Developing a community rehabilitation and lifestyle service for a remote Indigenous community

Cairns, Alice, Geia, Lynore, Kris, Sylvia, Armstrong, Elizabeth, O'Hara, Amy, Rodda, Danielle, McDermott, Robyn, and Barker, Ruth (2022) Developing a community rehabilitation and lifestyle service for a remote Indigenous community. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44 (16). pp. 4266-4274.

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Abstract

Purpose: Community rehabilitation is an essential health service that is often not available to remote Australians. This paper describes the first cycle of a collaborative project, between local community members, allied health professionals and a university, to co-design a community rehabilitation and lifestyle service to support adults and older people to stay strong and age well in place.

Methods: An action research framework was used to develop the service for adults in two remote communities, one being a discrete Aboriginal community. The first cycle involved planning for, and trialling of a service, with observations, reflections and feedback from clients, community members, university students and health service providers, to inform the subsequent service.

Results: Over two years, stakeholders worked collaboratively to plan, trial, reflect and replan an allied health student-assisted community rehabilitation service. The trial identified the need for dedicated clinical and cultural supervision. During replanning, three key elements for culturally responsive care were embedded into the service: reciprocity and yarning; holistic community-wide service; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mentorship.

Conclusions: An action-research approach to co-design has led to the establishment of a unique community rehabilitation service to address disability and rehabilitation needs in two remote Australian communities.

Item ID: 67612
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1464-5165
Keywords: Aboriginal, community rehabilitation, allied health, co-design, remote, action research, cultural safety
Copyright Information: Published Version: (C) 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Accepted Version may be made Opean access under a CC BY-BC license after a 12 month embargo.
Funders: Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation, Northern Queensland Primary Health Network, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC)
Projects and Grants: NHMRC 1131932
Date Deposited: 15 Jun 2021 02:25
FoR Codes: 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4201 Allied health and rehabilitation science > 420109 Rehabilitation @ 50%
42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4203 Health services and systems > 420321 Rural and remote health services @ 25%
45 INDIGENOUS STUDIES > 4504 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing > 450409 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services @ 25%
SEO Codes: 20 HEALTH > 2003 Provision of health and support services > 200301 Allied health therapies (excl. mental health services) @ 50%
21 INDIGENOUS > 2103 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health > 210399 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health not elsewhere classified @ 25%
20 HEALTH > 2003 Provision of health and support services > 200302 Community health care @ 25%
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