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Welcome to this space. Here, we invite open, non-judgmental conversations about the taboos that exist in and around care. Take a moment to pause and reflect: Which taboos might be standing in the way of compassion and care — in your personal life, your professional practice, or within our wider systems of care and society? What are the pros and cons of addressing them and how might we go about that?
Sexuality and sensuality. Developing intimacy in a workshop space for couples.
Talk openly about sexuality, desires and boundaries.
Wheel of Consent, by Betty Martin.
Care Activist
Australia
attitudes towards neurostimulant medications when managing patients with disorders of central hypersomnolence
perceptions of sleep as being something that can be de-prioritised if you are 'strong enough' to go with less sleep
Increasing awareness of sleep, it's complx nature and the multfactorial effects it has on physicial and mental health as well as emotions and emotional regulation
Care Professional
Australia
Recognising that not everything can be fixed.
Lots of patients show up expecting a pill or an operation to fix existential angst and get upset when they cannot be fixed with a simple tablet.
In todays world, where everything is available by broadband patients expect to be cured instantly not recognising that some things take time
Care Professional
Australia
mental health issues
neurodiversity in a mainstream world
normalise the pressures and struggles that everyone experiences in every day life
embrace people for what they can contribute to society and life
Care Leadership
Australia
-Dont ask because they might not want to talk about it/ it might make them upset again
-Making assumptions
-Brushing over sensitive/emotional topics because it's uncomfortable
-That surgery/medical needs are all that matter- forgetting that there's a person, family and community attached.
Care Professional
Australia
Fat folx having thier weight treated as a risk factor or cause of any health conditions they face. They are often not treated with the same dignity and wrap around care slim people are.
Make a Health at Every Size approach a mandatory part of health care training- as well as incorporate professional development on how to reflect and address explicit and implicit anti-fat bias.
Citizen
Australia
Treating fat people like they should be erased and shouldnt exist. We accept diversity of skin colour, neurotypes, genetics, ability/disability. Yet, we still don't accept that being fat is a legitimate phenotype and that it is not necessarily a disease. Medical model for "obesity" care is harmful and dangerous. It fails to acknowledge that genetics and social determinants of health are the biggest proponents of health. It doesn't leave room for a health at every size lens. By blaming individuals, it continues to perpetuate health oppression.
Acknowledge the full expression and diversity of human bodies, including those that are fat. Replacing medical model of health care with a person centred compassionate model. Adopting a health at every size lens to treatment. Supporting society as a whole, erasing food deserts, increasing food, environmental and community equity.
Care Professional
Australia
Countertransference is one of the rarely talked taboos in care, where the unspoken emotional undercurrents shape care but are rarely talked about...
We need to make sure it is recognised and reflected upon in our care practices, so we can avoid distorted judgement, and or leading to burnout due to issues with setting boundaries between care professionals and patients.
Care Professional
Australia
Family, or informal caregiving is to a large extent invisible, unpaid, unsopported, undesirable. At the same time family caregivers carry the majority of care work outside the formal care settings. The lack of recognising this is a massive taboo in care.
Caregiver
Spain
Expressing love, attachment, or too much empathy is discouraged for fear of “unprofessionalism.” To be touched or to connect emotionally to patients, clients is an institutional taboo.
Care Professional
Australia
As society, care organisation, care professionals, family caregivers, citizens, we cannot talk, even think about children dying. The death of a child is a great taboo.
Care Professional
Australia
Many taboos in and around Aged care: Criminal background, Sexuality, LGBTQ+, Racism
Care Leadership
Australia
Ageism is a societal taboo that makes working in Aged Care largely undesirable in Australia.
Care Leadership
Australia
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