Lowering barriers for ageing migrants
Ageing members of Australia’s ethnic communities frequently find that cultural and linguistic barriers adversely affect their access to legal, health and financial services, as well as their experiences of residential, hospital and palliative care.
Ageing members of Australia’s ethnic communities frequently find that cultural and linguistic barriers adversely affect their access to residential aged care.
The third biennial Ageing in a Foreign Land conference, organised by South Australia's Flinders University, last week presented research into the experiences of the ageing populations from various migrant backgrounds in Australia, including people from the Chinese, African, Greek and Italian ethnic communities.
As well as looking at ways to improve the competencies and skills of service providers and professionals who deal with older people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, researchers presented on issues that included elder abuse, falls prevention, homelessness, intergenerational interaction, spirituality and ageing well.
Linguistic and cultural barriers to understanding frequently extend beyond the realm of pure language, according to conference convenor Professor Michael Tsianikas of the LOGOS Australian Centre for Hellenic Language and Culture at Flinders.
Professor Tsianikas says that elderly migrants, many of whom are poorly educated, are often faced with unfamiliar concepts.
“You can translate a health information pamphlet into perfect Greek, but it may not be understandable to an elderly person,” he says. “For example, you cannot offer a health package to someone who does not understand what ‘package’ means in this context.”
Another theme the conference explored was the need for intergenerational education and interaction, and increasing participation of the community and volunteers in caring for the aged.
“No government can afford to provide all the necessary services, so the community needs to become involved in different ways – communities are the guardians of the future,” Professor Tsianikas says.
“Basic neighbourly support can be instrumental in avoiding very expensive institutionalisation – this is a principle that extends beyond the CALD sector to the whole ageing population in Australia.”
The presenting Australian academics and professionals from government agencies, NGOs and councils were supplemented by speakers from the UK, India, Brazil and Thailand.
Sponsors of the conference included the federal government's Department of Social Services, Gaganis Brothers, the Maras Group, Olympic Industries, NDA Law, Coombs Barei, Aroma Cafe and St Basil’s Homes.
