Aboriginal Women Learning on Country: Lessons for Educators

Area of Science:

• Indigenous Health
• Dementia Care Education
• Rural Health Services

Background:

• A documented need for dementia care and education exists within the Circular Head Aboriginal community in rural Tasmania.
• Older community members face challenges with behavior, memory, and communication, impacting social engagement and care requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an innovative, culturally safe, tertiary education program for Aboriginal women in dementia care.
• To empower Aboriginal individuals in rural and remote areas to provide community health and dementia education and care.

Main Methods:

• A 2-year program combining a Certificate III in Individual Support (Aging, Home, and Community) 'on Country' with online Bachelor of Dementia Care studies.
• Students received stipends and guidance from a community Elder, with integrated experiential learning with adults with dementia.

Main Results:

• All students completed their vocational certificate; progress on the diploma varied.
• Student reflections highlighted holistic achievements, challenges, the importance of on-Country connections, community support, and future contributions.
• The program demonstrated the impact of combining authentic, culturally appropriate experiential learning with academic dementia knowledge.

Conclusions:

• The program increased the community's capacity to care for members with dementia, providing a work-related qualification within a university education.
• This pathway improved access to and success in higher education and the workforce for Aboriginal people, counteracting systemic barriers.
• The study underscored the need for flexible learning approaches and highlighted the resilience of the participating women.