Dione Jacka, Dietitian
Dione Jacka
Every day, dietitian Dione Jacka sees first-hand the impact of poor diet on the health of people in remote Australia, particularly Aboriginal people.
Originally from Sydney, Dione is regional senior dietitian at the Kimberley Population Health Unit in Broome, in outback Western Australia. She sees a range of patients – little kids who are failing to thrive, people with allergies, coeliac disease or cancer, and people who are overweight or obese. It’s a job with great challenges – but also, increasingly, a rewarding job as Dione’s nutrition advice is taken up by more and more locals.
Dione finds that the practical and personal approach is most effective in getting people to seek dietary help. “Up here, any healthier eating tips have to be both affordable and accessible,” she says. “I found that attendance rates improved once my face got known. People will come when they realise you listen to them and not lecture them, and give them suggestions that fit within their budget.
“I love the freedom, I love the community – and I’ve done lots of things I never thought I’d do,” Dione says. “I went from a place where I was really closely managed and now I pretty much do what I want. In a big city you tend to specialise a lot more. Here you do a bit of everything. It’s a challenge, but it’s also really great. I love it.”
Dione’s ‘rounds’ are not confined to Broome. “I do inpatient and outpatient work as well as home visits. I drive to Derby and I hitch a lift with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to remote areas. I also do a lot of work on the spot, if you like. I’ll grab someone who’s been referred to me if they’re walking down the street, for example. We do social, emotional and well-being work and sort stuff out for people. I work quite closely with the other allied health workers and we often do joint consults, and help each other out.”
“Working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health is about being dynamic, adaptable, having an open mind, being able to go with the flow, and willing to learn new things,” she says. “And try to do as much cultural awareness training as you can beforehand.”
Dione’s advice to anyone who might be contemplating a similar career path to hers is simply: “You don’t know if you don’t try it.”
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