One in 10 people over the age of 65 require aged care services. Yet the diverse population of regions like Sydney’s West and Southwest do not necessarily have access to culturally appropriate services.
Aged care facilities have come under heightened attention in recent months due to COVID-19. In addition, the ongoing Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has shown some of the shortcomings of the sector. In short, we need to do better and now is the perfect time to reconsider the status quo.
Students working with the UTS Shopfront Community Program recently produced a publication in partnership with SEVA International Inc. as part of the Shopfront Student Monograph Series:
Considering Culture: Australian Aged Care Service Design and South Asian Communities.
Run by the Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion, Shopfront partners students with the community sector through pro bono projects completed as part of their coursework, supporting community organisations while engaging students in important social justice issues.
Aged care in Australia can’t be a one-size fits all industry. Australians come from diverse backgrounds and our older generations reflect that diversity. Many older Australians speak a variety of languages, diverse dietary experience, and follow a range of spiritual practices. Such diversity is often magnified around end-of-life rituals and expectations. We need to explore how these needs are catered for in the system as it currently stands.
There is no silver bullet to make aged care ‘culturally appropriate’ in the short term. In each instance, considerations need to be made around differences in individual and family values, beliefs, and lifestyles. This requires an understanding and recognition of cultural symbols, expressions, and meanings for a wide range of groups.
There are steps all aged care providers could take to consider the specific needs of our rich culturally and linguistically diverse community.
In partnership with UTS, SEVA recently published a report titled Considering Culture, Australian Aged Care Services and South Asian Communities. Though this work focussed on the experiences of South Asian people living in Australia, we found a common theme around the way the aged care sector could improve their response to the cultural needs of the CALD community. These considered both quality and access to care. Five important areas were discussed:
- Facilities available to accommodate religious practices
- Access to linguistically responsive services
- Culturally specific dietary needs and preferences
- Training for aged care workers around cultural competency and diverse situations
- A culturally diverse aged care workforce
Australia is a multicultural society so diversity should be a core component of planning in the aged care sector. With the sector currently being reviewed and reconsidered for the future, we see a wonderful opportunity to ensure respect, sensitivity, and inclusion is at the heart of our aged care system.