Solution
Rimsha answered on
Sep 23 2021
Running Head: END OF LIFE CARE FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS 1
END OF LIFE CARE FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS 2
END OF LIFE CARE FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Background 3
Analysis 4
Preparation of Spirit 5
Protecting 5
Healing 6
Connecting 6
Desire at the End of Life 7
Difficulties in Providing End of Care to Indigenous People 7
Lack of Understanding 8
Communication 8
Recommendations 9
Conclusion 10
References 11
Introduction
The end of life care can be defined as the care provided to the people in the last few weeks of their life. In this condition, patients have life-limiting condition, which rapidly moves them into passing (Chan, Webster & Bowers, 2016). End-of-life care is designed to guide the healthcare workers who are providing care to the patient. Indigenous population of Australia can be defined as the people of Aboriginal and To
es Strait Islanders who either are living in the community as such or identified as Aboriginal and To
es Strait Islander descent (Australian Government, 2019).
When providing care to the Aboriginal and To
es Strait Islander people, it is necessary to enquire about the people involved in making decision related to the healthcare as usually this community either have decision maker or spokesperson who is involved in all the discussion and take the final decision related to the healthcare of the people. The time, during which a patient is going through end-of life process, is very sensitive and must be approached with precaution.
It has been seen that during this time, patient must be deal with culturally appropriate manner. Indigenous people have large number of customary practices, which they observed before, during, and after passing. These practices of this community are considered sacred and may not be discussed outside the community. This assignment analyses and evaluate peer-reviewed articles provide support to the above argument. It also provides recommendation relevant to provide the end-of life care to the people belong to Indigenous community.
Background
Although, the life span of the Indigenous population of the Australia is not very high, yet there is very high need of end- of life care for these people. As mentioned by Duggleby et al. (2015), the Indigenous community of Australia suffered from the burden of diseases. They are still suffering from the disease, which are eradicated from the country. The healthcare condition of the indigenous population is of very low quality in comparison the non-indigenous population of the country.
Most of the people belong to the Indigenous community suffered from long-term chronic diseases, which often pushed them to reach the end-of life rapidly. As noted by Hole et al. (2015), Indigenous population mostly live below the poverty, which prevent them from seeking high quality treatment and care. Apart from this, indigenous population are very reluctant in adopting the modern medicines and vaccines.
This community is very close and failed to interact or blend with the non-Indigenous population, as they feared to lose their cultural integrity during the process. As noted by Croxon, Deravin and Anderson (2018), government of Australia is constantly taking efforts to reach this Indigenous community and provide them high quality healthcare. As a result, it is necessary to provide the end-of life care to these indigenous population and ensuring to provide the care keeping the culturally awareness about these people.
As mentioned by O'Brien et al. (2013), it has been seen that the Aboriginal and To
es Strait Islander people have the complex symptoms of the disease. These people were either not given any palliative care or this care is given at very later stage of the illness. The concept of death in these people is very different. They have cyclical concept of life-death-life, due to which these people do not fear death. As a result, most of them failed to seek the care at the earlier stage of illness and very reluctant to take the end of life care.
Analysis
The article, written by Duggleby et al. (2015), conducts the qualitative research of the indigenous community and provides the experiences of the people at the onset of journey of end of life, patients belonging to Indigenous population undergo many kinds of experiences, which affect them, their families, and communities. These experiences include question of self-existence, connecting, preparing the spirit and all the needs at the end of time.
Preparation of Spirit
As suggested by Rosa and Estes (2016), death is considered as the time of transition, there is preparation of spirit of the patient. It has been considered that if spirit is not at peace due to distress during end of life, it will fail to lead to the complete transition in the individual. Indigenous population included beliefs and values while getting treatment. The sickness is related to the pain of life in their perspectives. It has been seen that the heart and spirit take over the individual at the time of their sickness.
They considered the things their heart values instead of the mind. As suggested by Altman (2016), it is very common thinking among Individual culture that spirit is forever, it lives and it gets transit. Although death has not been welcomed in any community, yet it is accepted as an inevitable truth. Different Indigenous population have different perception of death, some considered it end of circle of life, whereas some considered as normal. Death is also considered as the...