Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing E-Newsletter

Issue no. 17 / December 2013

Season’s Greetings from the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing

Dear Colleagues,

After 15 years of supporting the delivery of culturally inclusive services, our team is very fortunate to be able to celebrate many successes that hopefully make aged care more accessible and more relevant to people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

This year we have placed great emphasis on informing older people about the range of aged care services available to them as well as linking them with service providers. Older people and their families are keen to learn about aged care and related services. In April this year our Centre hosted the second Ageing in Australia Expo at the Melbourne Town Hall.  Over 400 people who attended had the opportunity to speak to over 50 aged care and related service providers. Through our participation in the Seniors Week festival, over 500 people who speak languages other than English received an overview of aged care services in their preferred languages.

With the introduction of the Diversity in Ageing Leadership Initiative and the Cultural Diversity in Ageing Partners Network, new opportunities have opened for addressing diversity through collaborations, sharing of expertise and exploring diversity not merely as it applies to ethnicity and language but as it applies to the reality of life where diversity permeates across the spectrum of human experiences.

The demand for professional development has remained high. This year over 700 aged care staff attended our workshops in Melbourne, Geelong, Apollo Bay and Shepparton. We would like to thank the Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service (DBMAS) and Eastern Metropolitan Region Palliative Care Consortium, our partners in the delivery of specialist training. Registrations have already commenced for the next series of workshops planned for the first half of next year.

Many of you would have attended the biennial national conferences hosted by our Centre in Melbourne. Call for abstracts is now open for the Cultural Diversity in Ageing 2014 National Conference. The conference theme is 'Shaping Inclusive Services'. We are also seeking nominations from community organisations, aged care providers and individuals for The Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing Excellence Awards, announced at the 2012 conference.

Thank you all for your continuous support, and for reading, sharing and contributing to the newsletter.

The Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing thanks the Australian Government Department of Social Services – Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care programme, Department of Health Victoria, City of Melbourne, Russell Kennedy PTY LTD, Polaron Language Services and our auspicing agency Benetas for their support this year.

The team at the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing would like to wish everyone a happy and safe festive season, and hoping you all have a wonderful time with your friends and family.

Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing team

(pictured above -from left): Tonina Gucciardo-Masci, Andrea Baranski, Danyel Walker, Ljubica Petrov)
Absent: Jennifer Ajani

Ljubica Petrov with The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG, recently retired Australian High Court Judge, author and
human rights advocate and Dr Andrew Refshauge, Chair, Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd
at the Better Practice Conference in Brisbane

Abstracts now open for 2014 Conference

The call for abstracts for the Cultural Diversity in Ageing 2014 Conference: Shaping Inclusive Services is now open!

Industry representatives, providers, practitioners, educators, researchers, consumer advocates and anyone with an interest in providing culturally appropriate care to older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are encouraged to submit an abstract for this premier event.

Suggested topics include training, education, workforce diversity, advance care planning, palliative care, management, research, dementia, policy, healthy ageing, carers, partnerships, lifestyle and more. The closing date for abstracts is Friday 28 February 2014.

This much anticipated national Conference will be held at the Melbourne Convention Centre on 12-13 June 2014. Registrations will open on 6 January 2014 with all details to be provided on the website.

For more details and to submit an abstract, visit http://www.culturaldiversity.com.au/call-for-abstracts

Please call 03 8823 7979 or email info@culturaldiversity.com.au for all enquiries.

We look forward to seeing you at the Conference in June 2014!

2014 Workshop dates announced

Registrations are now open for the Cultural Diversity in Ageing 2014 workshop series to be held at the Tooronga Community Centre in Glen Iris.

Topics covered across the four workshops include:

• Cultural diversity in residential aged care
• Making the most of language services
• Cultural diversity in home care
• Diversity and management in aged care

Each workshop is open to approved Victorian aged care providers only.

The first workshop 'Supporting cultural diversity in residential aged care' commences on Friday 28th February 2014 and has limited places left. Be quick to book your place to avoid disappointment!

For more information and to register, click here.

Pictured below - Tonina Gucciardo-Masci with workshop participants in Shepparton

Congratulations Baptcare Westhaven!

The 'Caring for People from Asian Communities’ program developed by Baptcare was the recipient of an Innovation Award 2013 by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency.

The program, located at Baptcare Westhaven in Footscray, is the result of a project which aimed to develop an improved and more inclusive service offering to their increasing number of residents from these communities. 

In 2012 Westhaven started working with the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing to help them along a journey of improving outcomes for residents in the areas of social engagement, environment, community, language, recruitment and food. 

Baptcare staff consulted extensively with existing residents and their families. This allowed them to get a better understanding of what might make families feel more confident in making a decision that Westhaven would be the best choice for their loved one or themselves.

One of the resulting strategies was the introduction of an area within the facility know as the ‘Lotus Area’.

