1.0 Introduction A refugee is an individual who has escaped their country of origin and is incompetent to return due to fear of being victimized because of their religion, race and for political or social view (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2006).This essay illustrates some of the main impacts that affect the health of refugee in Australia from overseas. Language is a significant barrier to health, these refugee come from non-English speaking countries and find it hard to access health services. They feel disempowered because every time they need an interpreter who is not always available (Australian Human Rights Commission [AHRC], 2010). The use of interpreters is many impacts on health such as, miss communication (The department …show more content…
Mental health issues due to unemployment, is most common amongst women (Ethnic community’s council of Victoria (ECCC), 2009). As well as poor Health literacy skills, refugees who arrive in Australia do not have the basic understanding of the types of health services available and not aware of the factors that can influence their health (CareSearch, 2014). Most refugees have a limited health literacy, especially older adults and those with low education levels (Ethnic community’s council of Victoria (ECCV), 2012). This leads to chronic conditions such as Tuberculosis (CareSearch, …show more content…
(Chand, 2012). Limited access to interpreters can be challenging because interpreters may not be on site in most health care canters (Australian Human Rights Commission [AHRC], 2010). Most new refugees in Australia come from non-English speaking countries which impacts on their health when they come to Australia (Sheikh-Mohammed, Raina MacIntyre, J Wood, Leask, & Isaacs, 2006). On the other hand, these refugees may also feel frustrated when explaining their health issues to the interpreter at the clinic because the interpreter may not explain to the doctor the way they want (Sheikh-Mohammed et al. 2006). However, some health care services lack this which results in refugee patients trying to explain their issues to the doctor (AHRC, 2010). The use of Jargon in health care services has proven to be very difficult to understand (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2010). According to (AHRC, 2010), when refugees visit the doctors they are spoken to using jargon words can come across as threatening, which makes them feel discouraged from asking questions or requesting clarity. This leads to miss understanding and communication difficulties between the patient and doctor (AHRC, 2010). Due to this language barrier health professionals are not able to understand the needs of refugees (AHRC, 2010). Which can lead to “misdiagnosis” and challenging for the doctor to monitor through the patients’ health (The department of human
I know numerous East Africans and other minorities who fear and put off going to the hospital or clinic simply because they feel no one truly understands them on a more personal level and that their needs can’t and won’t be met entirely. According to the American Medical Association over 55% of health care providers agreed that, “minority patients generally receive lower quality health care” due to the lack of cultural competence. Those of different cultural backgrounds feel uneasy due to communication barriers and the lack of cultural competency amongst some health care providers. As a Somali-speaking nurse, I feel Somali patients, along with those of varying cultural backgrounds would be able to establish that sense of ease that’s needed when entering a health care facility or without having to feel the shame of having an interpreter hear about their personal health issues. According to Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence,
Uba, L. (1992). Cultural barriers to health care for southeast asian refugees. Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C.: 1974), 107(5), 544-548. Retrieved from http://proxy.samuelmerritt.edu:2106/pmc/articles/PMC1403696/
There are significant health disparities that exist between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. Being an Indigenous Australian means the person is and identifies as an Indigenous Australian, acknowledges their Indigenous heritage and is accepted as such in the community they live in (Daly, Speedy, & Jackson, 2010). Compared with Non-Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal people die at much younger ages, have more disability and experience a reduced quality of life because of ill health. This difference in health status is why Indigenous Australians health is often described as “Third World health in a First World nation” (Carson, Dunbar, Chenhall, & Bailie, 2007, p.xxi). Aboriginal health care in the present and future should encompass a holistic approach which includes social, emotional, spiritual and cultural wellbeing in order to be culturally suitable to improve Indigenous Health. There are three dimensions of health- physical, social and mental- that all interrelate to determine an individual’s overall health. If one of these dimensions is compromised, it affects how the other two dimensions function, and overall affects an individual’s health status. The social determinants of health are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age which includes education, economics, social gradient, stress, early life, social inclusion, employment, transport, food, and social supports (Gruis, 2014). The social determinants that are specifically negatively impacting on Indigenous Australians health include poverty, social class, racism, education, employment, country/land and housing (Isaacs, 2014). If these social determinants inequalities are remedied, Indigenous Australians will have the same opportunities as Non-Ind...
In this essay the writer will discuss the colonisation of Australia, and the effects that dispossession had on indigenous communities. It will define health, comparing the difference between indigenous and non- indigenous health. It will point out the benefits and criticism of the Biomedical and sociological models of health, and state why it is important in healthcare to be culturally competent with Transcultural theory. The case study of Rodney will be analyzed to distinguish which models of health were applied to Rodney’s care, and if transcultural theory was present when health care workers were dealing with Rodney’s treatment plan.
Kodjo, C. (2009, February,2009). Cultural competence in clinician communication [Pediatr Rev]. Pub Med Central, 30(2), 57-64. doi:10.1542/pir.30-2-57
The colonisation of Australia occurred throughout 1788-1990. During this time, Great Britain discovered Australia and decided that it would become a new British colony (“Australian History: Colonisation 17-88-1990”, 2014.). It was decided that convicts would be sent to Australia and used for labour to build the new colony. There are many health determinants that are effecting the health of Indigenous Australians including; poor living conditions, risk behaviours and low socioeconomic status. Many of these determinants have an effect on the Indigenous Australians due to the colonisation of Australia.
