The health of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Abstract

The health of Aboriginal Australians is poorer than that of all other Indigenous cultures in developed nations, and recent studies suggest high rates of dementia and other conditions that are common in old age. This has implications for health promotion, provision of services and planning for older age in these communities. This article provides an overview on the health of Older Aboriginal Australians.

Addressing dementia with Indigenous peoples: a contributing initiative from the Circular Head Aboriginal community

“…However, these studies also illustrate Indigenous peoples' limited understanding of how such behaviours and symptoms relate to dementia, the causes of dementia, and how dementia differs from depression, delirium and other neurological diseases. 7,[23][24][25] The studies confirm the importance of community-based education and care provided by trusted, accepted and qualified Indigenous staff. 21,22 To date, there are no systematic data from Indigenous communities in Tasmania regarding their understanding of dementia and needs for education, care and risk modification.…”

“…[1][2][3] A key component of this health disparity is the notably higher prevalence rates of dementia now documented for younger as well as older Indigenous Australians, and increasingly men as well as women. 2,[4][5][6][7][8] This growing burden of disease has been proposed to reflect complex and intergenerational health risk factors. Studies document how Australia's Indigenous peoples are at greater risk for chronic diseases that increase susceptibility to dementia, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.…”

“…Further, effective strategies need to be based upon each community's understanding of dementia and suggestions for culturally appropriate education about how to prevent and modify these risks, access culturally safe healthcare services, counter discrimination and stigma, and provide within-community care. 7,9,[18][19][20][21][22] Published studies, although few, document valuable descriptions of the behaviours and psychiatric symptoms associated with dementia by mainland and Torres Strait Islander Indigenous peoples. However, these studies also illustrate Indigenous peoples' limited understanding of how such behaviours and symptoms relate to dementia, the causes of dementia, and how dementia differs from depression, delirium and other neurological diseases.…”

“…28 The DKAS, rather than the modified Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Test, 23 was chosen as it has a global focus on dementia, including vascular health, which is of particular relevance to Indigenous peoples. 7,8,17 The 27 items on the DKAS asked respondents to use a Likert scale (false, probably false, What is of particular interest and importance in the responses of members of the Circular Head Aboriginal community is an examination of the 11 DKAS items on which the 50 community members scored most poorly. These 11 items (and evidence as to whether each is currently True, False, or increasingly possible) are listed in Table 1.…”

Food Insecurity among Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

“…As further argued by Bramwell et al (2017), “given the sensitivity and shame often associated with food insecurity, more needs to be known about how health professionals can broach the issue to ensure dignity and cultural safety” ([48] p. 7). Herein lies a major problem for the implementation of food insecurity programs, as there is a considerable underrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health sector—including at the programmatic design level [51]. …”