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Benetas is launching a volunteer project called Shared Connections , which aims to enable older people who are, or are at risk of becoming, socially isolated to participate within their local community. The six month research project is based in the Moreland and Darebin areas. Volunteer mentors will assist older people to join facilitated groups and community based activities of their choice...

Are you working in the area of mental health providing services or support to people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds? beyondblue and MHiMA are pleased to invite you to participate in an online forum which will take place from April 10th - 30th 2013. This forum has been developed as a space to explore issues related to engaging people from CALD backgrounds to reduce...

Australian Multicultural Community Services Inc. is hosting a multicultural conference titled Strengthening Diversity . The conference will examine how multiculturalism can be misunderstood, how service providers need to prepare to work in a more competitive environment and government commitments relating to ethnic communities in Australia. The conference aims to bring together ethno-specific...

Melbourne will host the largest Slavic Festival in the Southern Hemisphere- Maslenitsa Maslenitsa: Slavic Pancake Festival will take a place on the 2nd of March at Melbourne’s Federation Square. This is the third time that this great cultural event takes place in Melbourne. Organised by the Russian Ethnic Representative Council (RERC) and Serbian Social Service and Support (SSSS), with support...

The Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing is pleased to announce a series of professional development workshops to be held from April until June 2013 . The workshops will cover a variety of themes including dementia, delivering culturally inclusive aged care, managing aged care in a culturally diverse setting and palliative care. The sessions will be held in Melbourne at Victoria University...

Danyel Walker from the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing has written a guest blog entry on the Polaron Language Services blog ' Miss Translation '. Her article 'Communicating with senior Australians of diverse backgrounds – this is HOW you do it!" talks about her experiences organising the 2011 Ageing in Australia: Cultural Diversity in Ageing Expo. "Information about the aged care system...

The Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre is hosting a Multicultural Festival on Saturday 2nd March 2013, at Ormond Uniting Church Hall. The Festival will include music, dance, food, including Chinese Lion Dance, Flamenco Dance, African Drummers, Kids Activities, and Food Vendors. The event is free and will include entertainment for all ages. For more info call 03 9578 8996 or visit www.gealc.org.au

The Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV) invites applications for a CALD Seniors Information and Participation Officer. The CALD Seniors Information and Participation Project is a state-wide initiative funded by the Victorian Department of Health to provide culturally diverse seniors with information on elder abuse and access to social participation grants. This three year,...

Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) has released their 'Information on Diabetes' Talking Book in the Macedonian language, in addition to the currently available languages - Italian and Greek. RDNS has acknowledged that it can be difficult for people to understand the details of a health condition when English isn’t their first language. They have produced the RDNS Talking Book series,...

Alzheimer’s Australia will be hosting their inaugural Younger Onset Dementia: A New Horizon - National Summit on Wednesday 20 March 2013 at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. This unique and groundbreaking summit will provide a forum for over 250 service providers, stakeholders and policy makers across the aged care, disability and mental health sectors to discuss and address the...

The Government yesterday launched the National Ageing and Aged Care Strategy for People from CALD backgrounds which will help inform the delivery of Living Longer Living Better – the Government’s $3.7 billion aged care reform package. Mr Butler said the growing number of older people from CALD backgrounds have specific needs that must be addressed. “Around 20 per cent of people aged over 65...

The Meeting Place project is a respite program run by Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre for elderly Italians with dementia. The program began in mid-2012 with two small groups who meet each week to engage in cultural activities and share a meal. The program has been successful in helping to reduce social isolation, alleviate depression and improve self-esteem among people living with moderate to...