They have been found to have detrimental psychological effects, as they leave refugees in a state of limbo, fearing their imminent forced return, where they are unable to integrate into society. This emotional distress is often compounded by the fact that refugees on TPVs in Australia are not able to apply for family reunification nor are they able to leave the country. Family reunification is a well-established right in Sweden, as well as most western countries. Moreover, it is a human right protected under the ICCPR whereby refugees have the right to family (Article 23) and the right to freedom from arbitrary interference with family life (Article 17). As a result of living in a state of uncertainty and heartache caused by family separation, refugees on TPVs face a “700 percent increased risk of developing depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in comparison with PPV (permanent protection visa) refugees (Mansouri et al. 2009, pp. 145). Denial of family reunification under TPVs is likely to cause more asylum seekers to engage in illegal means to arrive in
Mentioning a diversity of culture and language in Australia with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians, the fact sheet indicates that these cultural differences may impact on the practitioner-client relationship and on the delivery of services. Therefore, in order to achieve good practice and health outcomes, physiotherapist should effort to understand the cultural needs and contexts of different patients. To be specific, practitioners need to be aware that some patients or clients have additional needs and modify their approach appropriately. For example, the Code of conduct strongly recommends becoming familiar with and using qualified language interpreters or cultural interpreters to help meet the communication needs of patients. Besides, it also includes more detailed information about Indigenous Australians. It stipulates significant disparities in the health status of Indigenous Australians result from the socio-economic inequities. Lastly, it is also comprised Aboriginal people’s preference of consultation or treatment by a same gender practitioner because of their traditional
Since colonialism after the invasion, Australia indigenous peoples have experienced a great deal of loss of identity, loss, disempowerment, cultural alienation, grief. Many indigenous people's mental and physical health impaired. Suicide, family violence, drug abuse and unemployment rates is higher than the Australian average(Berry et al. 2012). That is complicated to contributing to develop and support sustainable mental health and social wellbeing for Australian aboriginals staying in rural areas ,related to much diversity involved in and between individuals and communities (Guerin & Guerin 2012).
The top priority of the medical interpreters is removing language barrier between the medical practitioners and the patients and helping the patients to treat properly. Indeed, impartiality can be challenged in medical setting. However, some articles are pointed out that the interpreter who is related to the patient is not always harmful to the patients and the medical practitioners. Therefore, when the medical interpreters take an assignment, they should consider what the best is for the patients and the medical practitioners.
There should therefore be emphasis placed on assessing the mental health of these kids because of the adverse experiences in their home countries and the distress experienced in an alien country or culture in which they find themselves. Weaver and Burns (2001) thus argue that social workers need a greater understanding of the impact of trauma to be effective with asylum seekers in general and UASC. However, many people who are exposed to traumatic experiences do not necessarily develop mental issues so social workers should be cautious about making assumptions as studies shows that most asylum seekers point to social and economic factors as important rather than psychological
The social problem we have chosen to address is the mental health status of refugees. Refugees are exposed to a significant amount of trauma due to fear, war, persecution, torture, and relocating. The mental health illnesses that can affect refugees due to exposure to traumas include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Research indicated that refugees relocating from war-torn countries are particularly vulnerable to mental health concerns because many have experienced early traumas and face further post-traumas after relocation (Cummings, et al., 2011). However, despite the prevalence of mental health issues concerning refugees, mental health needs often go unrecognized and untreated.
This causes problems about the diagnosis as well as how nurses may tell patients about issues with their care. A way a nurse can overcome this is by having an interpreter when they know that a patient doesn’t know English, but this is not always the case for most nurses as there are not a lot of interpreters around. In health practice language isn’t always to do with culture but it can be the way a nurse or doctor speaks to the patients so they may adopt certain types of jargon and the patients may feel intimidated. Madeleine Leininger, who is the founder of transcultural nursing, says that providing competent care across all cultures and to be customized to fit patient’s different beliefs and traditions and different languages that a patient may speak. Divi et al (2007) claims that language barriers increase the risk of patient care and safety as they will find it difficult to understand what is going on with their care, so it is important for patients to have access to language services such as an
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been the first nations, which represented the whole Australian population, for centuries. However, the continuous European colonization has severely affected these peoples and, over the decades, their unique values and cultures, which enriched the life of Australian nation and communities, were not respected and discriminated by numerous restrictive policies. As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have turned into the voiceless minority of the Australian population. Fortunately, in recent years, these issues became the concern of the Australian government, promoting a slight improvement in the well being of native Australians. Nowadays, there are numerous social work
A family, living in a war-torn country, is uprooted from their home and community due to a variety of reasons such as political unrest, famine, and threat danger. This family flees their country in order to seek safety in a neighboring, more stable country. These people are considered refugees. Refugees are not travelers or immigrants because they are displaced due to some devastating reason, whether that is war or persecution. Other countries extend money, resources, and even their land to help resettle refugees out of political and humanitarian obligation. The United States is historically notorious for wanting to remain isolated during certain global events such as each world war. However, the United States began to create and build on refugee