australia both in rural and urban centers (Kress et al., 2015). Since the Aboriginals have unique
healthcare needs, the rationale of these NCCHSs is to advocate and provide holistic,
comprehensive and culturally appropriate health services to the Aboriginal and Torres Islanders
people of Australia.
The Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern (AMS) is an urban Aboriginal Community
Health Organization that focus on holistic Aboriginal care. In fact, this the oldest NACCHO in
Australia. Since type 2 diabetes is highly prevalent in the Aboriginals, the AMS has been on the
fore front to provide holistic care to the Aboriginals so as to lower these rates. In close

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association with the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital diabetic clinic, the AMS Redfern through
Aboriginal Healthcare Workers aid in providing holistic care to fellow Aboriginals by organizing
appointments, follow up activities, transport services and monitoring of the diabetic patients.
There are different culturally appropriate health models of the Aboriginals and Torres
Strait Islanders of Australia for diabetes. First, these people value traditional healing and
medicine practice. In fact, a recent study indicates that there are still institutions offering bush
medicines such as the Akeyulere Healing Centre located in Alice Springs that are used in treating
type 2 diabetes (Crowe, Stanley, Probst, & McMahon, 2017). The concept of a culturally
appropriate healthcare model also includes creating a healthcare environment that is free from
racism. Furthermore, it includes building trust, recognizing the role of socio economic situations,
communication and the respect for patient’s beliefs. Healthcare professions in culturally
appropriate health models also involves engaging patients and their family members in the
decision making process.

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References
Brunger, F., & Wall, D. (2016). “What Do They Really Mean by Partnerships?” Questioning
the Unquestionable Good in Ethics Guidelines Promoting Community Engagement in
Indigenous Health Research. Qualitative Health Research, 26(13), 1862-1877.
doi:10.1177/1049732316649158
Crowe, R., Stanley, R., Probst, Y., & McMahon, A. (2017). Culture and healthy lifestyles: a
qualitative exploration of the role of food and physical activity in three urban
Australian Indigenous communities. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public
Health, 41(4), 411-416. doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12623
Kress, H., Aldington, D., Alon, E., Coaccioli, S., Collett, B., Coluzzi, F., … Sichère, P.
(2015). A holistic approach to chronic pain management that involves all
stakeholders: change is needed. Current Medical Research and Opinion, 31(9), 1743-
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