Gulbiyaay (Welcome)

Yaama – Let’s Yarn About Stroke

Vickie Brandy, Chris Levi, Joe Miller, Heidi Janssen, Uncle Neville Sampson, Simone Owen, Aunty Audrey Trindall, Clare Willis, Rachel Peake and Reakeeta Smallwood.
Photo taken by Tess Reading, proud Gomeroi woman.

The Yarning up About Stroke Project (YuAS)

We are yarning with Aboriginal people who have had a stroke, their families and with health services who provide services to people who have had a stroke living on Gamilaraay/Gomeroi lands within Hunter New England Local Health District to find out what works and what needs to be done better.

Our team includes Aboriginal community members who have had a stroke, Aboriginal researchers and health professionals and non-Indigenous researchers.

What we have heard in these yarns is:
 the importance of the role of family in stroke recovery,
having trusted relationships with people who know about stroke and support options,
the importance of culturally appropriate interactions with health services,
the need for culturally safe health environments,
that disrespect and racism impacts access to stroke recovery,
improvements are needed to prevent people falling through the cracks.

We have held 2 Community Workshops to develop solutions. These workshops included First Nations Peoples living with stroke, their families, carers, community members, and health service providers. From these workshops, we identified the need and want for a Stroke Navigator.

We put together a Stroke Navigator Working Group which included First Nations Peoples living with stroke, their families, carers, community members, health service providers and researchers. This group developed the key roles and responsibilities for our Stroke Navigator. This group continues to meet monthly, and we now have our Stroke Navigator working to assist First Nations Peoples living on Gamilaraay/Gomeroi lands within the Hunter New England Local Health District with their stroke recovery journey.