Last week I attended a HACC Innovative Project Strengthening Communities Brighter Futures Committee meeting, the project of two aged care groups that I have been involved in as a consumer. During this meeting, I had an epiphany about the aged care services being provided to non Indigenous, and non multicultural Australians, that is, white Australians who are from English heritage like me, like my friend and father in law in aged care. My comments here are not meant to be discriminatory or racist, but to highlight what I think might be an oversight in this industry. Many of the staff working in aged care are now from other countries, for example from countries in South East Asia and Europe. They often do not understand my culture, or speak my language very well. That is not the issue. The issue is, no-one is making the same effort to support my culture, as they are for other cultures.
The mission of Multicultural Aged Care is to:
- Strengthen ethnic communities’ capacity to develop and support the aged and community care needs of their older people.
- Support and assist service providers to give older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds the services of their choice.
- Advise governments, peak bodies and mainstream organisations on the aged and community care needs of older people in CALD communities
MAC’s Goals are to:
- Develop community capacity to establish and maintain quality aged and community care services that meet the identified needs of older CALD people.
- Promote partnerships between CALD communities and service providers, and within and across CALD communities to enable effective aged and community care service delivery that meets current community needs and reflects changing demographic trends.
- Develop CALD agency and worker networks to ensure ready and effective communication and the sharing of relevant information and resources.
- Provide learning and training opportunities for CALD agencies and mainstream service providers to deliver quality culturally appropriate aged and community care.
- Facilitate communication and information exchange between government and CALD communities to ensure effective identification and articulation of need and informed advice to government on service delivery issues affecting older CALD communities.
They say, ‘All older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds will lead the lifestyle of their choice’.
This will be another project for me to research when we get home from New Zealand… to look for an organisation ensuring my culture and language is being considered, that my background and lifestyle choice is even being thought about in the aged or dementia care setting. In some areas, Australia is restricting some of the activities of ‘white’ Australians, but allowing other cultures to maintain their own. I really love it that Australia is a multi cultural society, but feel that some effort to maintain my culture must also be made, and right now, do not see that this is happening. I am doubtful, but sincerely hope I can find an organisation with a Mission Statement like the one above that supports my culture. My current access to the aged and dementia care industry might be such that I have just not seen it yet; I certainly hope so. In South Australia, there are residential aged care facilities built specifically for cultural groups, for example Indigenous Australians, or Italian Australians, but if one was built only for ‘white’ Australians, it would be considered racist. So much to think about, so much to do, so little time!!!!
Hi Kate
Are you serious? The fact is, your “white” culture is the dominant one! How do the existing facilities not cater for your needs as a “white” Australian? You speak English. You come from a basically judeo-christian ethical background. You like to sleep in a bed, sit in a Chair and eat from a table. You have no cultural/religious food requirements (unless, as a Catholic, you still refrain from meat on Fridays – in which case, I am pretty sure most facilities would do that).
I think Peter has hit the nail on the head – we are all individuals, and would hope to be treated lovingly as such.
One more thing – the actual original “Aussies” are usually not referred to as “white”. Sadly they have become a minority group. How many aged care facilities have carers that speak an indigenous language? And what about dealing with the various domestic arrangements (sleeping, eating, gendered customs etc) of those first Australians who still live in a traditional environment? I think that is why the Govt makes an attempt to provide specialised services for this small group.
xx
Sally (always argumentative!)
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I thought maybe I should continue this conversation by email, as it might get too argumentative for the blog, but decided, what the heck, let’s have an open healthy debate on this topic!! Your dare stays in my mind also.
I’d have to say, as a frequent visitor of aged care sites for a couple of years now, and having previosuly worked in many aged care facilities for a number of years, a huge percentage of the carers BARELY speak English, and have no understanding of my culture. There is no effort to accommodate the ‘white’ Australian culture being made as they sit in their rooms, lost for conversations and company. The activities rooms cater to ‘others’ far more than the majority, so what you say is happening in the wider community is very true, but not really the true picture in aged care, at least as I have seen it. I agree about the bed and the table and chair scenario, but the food one is not as easy to agree with, as the food in non specific culture sites (i.e. most) is actually just slop, not edible by anyone (as I have seen it, so please let me know if there really is somewhere out there who serves real food). Sadly, it is institutionalsised care, catering to the masses.
Interestingly, the staff who work on the multicultural aspects of their organisations TOTALLY agreed with me, and the sites that are specific to multicultural groups and indigenous Australian elderly exclude ‘white’ Australians, therefore discriminating against them. I know of no site that is exclusive to white Australians though.
I was not referring to the ‘original’ Indigenous Australians, but the early white settlers, who now call Australia home too. There are thankfully at least a few culturally appropriate sites in SA at least for Indigenous Australians and some cultures.
And I also said, it was something I wish to research further at some stage, that I am unsure. So much to learn, so many ideas (and opinions) out there, as always.
Stay argumentative, it can be fun, and yes, Peter is right, we are all individuals, but I see many of our elders are most definitely not being treated that way in the aged care setting. I heard someone say the other day, the most talked about goal, outside of owning a house in Australia, is to die at home.
As I watch the subtle abuse by neglect of the elderly family members and younger friend of mine, it is not hard to see why. No matter how many requests, complaints and suggestions I make, it just does not change! Sadly, the Acreditation Board is my only next step.
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Good on you Kate!
I have been to many aged care facilities too – as a visitor (neighbours and family), as a worker (when I was a student) and as a doctor( when I was an RMO). I agree about the problems with institutionalised care (ie “slop”) – that goes for all cultures – it is equally inapproriate. Nevertheless, all of the facilities I have visited were arranged and decorated in the manner of an (albeit generalised) middle class “white” australian home. The food, whether or not it was slop, was certainly more like bangers and mash than stir-fry or curry. And it was certainly not Arancini, or straciatella, or hobz-biz-zejt or…well, you get the idea. And if my friend’s old Nonna had wanted to go there, there was unlikely anyone who would speak fluent Italian.
If there are carers who “barely” speak English, well this is happening all over the health system, not because “white” Australians are being discriminated against, but because there are not enough Australian trained nurses available, and hospitals and other institutions are having to hire from overseas.
The facitities that cater for specific groups – I imagine they exclude “white” Australians because their resources are limited, and they would be inapproriate for “white” Australians. Anyway, many “white” Aussies I have met, disinhibited by dementia, are pretty vocal about who and what they do or don’t like, and I think that might be pretty uncomfortable for the specific groups catered for, don’t you?
So, I rest my case.
xx
PS I agree, care at home would have to be the gold standard. I guess not everyone can do it.
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I wonder about your comment on facilities catering for specific groups, whilst I completely agree with it and think it is appropriate as it is probably the ONLY way a specific culture can truly be catered for, if other cultures were excluded from a site for ‘white’ Australians, it would be certainly seen by many as, and mooted in the media as racist. By the time the baby boomers (aargh… that’s us!!) need aged care, the food will have to include that of other cultures, as we almost all eat very differently to our grandparents. My idea of buying a group of units (individually purchased) with other friends, and keeping one free (owned jointly) to accomodate a private carer or nurse, so that we can all stay at home, is becoming more attractive with every single visit to an aged care site! xx
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You are not the only one who has considered the “buy your own” option. I guess we are lucky to be in a position to even consider it.
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When are providers going to get there heads around all people are individuals with individual needs not groups that they can apply a cookie cutter approach to.
Love you heaps, Pete
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I couldn’t agree with u more. It is great we r embracing our multicultural society but at the expense of aussies. We r all unique so we must work towards a universal model rather than a 1 size fits most.
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