National alliance helping older people from CALD backgrounds
Aiming to advocate for aged care policy development and service delivery that addresses the needs of older people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, a national alliance has been established to deliver the Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) program.
L–R: Rosa Colanero, Ljubica Petrov, Maria Johns, Vivienne McDonald, Cecilia Milani, Anna Smith and Mary Gurgone.
A state and territory level program has been funded by the Australian Government since 1998 to equip aged care service providers in the delivery of culturally appropriate care to older people from CALD backgrounds and ensure the special needs of CALD older people are identified and addressed.
The new alliance will deliver a national approach, and consists of the seven organisations currently delivering the PICAC program across Australia. It was formed as a result of representatives meeting at CALDWays Forum in Canberra in September.
“The PICAC Alliance met to determine key national objectives that will further assist with the delivery of the Australian Government’s National Ageing and Aged Care Strategy for People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Backgrounds,” says PICAC Alliance Secretariat, Rosa Colanero.
The PICAC Alliance’s national objectives are:
- work collaboratively to foster national policy design and service delivery that meets the needs of older people from CALD backgrounds, their families and carers
- support evidence-based research to improve access and equity to quality aged care services for older people from CALD backgrounds, through information, education and training sessions
- promote initiatives that enable CALD consumers to articulate their expectations regarding their quality of care and quality of life, and exercise choice and control over the services they receive.
“By drawing on the collective experiences of the organisations currently delivering the PICAC programs in each state and territory, and our close links with CALD communities, we hope to make a positive impact on national aged care policy and support better practice for older people from CALD backgrounds,” says Ms Colanero.
