SearchIntroducing the Bunya Family
Fundamentally, what we do is person-centred. Our person-centred approach ensures people who access health system supports and services, including carers and close supporters, are the experts of their personal health situation and need to be at the centre of our planning and commissioning decision-making. Our person-centred approach delivers care and support in partnership with the community to achieve the best outcomes for the community. This approach attempts to address the traditional power dynamic of system versus beneficiary to one where commissioners, providers and communities are equal system partners and we will look to patient experience measures to test its effectiveness.
The ‘Bunya Family’ comprises a number of avatars of community members who represent ‘real life’ scenarios within our region. Each family member is a potential consumer of services in our healthcare system and we use them to map our care journeys.
The use of the Bunya Family is based on the Welsh model of the ‘Jones Family’. The NHS in Wales used the Jones Family to steer conversations toward improving patient care.
The Bunya family avatars
Name:
Patricia Bunya
Age:
71
Location:
Nanango
Family position:
Married to Jim
Mother to Jan, Paul and Jamie
Health conditions:
- Has early-stage dementia
- Is overweight (but has been losing weight quickly recently)
- Complains of heart and general pains but nothing obvious – due to dementia?
Social conditions:
- Currently cared for by Jim but will need additional care in the near future
- Retired after working as an early childhood teacher for 30 years
- Living on pension and limited (Jim’s) superannuation
Name:
Jim Bunya
Age:
72
Location:
Nanango
Family position:
Married to Patricia
Father to Jan, Paul and Jamie
Health conditions:
- Fairly good health for his age however his back is damaged from years of working
- Goes to a local GP practice once a year for a check up
Social conditions:
- Carer to Patricia
- Carer/supervisor for Jamie
- Retired after working as a mechanic for 35 years
- Living on pension and limited superannuation
Name:
Jan Bunya
Age:
41
Location:
Coolabunia
Family position:
- Mother to Lauren
- Daughter to Jim and Patricia
- Sister to Paul and Jamie
- In a relationship with Mike
Health conditions:
- Overweight
- Is not using contraception as she has assumed she is too old to fall pregnant
Social conditions:
- Moved back recently to South Burnett following a divorce
- Inconsistent income
- Renting house
- Supply teacher
- No local GP or other services in place
Name:
Lauren Bunya-Smith
Age:
15
Location:
Coolabunia
Family position:
- Daughter to Jan
- Granddaughter to Jim and Patricia
Health conditions:
- Overweight
Pre-diabetic
Eating disorder
School refusal and poor mental health
No local GP or other services in place
Social conditions:
Moved back recently to South Burnett following her parents’ divorce
Year 9 student at Kingaroy State High School
- Bullied over her weight
Name:
Jamie Bunya
Age:
38
Location:
Nanango
Family position:
Son of Jim and Patricia
Brother to Jan and Paul
Health conditions:
- Poor mental health
- Effects of PTSD (served in Afghanistan)
Social conditions:
Works part-time – unable to sustain employment
- Moved home after a relationship break-up
- Disability pension (DVA)
- On and off relationship with Marnie
who lives in Cherbourg - Jim has recently found a bulk supply of drugs in Jamie’s room
Name:
Marnie Stephenson
Age:
36
Location:
Cherbourg
Family position:
- In an on/off relationship with Jamie
- Mother to Cathy (10)
Health conditions:
- Diabetes
- Goes to Cherbourg Aboriginal Medical
Social conditions:
- Works as a teacher in Murgon
Name:
Paul Bunya
Age:
45
Location:
Toowoomba
Family position:
- Son of Jim and Patricia
- Brother to Jan and Jamie, married to Celia, father to Jack (15) and Charlotte (13)
Health conditions:
Fairly good health for his age
Goes to a local GP practice once a year for a check up
Social conditions:
Has a successful career as manager of the local Buntings hardware chain
Provides financial support to his parents and brothers as required
Both children go to the local private school
Celia is a nurse at Toowoomba Base Hospital
Name:
Charlie (Cha Cha)
Age:
15
Location:
Hobby farm outside, Kingaroy
Family position:
- Oldest daughter, one brother with Downs Syndrome
- Friend of Lauren
Health conditions:
- Anger issues
- Self-harming
- Low self esteem
- Anxiety
- Processing disorder
- ADHD
- PTSD (from mother’s death)
Social conditions:
- Mother passed away when she was 8
- Moved to the region from the Solomon Islands
- Overwhelmed at home which is affecting school
- Too busy for sport, wants to play an instrument
- Part-time job to support her family
- Doesn’t like being alone
- Spends time on social media - Minecraft, Pewdipie
- Likes cats, skating, anime, bulldozers
Name:
Ash
Age:
16
Location:
Kingaroy (lower class house)
Family position:
No family
Health conditions:
- Anxiety
- Introverted
- Bi-polar
- Drug addiction (sells)
Social conditions:
- In foster care because of family domestic violence
- history and he doesn’t talk to foster parents
- Low school attendance
- Suffers from bullying
- Quite good at league when he turns up for practice
- Sam looks out for him
- Questioning his gender and sexuality
Name:
Sam
Age:
16
Location:
Rural area
Family position:
One younger sister, parents are together and happy, has a girlfriend (her parents are separating making her anxious).
Health conditions:
- Healthy
- Caring and worries for others
Social conditions:
- Australian born
- Middle class
- Rural but not isolated
- Good grades at school
- Part time job
- Plays league
- Looks out for Ash
Name:
Abdul-Alim
Age:
42
Location:
Goodna
Family position:
Has a wife and a child
Health conditions:
- Wheezing
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Tight chest
Social conditions:
- Came to Australia from Afghanistan in 2015
- His wife and child joined him in 2018 and they settled in Goodna
- Smoked since he was 13 years old
- Renting house
- Was a lawyer in Afghanistan, and he now works as an uber driver
Name:
Uncle Mick
Age:
55 years old
Location:
On the outskirts of Boggabilla (northern NSW)
Health conditions:
- Complex health care needs requiring regular support and monitoring by health professionals
- Has diabetes and is struggling with his diet and medication
- Recovering from a stroke
- Has been feeling down because he can't do things the way he used to, like concentrating on reading
- Visits the Toomelah Clinic where he is supported by a local Aboriginal Health Worker and Registered Nurse
Social conditions:
- Lost confidence in moving around, so mostly sits watching TV or lies in bed
- Relies on family for transport, so getting to Goondiwindi on a weekly basis is not an option
- Has trouble concentrating on things like reading
- Is able to access information online through locally provided wifi
