This system will be able to better integrate and coordinate the primary health care in local communities. The Australian health system is under strain. As we have heard from the AGPN, Australia has a large amount of users in the Tertiary sector and a large percentage of these have resulted due to a lack of correct intervention and management. With a 3 tiered health system, made up of primary, secondary and tertiary levels it has been shown that consumers are experiencing disconnected and fragmented care, under not just one system but many. This lack of continuity has been shown to lead to poorer health outcomes, as a result of late intervention, focusing on illness rather than wellness and as well as being frustrating to patients and their care providers it increases costs.
It includes many diseases including coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, heart attacks, arthrosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, angina pectoris and heart failure (Ruskin, 2009). These diseases are a major cause of death, have a huge impact on society, have many long term effects and the incidence is set to increase due to the aging population and increased rate of obesity within Australia. These factors support the argument that CVD is the major issue facing this society today. CVD is the leading causes of death in Australia. It accounted for around 36% of all deaths in 2004 [ (Statistics, 2006) ].
In 2007-2008, it was reported that 10.81% of residents 18 years and older in the Cloncurry Shire were suffering from high or very high psychological distress (ABS, 2011). Research shows that people living in rural and remote communities across Australia have particular high risk factors of mental health compared to their metropolitan counterparts (Rajkumar & Hoolahan, 2008). This is believed to be associated with isolation and environmental hazards such as drought, floods and fires (Rajkumar & Hoolahan, 2008). With the community experiencing monsoon weather patterns and droughts each year, the impact the weather has on the community results in financial stress on families which has been linked to anxiety, depression, family breakdown and other mental health issues (Rajkumar & Hoolahan, 2008). With recent economic uncertainty in remote Queensland communities due to both government and corporate service closures and restructuring of the farming industry, the Cloncurry Shire has had an 8% population decline over the past decade (Queensland Government, 2011c).
Indigenous Australians have higher rates of substance abuse and mental health disorders. The last three decades have witnessed an increase in suicide rates among Indigenous Australians especially in rural and remote areas (Pols and Oak, 2011, pp. 3-4). There exists a link between poor mental health and health disparities and inequities. Indigenous peoples in Canada and other nations experience disproportionate rates of mental related illnesses (Leeuw, Greenwood and Cameron, 2009, p 284).
Introduction Despite the progress that has been made in recent years in the quality of healthcare for the Indigenous people of Australia, there is still a considerable need for further improvements. Indigenous Australians currently endure more poor health, disability and injury than other Australians.They also die at a younger age compared with non Indigenous Australians. The socioeconomic disadvantages experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people puts them at a higher risk of exposure to behavioural and environmental health risk factors as does the higher proportion of Indigenous households that live in conditions that do not maintain good health. Many of the Indigenous people also do not have equal access to primary health care and basic medical facilities . 1.
Identify a strategy or policy that might help to reduce health inequalities in this area. ●A possible strategy to help reduce the risk of diabetes is educating the specified group of individuals as to which foods to avoid and which exercises can help with their cardiovascular system and strengthen their bodies. Also offer screening to a younger range as at
Fruits and Vegetables Can Save Lives The film Forks Over Knives could save lives by promoting a plant-based diet. The film demonstrates that changing diet can make a difference in a person’s health and save lives. Altering a person’s diet can improve health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In the film, two doctors who were interviewed recommended plant-based diet to improve one of their patient’s blood pressures. The patient’s diet was changed from meat based to plant based.
Those who identify as Aboriginal maintain a lower health status than non-Aboriginal individuals, as they are more likely to suffer from depression, disease, and injury. As a result, Aboriginal individuals also have a lower life expectancy than other Canadian citizens. “According to Health Canada, in 2001 the average life expectancy for First Nations men was 70.4 years, compared to 77.1 for the general population; the corresponding figures for women were 75.5 versus 82.2” (Kirmayer & Valaskakis, 2009). The fundamental cause of these health inequalities and discrepancies can be attributed to social determinants of health. As Mikkonen and Raphael (2010) explain, simply identifying as Aboriginal has negative implications on ones health.
Tamara Harbour HLTHIR404D Work Effectively With Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander People Assessment Task: Portfolio: HEALTH Health can be defined in many different ways. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. (World Health Organization, 2003, website) The Indigenous health of Australians living in rural and remote areas, compared to those residing in developed and city areas, are poor and suffer from higher levels of poverty and crime, poor standards of education, higher unemployment rates and poor health. Data collected on the health status
His MUST score was identified as being medium risk. Food and fluid intake chart was commenced in line with normal procedure for a new admission. The Care Commission (Scotland) states in their Promoting nutrition in Care homes publications, that "Adequate nutrition is essential to good quality care, and good food is fundamental to a good quality of life. For older people in particular this can be critical to their health and wellbeing. A person's appetite often reduces with age and keeping them interested in food can be difficult, ensuring that they have the correct nutritional intake is therefore even more important."