Samson_&_Delilah_Nursing_Review

In the movie, Samson and Delilah, there are several issues that effect Aboriginal people. The running theme and one of the first things we see is substance abuse - more specifically, petrol sniffing and later in the film, alcohol. We also see the sub developed standards that the Indigenous population live in. Many live well under the considered the poverty line in neglected government building projects. Another, which we see to Delilah's grandmother, is the exploitation of Aboriginal labour, in this case native art. We also see child abuse that is shown as the protagonists leave the community. Substance abuse has been a one of the most prominent features in the degradation of aboriginal culture and people. Starting with alcohol, drugs and alcohol took hold du to the lack of experience of these substances within native culture and the inability to cope with the substances in comparison with their normal diets. This has resulted in the excess of these substances, communities falling into a drugged disarray. The wide spread hold that alcohol and other substances had on these communities and the inability for many cultures to cope with this situation (which further contributed with the annihilation of language and law of all but 120 cases) many Aborigines failed to maintain basic shelter, feed families or even consider employment. This led to the poverty of Aborigine peoples, the average health, life expectancy, income or education being well below that of other Australian groups all the rest of the Australian populations as a whole (this is known as the 17 year gap). The sheer degradation of these people has lead to their exploitation with what's left of their ancient, complex culture unable or slow to adapt to a westernized environment and their ruining past degrading their standard of living with little hope of fair employment, Aborigines have been left rather vulnerable to exploitation. An estimated $2 million p.a. is gained through the unrightful labour of Indigenous individuals. Such exploits include arts, tours, making of traditional weapons and souvenirs. As the living standards and traditional laws of the aboriginal people degraded so did the order and structure to many families. Child abuse was on a high in these impoverished communities, often a direct result of substance abuse by the parents. This often leads to the children growing up into the same mindset as the rest of the community. Aboriginal people have been wrongfully done by, dispite British intentions. It is an issue that should command equal priority as climate change, a budget surplus or water rights. For a country with a human development index (HDI - calculated by taking into account longevity, education and national wealth per capita.) of 0.937, the second highest in the world and average life expectancy of 78 for men and 81 for women shouldn't be settling for a select minority and original Australian's with a life expectancy 57 and a racial HDI of 0.894. 35% more chance of drug addiction and 12% chance more of loosing out in education should set alarms off for any minority. The Australian Bureau of Statistic have found that some groups within the population are living in standards comparable with Zimbabwe. What is needed is a replacement or repair of native social structure and law with discussion and cooperation between Federal authorities and native elder systems. The main cause of the issues is the loss of identity and ancient law and it's loosing itself during the globalization and westernisation of Australia. No blunt tool by the market or clunky unnegotiated intervention can replace this. Protection should be the first priority from drugs and exploitation. Staff in health settings may sometimes find it difficult to build open and trusting relationships with Aboriginal people and vice versa. This can often be attributed to a lack of cultural understanding and lack of awareness of effective techniques. This resource aims to assist staff to break down these barriers by offering practical advice and solutions. The reasons why the health status of Indigenous people remains much worse than that of non-Indigenous people are complex, but represent a combination of general factors – such as education, employment, income and socioeconomic status – and factors more specific to the health sector. As the Australian health ministers noted in their introduction to the 2003 National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, achievement of substantial improvements in Indigenous health will depend on long-term collaborative approaches involving Indigenous leaders and communities, the health and non-health sectors, and all levels of government. The aim of the health checks is to help ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive health care matched to their needs, by encouraging early detection, diagnosis and intervention for common and treatable conditions that cause considerable morbidity and early mortality. A health check includes an assessment of the patient's health and their physical, psychological and social well-being. It also assesses what preventative health care, education and other assistance should be offered to the patient to improve their health and well-being.