疫情下部落文化照顧回應高齡者身心需求

The Response of Tribal Cultural Care to the Physical and Emotional Needs of Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

在高齡化時代，部落文化健康站（文健站）作為原鄉在地長照據點，致力於建造以文化照顧為基礎的原住民族長期照顧服務模式，目前雖然有不少長照政策規劃者和專業助人工作者，然在文化靈敏度、文化能力及族語能力的養成仍不足，以致較難達到「因族因地制宜」和「文化安全照顧」的政策目標，但文健站立基在地血緣和地緣關係的基礎上，透過長期深耕部落及服務族人所累積的照顧專業和人際網絡，擴大連結在地各方資源，形構符合在地意識、地方需求及人情信任的文化照顧機制，在COVID-19疫情衝擊下展現穩住部落高齡者身心狀況的防疫復原力，例如長者對於施打疫苗的焦慮、染疫的恐慌、隔離的孤單及人際的猜疑，照服員皆能安定其心境，顯示部落文化照顧機制在疫情期間扮演著部落社會安全閥的角色。

As Taiwan's society ages, Tribal Cultural Health Stations serve as in situ long-term care centers that are committed to building a long-term care service model for indigenous peoples based on cultural care. The cultural sensitivity, cultural ability, and tribal ability of long-term care planners and professional helpers remains insufficient, making it difficult to achieve the policy goals of “designing for the tribes and for the locals” and “creating a cultural care mechanism”. However, based on a foundation of local blood and geo-relationship and through the care expertise and interpersonal network established through long-term tribal cultivation and service, a cultural care mechanism that meets local awareness, local needs, and human trust has been formed by expanding linkages among the resources of all local stakeholders. During the COVID-19 epidemic, this has helped facilitate the recovery of the emotional and physical health of older tribal adults. For example, caregivers have been able to help ease the anxieties among older adults in indigenous communities regarding vaccination, fear of infection, isolation, and interpersonal suspicions. In addition, the positive role of the tribal cultural care mechanism as a social safety valve during the pandemic has been demonstrated.