This is a compilation of the thoughts that have ran through my mind this week as reflect on my childhood and early career living in Labrador, NL.
When challenged to look at the definition of vulnerable, I read many definitions and landed on this one.... a person who is capable of being physically or emotionally wounded. I pondered that a great deal and felt we are all vulnerable at times in our life, but some people seem to be a little more vulnerable than others.
I think of my life, I live in a house, fully serviced, have gainful employment, my grocery store is pretty well stocked, my child is alive and well and has been to university, there are post secondary schools near by, my physician is in my town, a local hospital with specialty services should I need that, and I have all the family and friend support I need to call my town home. Sounds very simple?
So lets now look to Nain, NL. This aboriginal community is in the northern tip of Labrador, with a population of 1125. This community has been known for issues with access to many services, from food to medical care. The geography itself is contributing to this. But on top of the remote concerns, there surfaces reports of high suicide rates, poor attendance in school,95% of the students preform/read below Canadian standards. The local bar has the third highest sales of alcohol in Newfoundland and Labrador, and this community has 1125 people in total. If you were to get sick and need a physician, then you are hoping the weather is good, and you can make the 4 hour trek to the nearest hospital, or the plane will fly for you. Employment is focused on fishing and is seasonal, and the average family is living under the poverty line.
So I review the definition of vulnerable, are these people at risk of physically and emotional wounds? The lack of health resources is already putting this population at risk. The impact of low literacy, high alcohol usage, high suicide rates, are factors in emotional wounds that run deep.
Have we as society been moving to assist our indigenous population towards a higher quality of life? Are we including aboriginal leaders at the table to help in the planning for the future of communities like Nain?
The first thing I wanted to highlight is the addition of a robot, yes, a robot. Nain has beefed up the telehealth services in the community and access to a physician is now instant, Consultation time are greatly improved so that people can stay home in their communities and receive treatments rather than incurring all that travel. The government has made teaching units a priority and added new teachers to the school to assist in to rise the literacy rates. The health authority is working to make pathways in the system easier to access by using aboriginal patient navigators. Access to mental health resources are increasing. They now have a Doorways service in the community and walk in appointments are an option. The community has voted to create a dry community in 2010, it did not pass but the voting was close. So things are starting to change.
So when you get up tomorrow, and look around at all the factors in our lives that makes our day run as smooth as possible, then pause and think about it through the eyes of a group of people who have lived without the same things you have, and for years have been impacted by decisions of non-aboriginals, their children taken away to attend schools, land taken for industry, and have health issues that need interventions that are not offered in their towns. You then can grab a glimpse of vulnerability, and can promise yourself that you will be the person who advocates for change.
References
Mendez, I., Jong, M., Keays-White, D., & Turner, G. (2013). The use of remote presence for health care delivery in a northern Inuit community: a feasibility study. International Journal Of Circumpolar Health, 72. https://0-doi-org.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21112
Pollock, N. J., Mulay, S., Valcour, J., & Jong, M. (2016). Suicide Rates in Aboriginal Communities in Labrador, Canada. American Journal of Public Health, 106(7), 1309–1315. https://0-doi-org.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303151
The Social Determinatns of Inuit Health in Canada https://www.itk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ITK_Social_Determinants_Report.pdf
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