Fitzroy Crossing

We depart early morning for a drive to another community. Two and half hours later and work has begun. The long standing rotator cuff disease, the post op ACL, the chronic back pain, the developmentally delayed child all wonder in and out. At the end of the day we head to our lodge for the night and it’s like stepping into a different world. There is a pool and a restaurant and clean sheets to sink into. The next day I wonder just after sunrise and return sweaty though it’s only 6.30 so a dip in the pool before brekky on the verandah. Then to work. Today we have a home visit to a chap with multiple comorbidities. He stays in bed most of the day but word has it he’s been having difficulty walking so we have been called out to review him. Jess gives me a run down on procedures along the way. When visiting an aboriginal community, one will either toot and wait for someone to come out of the house, or speak loudly from the fence until someone comes out. We do not get out of the car if there are “cheeky” dogs around. We do not do home visits alone. We then ask if we are allowed to come in, and if welcomed through the gate, we ask again at the front door if we can come inside. Only then do we enter the house. Bob (names have been changed for confidentiality) is not keen to get out of bed for us today but he is pushed by his wife and eventually walks with us and a provided frame around the house. He then plonks down and starts eating breakfast. We wait until he is finished to continue our assessment. After providing a walker and lots of education it’s time to move on, It’s hot outside and not much cooler inside the house so we are glad to return to the comfort of the car’s air conditioner.

Next up we visit the Guwardi nursing home, which is home to about 25 residents. Jacko is getting along using his feet to push his wheelchair slowly but surely. There’s music playing and all the residents are sitting outside. The workers are wearing orange and yellow Hawaiian shirt uniforms and it’s nice to see that most of them are Aboriginal.

After Guwardi we go on a mad hunt for a patient who was supposed to come to the clinic for a teleconference with Perth specialists. He is not to be seen… so we head back for a long ride home.