"<i>Well, I may as well go home because I felt no one was listening to me":</i> yarning with aboriginal peoples and communities about stroke recovery and experience. A qualitative study.

Abstract

To understand the stroke recovery experience of Aboriginal Peoples living with stroke on Gamilaraay/Gomeroi country in New South Wales, Australia. Community participatory action research methods were undertaken incorporating individual and group yarn-ups with Aboriginal Peoples in the community living with stroke and their family. A non-Aboriginal qualitative researcher undertook inductive narrative analysis of the emergent themes in the yarns, with frequent review and input from Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal clinician researchers and the Aboriginal working group. Yarns were completed with (i) people living with stroke (<i>n</i> = 5, 60% female), (ii) family and carers of people living with stroke (<i>n</i> = 5, 80% female) and a (iii) well-established community group (<i>n</i> = 6, 100% female). The four themes were: (i) The role of family in stroke recovery, (ii) Trusted relationships with people aware of stroke and support options, (iii) Importance of culturally appropriate interactions with health service, and (iv) Disrespect and racism impacts stroke care access. The role of family, trusted relationships, community connection, cultural safety and respect must be considered in improving the post-stroke quality of life for Aboriginal Peoples on Gamilaraay/Gomeroi country. These learnings can be used as a framework to inform future work with other Australian Aboriginal communities.*Our research group works with Aboriginal Peoples from Gamilaraay/Gomeroi country located in the North-western Plains of New South Wales Australia. We recognise the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples from across the many Countries of this place we now call Australia. Recognising this, throughout this text, we have used the preferred term "Aboriginal Peoples".