On a journey together

A large provider has launched a new indigenous healthcare program in central Queensland.

A large provider has launched a healthcare program for Indigenous Australians with chronic and complex health needs.

Based at Gracemere, the Blue Care program uses personal goal setting and tailored interventions to improve health outcomes.

The group’s Central Queensland Allied Health Service Manager, Sue Jones said the program had been adapted from an initiative developed in the Illawarra region of NSW.

“Together we sat down [with our clients and staff from other Indigenous health services] and looked at the content of the materials and decided how we could change it to make it local,” she said.

“We wanted to adapt it so that local people could identify that it was their place and their community that we were talking about.

“[The program from the Illawarra] used the analogy of a football coach and team but our local group thought that football was a silly idea and went with the idea of a journey instead.

“So the staff supporting the program become travel companions rather than coaches.”

The program is targeted at people who live with, or are at risk of developing, high blood pressure, lung disease, heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

It is based on weekly gatherings at the Blue Care centre where clients can spend time in the gym and hydrotherapy pool or participate in educational sessions and health consultations.

Local Indigenous Health Worker, Liz Blucher said the program was growing in popularity.

“A lot of people didn’t know about the service but through my networking, I have had a number of meetings with the elders and got their input into the program,” she said.

“When I first started working here there were only three people coming along and they only turned up willy nilly – now there are about 20 people and they all come along regularly. The word is out there in the community.”

Ms Blucher said she had seen significant improvements in the health outcomes of local Indigenous people, since she started working with Blue Care 18 months ago.

“We have got an 85 year old who she came to us in a wheelchair and couldn’t cook or look after herself,” she said. “Now she is up and walking with a cane and preparing her own meals.”

Tags: blue-care, ccentral-queensland, chronic-disease, health, indigenous,

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