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Ageing sector bulletin

Sector Bulletin – Meeting diverse needs to maximise individual and community outcomes

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Frontline Conversations is a podcast series that looks at issues relevant to frontline public sector workers who work with and support older people. Featuring a different expert guest in every episode, the podcasts examine contemporary policy areas and issues important to frontline workers.

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Nearly one in three older people in Australia were born overseas, bringing with them a rich diversity of languages, cultures and lived experiences. While this diversity is one of our strengths, many older people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities experience additional barriers to accessing services, including language, limited awareness of available supports, cultural stigma, social isolation and difficulty navigating complex service systems.

Frontline workers are often the first point of contact for older people and their families. Providing culturally responsive support means recognising that every person’s experience is different, taking time to understand their individual circumstances, and ensuring services are accessible, respectful and inclusive. As Australia’s population continues to become more diverse, building cultural capability is essential to delivering equitable ageing outcomes for everyone.

There are a range of excellent resources available to support organisations and frontline workers in providing culturally safe and inclusive services for older people.

  • The Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing is Australia’s leading organisation supporting culturally inclusive aged care. It provides practical guides, translated resources, training, webinars, research and examples of good practice to help services strengthen cultural responsiveness. Visit www.culturaldiversity.com.au
  • SydWest Multicultural Services provides resources, research and practical information to improve services for older people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. This includes its Better Elder Care report, bilingual resources and information to support culturally appropriate aged care. Visit www.sydwestms.org.au/downloads-and-resources
  • The Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) Program supports aged care providers to build cultural capability through education, training and practical resources. Information about your local PICAC provider is available through the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing.
  • SBS Language provides trusted health, government and community information in more than 60 languages through articles, radio and podcasts, helping older people and their families access important information in their preferred language. Visit www.sbs.com.au/language
  • The My Aged Care website also provides information about aged care services in multiple languages, helping older people and their families better understand the aged care system and available supports. Visit www.myagedcare.gov.au/languages

Together, these resources can help frontline workers build confidence, strengthen cultural capability and ensure older people from all backgrounds can access the support they need to age well.

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