Celebrating Our Differences

The Royal Commission has identified that Australian aged care service providers in general are not meeting the needs of residents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds1. With one in three people in aged care services born overseas2, there is an opportunity to incorporate cultural awareness into care practices. Culture considers ethnicity, customs, belief, language and experiences that inform a person’s way of life3.  There are many services and resources available to improve knowledge and to translate this to tangible practice4,5 Cross-Cultural Care Program for Aged Care Staff published by Flinders University6 is a compelling read and valuable workbook.  

Consisting of five modules, staff can work through each one at their own pace. Module 1 introduces cross-cultural care for new staff and fostering team cohesion and collaboration.

Module 2 looks at learning how to improve practice and performance of cross cultural communication. Module 3 does the same but with cross cultural leadership.

Improving practice and performance of cross cultural dementia care is the focus of Module 4 whilst the end of life is explored in Module 5. With case studies, activities and tool kits all included, this valuable resource can be downloaded here.