Challenging discrimination
Everyone working in health actively challenges discrimination and promotes a valued place and ōritetanga for tāngata whai ora and whānau.
Expected outcome
People working in health are strong advocates for the elimination of discrimination relating to addiction, mental health challenges, racism, and all other forms of discrimination.
It is expected those using More Skills will also use and demonstrate proficiency at the essential and enhanced levels of Keeping it Real I Kia Pono te Tika.
Human rights | Advocates for older people by actively confronting stigma and ageism, and fostering respect, inclusion, and equitable access to services. Raises awareness of and challenges ageism and discrimination through knowledge sharing and targeted health promotion initiatives. Supports older people to effectively communicate their needs and preferences when accessing services to support self-advocacy. Supports older people and whānau in navigating complaints processes related to health services. This includes making complaints under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights. Understands the wider range of frameworks that support older people’s wellbeing. For example, Enabling Good Lives (EGL) framework that supports disabled people. |
Addiction and mental health-related discrimination | Recognises how ageism, ableism, and broader discrimination create barriers for older people accessing services. Recognises how discrimination over an older person’s life span can impact mental health. Advocates for services to be designed to meet people’s needs and circumstances, irrespective of age, ensuring access and support across service boundaries. Promotes and models positive cultural norms within the workplace by respecting diverse identities and life experiences. For example, addressing disrespectful jokes, slurs, and discriminatory behaviour. |
Self-stigma and associative stigma | Recognises specific diagnoses (like dementia and mental health challenges) can be associated with unique forms of self-stigma and associative stigma, and the impact on older people’s wellbeing and engagement. Supports older people to challenge and manage the impacts of self-stigma, sharing evidence-based tools and strategies. |
Inequity and intersectionality | Recognises older people’s diverse identities reflect their worldviews and life experiences of advantage and disadvantage, such as their ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality, faith, or disability status. Understands that identities intersect, and where they do, can amplify a person’s advantage or disadvantage. For example, experiences of both ageism and sexism. Understands people’s identity can change over time with different life experiences and societal changes. For example, moving into care homes, and feeling safe later life to identify within rainbow communities. |
Language | Actively models a positive, empowering, and hopeful view of aging. Challenges use of derogatory and patronising terms and beliefs around older people. |
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