The improved outcomes have been amazing for the residents, for their families and for the staff at Westhaven. As a result of the changes, Westhaven now has a much greater awareness of the issues facing residents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Chinese Seniors Speak-Up Forum

The number of older Australians from Chinese-speaking backgrounds has increased rapidly over the years. According to the 2011 Census, there were approximately 50,000 seniors residing in Australia who spoke one of the Chinese languages at home. The number is anticipated to double to 100,000 in 2026.

The Chinese Community Social Service Centre Inc. (CCSSCI) organised a Chinese Seniors’ Speak-Up Forum on the 22nd of November 2013 titled ‘Living longer, living better - Ageing successfully in Australia’. The forum aimed to provide a platform for elderly Chinese to share and exchange their experiences of ageing in Australia.

Topics discussed included good physical and mental health, adaptation and coping, financial independence, good family relationships, and strong social networks and social participation. As a result of the discussions, it was suggested that more support should be provided in services that promote a positive form of psycho-social wellbeing in view of the various contributing barriers for older Chinese immigrants to access services in Australia.

For more information call The Chinese Community Social Services Centre on ph: (03) 9898 1965

Pictured (above): From left - Annalisa Cannizzaro (Carers Victoria), Ljubica Petrov (Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing), Caroline Yuen (CCSSCI), Ada Poon (CCSSCI), Mr. Shan (Chinese Senior Citizen’s Club of Manningham), Mr.Su (Seniors’ representative), Ms. Cheng (Stonington Chinese Association), Ms. Wang (Monash Senior Chinese Volunteer Service Centre).

CALD Seniors Grants Program - Round 3 now open

Do you know of a seniors group or an organisation that needs funding to create or expand opportunities for isolated CALD seniors to participate in the community?

Round three of the CALD Seniors Grants Program is now open for applications. This small grants program funds projects that help find isolated people and connect them to existing or new support networks and activities.

There are two categories of grants available:

• Ethnic or multicultural seniors groups can apply for up to $4,000 if they are based in metropolitan Melbourne or up to $5,000 if they are in regional areas.
• Organisations can apply for up to $10,000 for larger or more complex projects.

The grants are open until Friday 28 February 2014.

If you are interested, visit the Seniors Online Vic website for more information.

For additional support please contact Fiona York at ECCV on (03) 9349 4122.

Physical activity for brain health and bilingual fact sheets

It is estimated that over 320,000 Australians are living with dementia in 2013. Research has shown that regular physical activity is great for the brain, body and heart, and that physical inactivity is an important risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia.

An Australian study has shown that if 5% of inactive people became active every 5 years, this would reduce Australian dementia prevalence by 11% in 2051. That equates to around 100,000 fewer Australians living with dementia, simply by getting more people to do regular physical activity.

The latest Alzheimer’s Australia ‘Your Brain Matters’ paper focuses on dementia and physical activity. Read more

The 'Your Brain Matters' website includes bilingual information sheets about reducing risks of dementia and can be accessed here.

Heart health for culturally and linguistically diverse communities

Heart disease is the leading killer of Australian men and women, with over 5,000 Victorians losing their life each year to heart disease. Almost half of these deaths are due to heart attack. Research shows that culturally and linguistically diverse communities are less likely to recognise the warning signs of a heart attack and call Triple Zero for an ambulance.

With this in mind, the Heart Foundation has produced a series of resources that have been translated into nine different languages to promote the warning signs of heart attack to people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

They have also established a Health Information Service that provides free telephone information on heart health, nutrition and healthy lifestyle, with interpreters available.

Download or order the 'Heart Attack Action Plan'

Download 'Healthy Heart Habits' fact sheets

VITS - Recruiting interpreters and translators

VITS, the Victorian Interpreting & Translating Service, provides interpreting and translating services across a range of languages and dialects to federal and state government departments, community based organisations, hospitals, schools and police stations across Victoria.

VITS has recently been awarded a number of key government contracts that will create a host of employment opportunities in Victoria.

If you are looking for work in this exciting field visit the VITS website for more information. Contact VITS by email at contractor.recruitment@vits.com.au or by phone at (03) 9280 1941.

New report on depression in residential aged care

New research released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that 52% of all permanent aged care residents in 2012 displayed symptoms of depression.

The report titled ‘Depression in Residential Aged Care 2008-2012’ shows that 49% of newly admitted residents born in a non-English speaking country displayed symptoms of depression, compared with 44% of newly admitted residents born in Australia. The report also shows that people for whom English is not their preferred language are more likely to have symptoms of depression than those who speak English as a preferred language.

The report acknowledges that recognising depression in older people is often difficult and it is commonly under-diagnosed and under-treated in both residential care and in the community.

The full report can be accessed here

Aged Care Complaints Scheme - In your language

Translated resources available to help resolve aged care related concerns

To help people who speak languages other than English raise concerns, a number of translated resources are available including:

• Consumer video and transcript with subtitles in 17 languages
• Video and transcript for aged care staff in five languages
• Translated quick reference cards to help staff handle complaints

The resources are available in languages including Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Macedonian, Maltese, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Tagalog, Turkish and Vietnamese.

There is also a brochure and poster about the Scheme available for order in 17 languages.

Visit the Aged Care Complaints Scheme website to find out more.