Jean Thompson is a 65 year old Torres Strait Islander grandmother who has been flown to a major hospital from Erub a Torres Strait Island in the Eastern Island group. She has suffered a stroke and...

Jean Thompson is a 65 year old Torres Strait Islander grandmother who has been flown to a major hospital from Erub a Torres Strait Island in the Eastern Island group. She has suffered a stroke and will require long-term rehabilitation. She also requires treatment for gynaecological symptoms. She remains silent when spoken to but you notice she communicates to her only visitor, a middle aged Island woman who visits in the evening.


You find out that the visitor is a niece Charlotte, who lives near the hospital and she agrees to talk to you, a Community Liaison Health Worker in Jean’s ward. You find out that Jean speaks her traditional language at home and has limited spoken English. She cannot read or write and is unable to comprehend medical terms and forms. Jean has told Charlotte that she is frightened and wants to go home. She does not want to speak to doctors, especially males, as she does not trust them. She does not discuss her medical situation and only talks about how unwell she feels being away from her country and family.
QUESTIONS

1.    What are the short and long term aims for your intervention as Jean’s Community Liaison Health Worker?


2.    Discuss the impact of any issues relating to Indigenous history, traditional beliefs and cultural diversity that would be impacting on Jean’s experience in a hospital away from her community.


3.    How could your own cultural background and upbringing influence your service delivery to Jean?



4.    What verbal and non-verbal communication strategies will you employ to support your service delivery to Jean?



5.    What types of resources could you utilise to facilitate effective communication in Jean’s case?