Walgett’s Dharriwaa Elders Group (DEG) has inadvertently become a test case for ‘place-based’ care for Indigenous people who want to stay on Country. Now, the small but mighty organisation has collaborated in a study with the goal to create more culturally safe care. 

DEG was born out of a project by the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service in 2005, but the group has found they can provide a level of care that larger NGOs can’t replicate, filling the gaps that other community aged care services haven’t been able to. 

“It’s not just just turning up and playing a game of cards. It’s not a medical model either,” Wendy Spencer said, who led a DEG partnership with UNSW to research what older Aboriginal people need to age well. 

While medical appointments and transport are a part of the services, DEG also organises engagement for Indigenous Elders, such as visiting an Aboriginal burial ground or creating opportunities to pass culture onto younger locals. 

“Many (Elders) are very concerned at the moment about the state of the rivers and so we’re very active in our advocacy about that,” Mrs Spencer said. 

The study found that ensuring that the care is delivered by other Indigenous people - such as in community-controlled organisations like DEG - is crucial to delivering services, from in-home support to transport. 

The community-based service ensures Elders can still be out, about, and engaged with the community. (Supplied)

“You need the understanding and the relationships to be able to provide a good service. You need to be able to communicate with your clients.”

“We all know that locally driven and controlled services are the highest quality services, and the appropriate service delivery design for Aboriginal communities, probably for every community,” Mrs Spencer said. 

Despite the benefits being obvious to the Dharriwaa Elders Group and the Elders they assist - around 16 people - securing funding for such a small organisation is still a challenge. 

“It’s difficult to fund something like that when the Government is used to giving contracts to large regional or state-based NGOs.”

In Walgett, the Dharriwaa Elders Group also provides community leadership and advocacy as well as connection. 

“Governments could resource such organisations across Australia to support Elders to age well on Country,” the study on aged care for Indigenous Elders reported. 

The study is the second of two major research projects that DEG has been a part of.