Elderly Torres Strait Islanders have to rely on their family contributors to bring them freshly caught fish prepared from home because the bureaucratic pink tape prevents traditional Indigenous foods from being served in nursing homes.
The Aged Care Royal Commission traveled to Broome this week to hear evidence about the limitations and challenges of presenting Indigenous Australians’ offerings.
Multiple witnesses spoke about imparting “culturally secure” elderly care services. This included ensuring residential homes serve Indigenous conventional foods so people maintain their connection to the U.S. and lifestyle.
At Star of the Sea Elders Village, the handiest nursing home in the Torres Strait, residents can look out at the ocean from the “ocean room,” which brings them much pleasure. Eighty percent of the nursing home’s workers identify as Indigenous Australians.
However, the hearing was changed to advise the nursing home that it has problems serving sparkling fish.
“There are several regulations around food safety, and guidelines in [the] elderly care environment prevent us from catching and preparing neighborhood fish in our kitchens,” UnitingCare Queensland’s Tamra Bridges informed the hearing.
“We have to buy imported frozen fish, you understand, and have it brought to Thursday Island, or we do workarounds with our own family, and we’re relying on the goodwill of our own family when we try this, which is not honest on them.”
The Tjilpi Pampaku Ngura Flexible Aged Care Service at Docker River in the Northern Territory is not able to serve kangaroo tails to residents.
“You can purchase kangaroo tails in the store and nearby people that can go hunting and additionally convey it into the house; however, if it’s purchased from the shop, it may be cooked at the facility and is cooked on a hearth,
