SERVICE LEARNING PLACEMENT

The Eglington Hotel Salthill:

Asylum Seekers

Sinead Crowe and Kelly Bruen

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Cultural Awareness Communication Increase knowledge of cultural groups Importance of Confidentiality Prominent aliments within the asylum

seeker community

THE EGLINGTON

o Direct Provision Centreo Set up in 2005o 218 residentso 93 childreno Single women/familieso 30 different nationalitieso Preschool on siteo Presence on site is compulsory

ASYLUM SEEKERSAn asylum seeker can be defined as an individual who has left their homeland for safety reasons such as war and political unrest. They make the journey to another country in the hope that the government will guard and protect them and eventually allow them to reside there.

(Cambridge Dictionary,2011)

ENTITLEMENTS: Full board accommodation

Laundry facilities

Toiletries/nappies/baby food

Weekly Payments: Adult €19.10 Child €9.60

Medical card

€200 clothing allowance

ENTITLEMENTS CON’T.

Communion allowance

Free legal services

Free education

Maternity Allowance (Breen,2008)

OUR ROLE: Preschool Youth club Mother and toddler groups Sexual Health information sessions Adult classes Attending mass Immersing with residents during meal

times Assisting with day outings

HEALTH CARE Doctors visits

PHN visits

Medical Card

HEALTH CARE

Language barrier, poor interpreters

Mistrust

Don’t priortize health

Burden and stigma assoicated with mental health issues

Financial problems

(Asgary & Segar 2011)

MAIN HEALTH ISSUES

Depression and anxiety. 5 times more likely to present in asylum seekers  (McMahon et al 2007).

HIV-25.8% in male africans,29.1% in females (The South African Department of Health Study, 2009)

RECOMMENDATIONS Research is vital Be open minded Erase all previous stereotypical images Communicational skills Patience Willing to engage in several different

cultures on a daily basis Review last years lectures

If anyone is interested in undertaking

this placement next year. Feel free to contact us with any queries.

K.Bruen1@nuigalway.ie S.crowe5@nuigalway.ie

REFERENCES: Asgary R, Segar N. (2011) ‘Barriers to

Health Care among Refugees and Asylum Seekers’. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Undeserved.  22(2011) 506-522

Averting HIV and AIDS (2011) South Africa HIV and AIDS Statistics. Available at: http://www.avert.org/safricastats.htm

Breen, C. (2008) ‘The Policy of Direct Provision in Ireland: A Violation of Asylum Seekers

REFERENCE CON’T. Cambridge Essential English Dictionary

(2011).England: Cambridge MacMahon JD et al (2007) ‘A survey of

asylum seekers general practice service utilisation and morbidity patterns’. Irish Medical Journal. May 100 (5) 461-4