Our dementia programme is underpinned by the the Ūloa Tongan cultural framework developed by Associate Professor Dr Sione Vaka, who is the lead clinician. The Ūloa Model is based on a Tongan communal fishing concept and the metaphoric symbols relate well to how Tongan people function and engage.
Ūloa embraces the clinical and cultural aspects by informing the health professionals about the important concepts identified in the research that explain mental illness among Tongans. These include the circular collective nature between the living and the super-natural world, and the spiritual dimension.
The collective participants, the relationship flow between each participant, connection to the land, sea and spiritual dimension all make up the holistic nature of the Ūloa Model (diagram above).