Case study (questions C16-23)
Pablo is Catholic and is from Columbia. He hasn’t been back to Columbia for forty years but still speaks Spanish at home with his wife, Gloria. Other than speaking in Spanish with his wife Gloria, Pablo has little contact with his Columbian roots. He misses his home country every day. His lack of cultural contact contributes to feelings of alienation and despair, particularly as he ages. None of Gloria or Pablo’s children speak Spanish. Gloria can no longer cook because of her arthritis and they rely on meals delivered by the local council and ready-to-eat meals from the
supermarket. As a result, they now rarely eat Spanish foods.
Pablo stopped going to church many years ago when he felt the Australian congregation did not reflect his beliefs and values. In Columbia, he had been a devout Catholic and attended all the ceremonies and festivals. He finds the lack of celebration and ritual in the Australian Catholic Church alienating. Sonja is Pablo’s support worker.
C16 – Describe how Sonja could work collaboratively to identify Pablo’s preferred cultural and/or spiritual values, beliefs, traditions, activities, and practices.
C17 – How could Sonja encourage Pablo’s involvement in cultural activities and networks to improve his well-being?
C18 – How could Sonja support Pablo to practice his own culture?
C19 – How could Sonja support Pablo to experience good links within his own culture?
C20 – Briefly describe Pablo’s cultural and spiritual needs and activities he wants to undertake and any changes he would like to make.
C21 – Outline at least two other people or resources that Sonja could suggest to introduce these changes.
C22 – How should Sonja support Pablo to implement cultural/spiritual strategies and access resources?
C23 – How could Sonja address any cultural improvements to her current practice?
Case study (questions C24-30)
Daisy and her three-year-old child, Chris, have recently accessed safe housing, having escaped a severe domestic abuse situation. Daisy has been physically, emotionally, and sexually abused for the last four years by her partner, Robbie. Daisy finally sought professional help after Robbie locked her and Chris in a small room for two days without food or water. When Robbie went to the local shops, Daisy managed to escape and went to the police. She has been living in a women’s shelter for the last three weeks but has constant fear and anxiety that Robbie will find them. She thinks Robbie will kill her and Chris too. Naomi is Daisy’s support worker. She helps Daisy identify safe living options and find work opportunities. Daisy has skills in finance, so can work as a bookkeeper. Daisy is very worried about being out in the world. She eventually applies to rent a small flat with other women on the other side of the city. She needs to get work straight away to pay the rent. She finds a local crèche for Chris, but there are no vacancies. It turns out
that finding childcare is very difficult, as most centers have a waiting list. Daisy’s anxiety increases with every week that passes.
C24 – Outline how Naomi could respond flexibly and use contingency plans to manage this situation.
C25 – What are two of Daisy’s needs that Sonja may need to seek specialist expertise about?
C26 – How should Naomi meet her legal and/or ethical obligations with regard to Daisy’s privacy,
confidentiality, and disclosure in this situation?
C27 – How should Naomi meet her legal and/or ethical obligations with regard to mandatory reporting in this situation?
C28 – What are Naomi’s legal and ethical obligations with regard to the duty of care in this situation?
C29 – How could Naomi evaluate the effectiveness of the current service provision and from whom should she seek feedback?
C30 – What has Naomi learned from this situation and how could she use this experience to improve her practice?