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Call the Aged Care Advocacy Line, our national team of advocates is available Monday to Friday 8am–8pm and Saturday 10am-4pm 

1800 700 600
Home Diversity resources Diversity characteristics Characteristics p2

Characteristics p2

People from CALD backgrounds

While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represent people with diverse cultures and languages, the experiences of Australia’s first peoples can present quite differently to other CALD communities.  For the purpose of this summary, people from CALD backgrounds relates to non-Indigenous people.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2021) Culturally and linguistically diverse older people.  Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australia-at-a-glance/contents/demographics-of-older-australians/culturally-linguistically-diverse-people

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2021)  Cultural diversity. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/cultural-diversity-census/2021

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2022) Standards for Statistics on Cultural and Language Diversity.  Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/standards-statistics-cultural-and-language-diversity/latest-release

Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Community Profiles assist service providers to better understand the background and needs of people born in more than 100 birthplaces.  Available from: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/multicultural-affairs/community-information-summaries

Scanlon Foundation Research Institute Australian Migration and Population Dashboard.  Available from: https://scanloninstitute.org.au/publications/migrationdashboard

Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) and Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) (2020) Systems navigation for CALD communities: From prevention to active participation.  Available here.

Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) host the following databases on their website:

Other FECCA resources of particular interest may be:

SBS publish the Cultural Atlas which is an educational resource providing comprehensive information on the cultural background of Australia’s migrant population.  It includes useful summaries about a range of cultures and religions, along with links to additional training and resources.  Available from: https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/

Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing (2016) Ageing in Australia – The Immigrant Experience

Council on the Ageing NT (COTA NT) Migration stories from the NT (videos).  Available from: https://www.cotant.org.au/picac/migration-stories-from-the-nt/

End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC) (2022) Australia’s ageing Culturally and Linguistically Diverse population.  Available from: https://www.eldac.com.au/tabid/5779/Default.aspx

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2018) Australia’s health 2018. 5.3 Culturally and linguistically diverse populations.  Australia’s health series no. 16. AUS 221. Canberra: AIHW.  Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/f3ba8e92-afb3-46d6-b64c-ebfc9c1f945d/aihw-aus-221-chapter-5-3.pdf.aspx

Aged care services and support available for people from CALD backgrounds

My Aged Care. Support for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.  Available from: https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/support-people-culturally-and-linguistically-diverse-backgrounds

Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) organisations support aged care service providers to deliver care that meets the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people.  To find the PICAC organisation in your state or territory, go to: http://www.picacalliance.org/members/

Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) is the peak, national body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. FECCA’s role is to advocate and promote issues on behalf of its constituency to government, business and the broader community.  Further information is available from: https://fecca.org.au/.

In partnership with local community organisations, FECCA also provide navigational support to older CALD people and their communities to access the aged care system (and other supports).  This is delivered through the EnCOMPASS Multicultural Aged Care Connector program.  Further information is available from: https://fecca.org.au/encompass/

Migrant and Refugee Health Partnership brings together health professionals and the community to address systemic barriers to health access for migrant and refugee communities.   Further information is available from: https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/

National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) is a national Disabled People’s Organisation (DPO) that advocates federally for the human rights of people with disability, and their families, from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB).  Further information is available from: http://www.neda.org.au/

Delivering safe and inclusive services for people from CALD backgrounds:

Department of Health (DH) (2019) Actions to Support Older CALD People (includes guides for consumers and aged care providers).  Available from: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/collections/aged-care-diversity-framework-action-plans

Centre for Cultural Diversity and Ageing have developed a range of resources to support aged care providers understand, plan for and deliver culturally inclusive services.  Further information is available from their website: https://www.culturaldiversity.com.au/

Key resources include:

Multicultural Aged Care (2019) A guide to best practice care – Supporting diversity within aged and community care. Available from: https://wpstaq-ap-southeast-2-media.s3.amazonaws.com/mac-org-au/wp-content/uploads/media/2023/08/A-guide-to-best-practice-care-FINAL-3.pdf

Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) have developed a range of resources related to aged care services for CALD communities.  Of particular interest may be:

Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership (MRWHP) (2019) Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds. Available from: https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Culturally-responsive-clinical-practice-Working-with-people-from-migrant-and-refugee-backgrounds-Jan2019.pdf

Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG) (2021) Using government data and data linkage to promote health and improve the ageing experience for Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse population.  Available from: https://www.aag.asn.au/libraryviewer?ResourceID=37

Scanlon Foundation Research Institute (2022) The Aged Care’s Culture Gap.  Available from: https://scanloninstitute.org.au/sites/default/files/2022-04/SFRI_Narrative_8_V5_Final.pdf

