Mavis Golds is the Aboriginal health coordinator for the Northern Rivers Area Health Service, NSW.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are culturally different and have their own unique culture.

• Need to be aware that a lot of people cannot read or write.

• Do not expect them to fill in forms and questionnaires without assistance.

• Don't use jargon when asking about medical problems, point to certain parts of the body where the pain might be.

• In some communities, eye contact does not occur out of respect for their culture.

• Aboriginal people are more visual and verbal compared to non-Aboriginal society today which is more numerate and literate.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have large extended families and there are some communities in this area where mothers-in-law do not speak to their sons-in-law.

• Aboriginal elders do not like being in a confined room.

• Because of cultural reasons they also like to have their bed heads facing a certain direction - need to ask if their bed is okay.

• When working with Aboriginal people, there is men's business and women's business, so it is important not to put them in the same room when they are in hospital.

• When an Aboriginal patient is to see a doctor, please try to make sure they see a doctor of the same gender (although this is not always possible).

• When there is a death, allow time (at least an hour) for visitors to visit with the deceased. We believe our spirits are still in this room.