Culturally appropriate home care for indigenous

A Victorian aged and community care provider has signed what has been described as a ‘first-of-its-kind’ agreement with Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC) to offer culturally appropriate Home Care Packages to eligible older Aboriginal people in the Bendigo area.

Posted January 21st 2015

by super

The not-for-profit provider, Baptcare, is reportedly the first mainstream organisation that will offer this service in the Home Care Package space.

The community services organisation, founded in 1945, currently works across 34 sites in Victoria and Tasmania, offering residential and community care for older people, support to children, families, and people with disability, financially disadvantaged people and asylum seekers.

Michael Faneco, Baptcare regional manager – North/East Victoria and Tasmania, describes the partnership with BDAC as a “historic” period.

“The Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) identified that Aboriginal aged care clients are severely under represented in assessment for Home Care Packages and have, for the past few months, dedicated a resource to this area which has seen a two-fold increase in Aboriginal clients being assessed for Home Care Packages,” Mr Faneco says.

Baptcare’s team in Bendigo initiated meetings with BDAC earlier last year to discuss the need for culturally appropriate and respectful access for Aboriginal people eligible for a Home Care Package.

“I am honoured to sign this agreement on behalf of Baptcare and can also share with you that we are already working closely with BDAC to support Aboriginal consumers on Home Care Packages with very positive results,” Mr Faneco says.

BDAC chief executive, Raylene Harradine, says the groundbreaking agreement will see much needed support offered to eligible Aboriginal clients.

“This agreement will enhance the developing working relationship between BDAC and Baptcare which will increase our communities’ access to culturally appropriate packages,” Ms Harradine says.