Well, I may as well go home because I felt no one was listening to me: Yarning with Aboriginal Peoples and communities about stroke recovery and experience. A qualitative study
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Natalie Ciccone: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1822-7217
Abstract
Purpose: To understand the stroke recovery experience of Aboriginal Peoples living with stroke on Gamilaraay/Gomeroi country in New South Wales, Australia. Materials and methods: 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. Results: Yarns were completed with (i) people living with stroke (n = 5, 60% female), (ii) family and carers of people living with stroke (n = 5, 80% female) and a (iii) well-established community group (n = 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. Conclusions: 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”.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2025
Publication Title
Disability and Rehabilitation
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Funders
Stroke Foundation / National Health and Medical Research Council / Cardiovascular Research Network under a Cardiovascular Research Network Near Miss Grant 2022
Grant Number
NHMRC Number : G2007255
Copyright
subscription content
Comments
Smallwood, R., Janssen, H., Owen, S., Newberry-Dupe, J., Trindall, A. A., Miller, J., Sampson, U. N., Ciccone, N., Peake, R., Brandy, V., Usher, K., & Levi, C. (2025). “ Well, I may as well go home because I felt no one was listening to me”: Yarning with Aboriginal Peoples and communities about stroke recovery and experience. A qualitative study. Disability and Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2025.2548414