Problem:
Bridget Farmer is 35 years old and identifies as a proud Aboriginal woman. She has four children aged 9, 7, 4 and an 11-month-old baby. Her partner, Thomas, is 37 years old and works as a fly-in and fly-out miner (FIFO) in Western Australia (WA). He is away for six weeks at a time.
The family lives in a small country town, one hour away from the closest regional city. Bridget does not have any immediate family nearby.
During the past few days, while her husband was away working interstate, their youngest child developed croup and was transferred this morning to the regional hospital where you work. With no one locally to care for her other children, Bridget had to take all the children with her.
You are working on the ward during the late afternoon when Bridget comes to you saying she doesn't know what to do. She has been told that her baby needs to stay in the hospital overnight, but there is no hospital accommodation for families, and she cannot find affordable accommodation. She is visibly distressed and says she is frightened the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) will become involved.
How could you use the principles of Cultural safety to communicate appropriately with Bridget when responding to her needs?