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Culturally and linguistically diverse people
Many agencies now have services for people from diverse cultural or linguistic backgrounds and offer culturally sensitive care – for example, catering to specific diets, activities, languages or spiritual needs.
Contact your local Commonwealth Carelink Centre on 1800 052 222 to find out which services are available in your region.
Ethnic Aged Services
Ethnic Aged Services aims to give frail older people from ethnic communities better access to quality aged care services, and promote these. It also aims to increase ethnic community participation in decision-making about aged care services.
Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) program
Eight organisations, one in each state and territory, are working together with aged care homes, ethnic communities and the Department of Health and Ageing to identify and address the special needs of older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
This initiative provides cross-cultural training and information sessions for culturally and linguistically diverse communities. It also encourages ethnic communities to form partnerships with aged care service providers in order to establish more culturally appropriate facilities.
Home and Community Care (HACC) program
The Home and Community Care (HACC) program aims to provide you with a basic range of maintenance and support services to help you stay at home. The services are provided by government, community, privately, and by church or charitable organisations throughout Australia, including rural and regional areas. Services offered by HACC include:
- nursing care such as: home nursing, domiciliary nursing, assistance with continence management, all in your own home
- home help, including housework, washing and shopping
- home maintenance and modification
- personal care, such as help with bathing, dressing and eating
- meals on wheels and day centre-based meals
- ancillary health services like podiatry and speech therapy
- community-based respite care (day care)
- transport
- assessment and/or referral services
- information and advocacy services
- social support (including neighbour aid), and
- carer support.
HACC funds some ethnic specific services in all states and territories. To get in contact with your nearest HACC services, use the ‘Talk to someone about this’ box in the right hand corner of this page or call a Commonwealth Carelink Centre (more information) on 1800 052 222.
Read more: About the Home and Community Care (HACC) program
Aged care homes
While all aged care homes are expected to provide culturally appropriate care (more information) for their residents, there are homes specifically for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. There are also some flexible aged care homes in rural and remote areas.
Read more: About how to find a home
Short-term care
There are over 60 Commonwealth Carer Respite Centres located in cities and rural and remote areas across Australia. They can help to arrange respite care if your carer needs a break, including 24-hour emergency respite cover. Call them on 1800 059 059.
For more information about culturally appropriate services for older Australians and their carers, you can contact your Commonwealth Carelink Centre on 1800 052 227.
Australian Multicultural Foundation (AMF) and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
These institutions have developed dementia resources for carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. You can obtain copies of these audiotapes from the Aged Care Information Line on 1800 500 853.
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