Exploring Rural/Remote Service Responses to Mistreatment of Older Aboriginal People

Abstract

The prevalence of mistreatment of older First Nations people has been estimated to be disproportionately high in comparison with the non-Indigenous population. This can be explained through an ecological framework as the impact of a complex interplay of individual, relational, community and societal factors. These factors include the intergenerational impacts of Australia’s colonial history on Indigenous Australians, entailing the disruption of families through child removal policies, land and cultural dislocation, and the severe violence, abuse and trauma to Aboriginal people that accompanied colonisation. Literature from various urban and regional Australian contexts has indicated the need for further research into the mistreatment of older First Nations people to inform service responses. Whilst this is already an under-researched area, there is even less literature within the specific context of rural and remote Australia. Barriers to service access in rural and remote Australian regions include geographical isolation and unsuitable urban-centric models of service provision. Further, Aboriginal communities in different geographical locations are highly diverse, making previous research difficult to generalise, as service responses to mistreatment need to be locally driven and locally responsive.

This exploratory study examined how services in rural and remote Western Australia (WA)respond to the mistreatment of older Aboriginal people in order to identify gaps and highlight potential service improvements that align with elements of existing frameworks around cultural safety. The study adopted a sequential mixed methods design to combine quantitative survey data (n=15) with more detailed insights from qualitative interviews (n=5). Participants were staff with experience working in services that responded to the mistreatment of older Aboriginal persons in rural and remote WA. The survey collected participant demographic data and qualitative data regarding barriers and enablers for older Aboriginal people’s service access when experiencing mistreatment, information about culturally appropriate responses and cultural safety frameworks used in practice, and recommendations for service response improvements. The follow-up semi-structured interviews collected in-depth data inclusive of case study examples. Interview questions were developed after reviewing relevant literature and refined after survey data analysis.

Analysis of the data revealed four key themes: Cultural and Familial Obligations, Implications of Australia’s Colonial History, Rural and Remote Service-related Concerns, and Family and Community Engagement. The findings highlight the importance of integrating intergenerational experiences and cultural obligations into practice, flexible and well-resourced service delivery models, consultation and co-design with community and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and incorporating elements of cultural safety frameworks into service responses.

This study highlighted barriers and enablers to service access for older First Nations people experiencing mistreatment in rural and remote WA communities from the perspectives of service providers. The study found that services are under-resourced, and that metrocentric funding models are often inflexible and unsuitable to the context of rural and remote WA. The findings indicated that familial obligations of older Aboriginal people, including intergenerational caring and housing, and resource sharing, may impact an older Aboriginal person’s service access when experiencing mistreatment. The research highlighted the importance of community consultation to establish appropriate responses and protocols that will support service access.