Why Australian nursing homes are becoming more culturally diverse

Key points:

• 73 percent more people are moving to Australia compared to previous years
• With such a diverse population, aged care homes need to create more culturally accepting communities 
• Aged Care Guide helps to reduce the stress of finding an aged care home by allowing you to filter options based on your needs

More people are now immigrating to Australia, with a 73 percent increase in arrivals and only a two percent decrease in people leaving the country, according to new data released in late 2023.

People from China, India, the Phillippines and other people from Asian regions are contributing to the significant increase in migrants in recent decades, while fewer people are migrating from Europe.

With the increase of migrants to Australia, there is no doubt that the diversity in languages is continuing to grow. However, almost one in two older people born in North-East Asia require translation services. This is comparatively higher than the general migrant population — one in eight older people require such services.

With more people immigrating from other countries, regardless of their age, the aged care sector will need to provide options to suit the aging population of Australia. Not only does this indicate the need for aged care homes to be appropriately staffed with people who speak multiple languages, but it also raises the essentiality of incorporating different cultures into Australian aged care homes. 

In the case of aged care homes, you may have a cultural background that you believe will be better cared for in a nursing home that caters to people with specific cultural backgrounds.

With such varying cultural differences, some people may want to find a suitable living situation that incorporates their native language, food preferences and culture.

While it is more common for people of North-East Asian descent to live with family members in their older age, for some families this may not be possible. 

Some of the biggest benefits of aged care over care at home are the peace of mind, security, medical assistance and constant support that a facility can provide to maintain an older person’s physical health to the highest standard possible. This benefits both the older person and their family as the stress of providing medical care is given to the aged care home which is more likely to have access to services better suited to the older person’s needs.

Finding the perfect aged care home can sometimes be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. With Aged Care Guide, you have over 6,000 aged care service providers at your fingertips.

Instead of trawling through thousands of individual websites, Aged Care Guide enables you to sort through your preferences by location, category and vacancies, saving you time and easing stress.

On Aged Care Guide, you can find an abundance of information guides to better understand nursing homes, home care and retirement villages so you can make an informed decision about future care options. 

Additionally, print copies of the Aged Care Guide are distributed throughout Australia to hospitals and health professionals. If you struggle to get a copy due to demand, you can also get the latest version of the Aged Care Guide for free — you’ll just need to pay postage.

In the print version, all of the included aged care options are partnered with symbols representing the typical language or culture group for which it caters. However, even if you do not identify with that particular culture, you are welcome to enquire to see if it is the right fit for you.

How has the Aged Care Guide helped you?

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