National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) and Curtin University. Moving Pictures: Dementia awareness for CALD communities.  Visit https://www.movingpictures.org.au/ for further information

PICAC NT. Cultural background resources. Tools to help care for seniors from CALD backgrounds.  Available from: https://www.cotant.org.au/picac/information-in-language/

Queensland Community Care Network (2014) Voices from the Armchair Vivienne McDonald for CALD (short video).  Available from: https://youtu.be/73jYlX-9bOA

Speak my language is a language program that provides information about healthy ageing to culturally and linguistically diverse seniors and their carers. Further information is available from: https://speakmylanguage.com.au/

Creating safe and inclusive environments for CALD people

Centre for Cultural Diversity and Ageing (CCDA) (2022) Culturally Inclusive Aged Care Practice guide: Living Environment.  Available from: https://www.culturaldiversity.com.au/documents/practice-guides/1473-living-environment/file

Bilingual Phrase Cards: https://www.culturaldiversity.com.au/resources/multilingual-resources/bilingual-phrase-cards

Cultural considerations in food, nutrition and dining: https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/providers/food-nutrition-dining-information-providers/food-thought-positive-stories/cultural-considerations-food-nutrition-and-dining

Spiritual Care / Multifaith resources

Meaningful Ageing Australia, (2016). National Guidelines for Spiritual Care in Aged Care.  Available from: https://meaningfulageing.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/National-Guidelines-for-Spiritual-Care-in-Aged-Care-DIGITAL.pdf

Please note: Meaningful Ageing Australia has also published a range of resources and training about spiritual care and multifaith practices for their member agencies.  These are available from their resources page: https://meaningfulageing.org.au/resources/

Spiritual Health Association is the peak body for spiritual care in the Victorian health sector.  Further information is available from: https://www.spiritualhealth.org.au/.  Their website includes a number of useful resources, including Multifaith resources.  Available from: https://www.spiritualhealth.org.au/multifaith-resources

ACH Group. Muslim Aged Care resources. Available from: https://achgroup.org.au/resources/

Collecting data about CALD people

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2022) Standards for Statistics on Cultural and Language Diversity.  Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/standards-statistics-cultural-and-language-diversity/latest-release

Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) If we don’t count it … it doesn’t count.  Towards Consistent National Data Collection and Reporting on Cultural, Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity.  Available from: https://fecca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CALD-DATA-ISSUES-PAPER-FINAL2.pdf

Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing (CCDA) (2022) Practice guide: Data and Demographics.  Available from: https://www.culturaldiversity.com.au/images/Practice_Guides/Data_and_Demographics.pdf

CEPAR Research Brief on Migration and Ageing (2024): https://cepar.edu.au/sites/default/files/2024-CEPAR-Research-Brief-Migration-Ageing.pdf

Refugees

The Refugee Council of Australia is the national umbrella body for refugees and people seeking asylum and those who support them.  Further information is available from: https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/

The Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT) is a network of specialist rehabilitation agencies that work with survivors of torture and trauma who have come to Australia from overseas.  Further information is available from: https://www.fasstt.org.au/
To find the FASSTT member agency in your state or territory, go to: https://www.fasstt.org.au/members/

Migrant and Refugee Health Partnership brings together health professionals and the community to address systemic barriers to health access for migrant and refugee communities.   Further information is available from: https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/

Delivering safe and inclusive services for refugees

Foundation House (2018) Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide.  Available from: https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/.  The guide includes specific information about working with older people from refugee backgrounds: https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/older-people/

Foundation House (2016) Integrated trauma recovery service model.  Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture (Foundation House).  Available from: https://www.foundationhouse.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/INTEGRATED-TRAUMA-SERVICE-RECOVERY-MODEL_cr.pdf

Wall. S, Santalucia. Y, Salem. M, Giacomin. D, McDonald. R and Bosnjak. F. (2011) Enhancing the lives of Older Refugees: A self improvement resource for community service providers.  Available from:  https://www.startts.org.au/media/Resource-Enhancing-the-Lives-of-Older-Refugees-2012.pdf

Health Issues Centre & Victorian Refugee Health Network (2016)  Working together to improve health literacy of women from refugee background.  Available from: https://hic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/HIC-Improve-health-literacy-women-refugee-final-report.pdf

Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT) (2018) Never Turning Away: Australia’s World-Leading Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (PASTT).  Available from: https://fasstt.org.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/FASSTT_BOOKLET_2017_A4_FA_web.pdf

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2021) Mental health and forced displacement (discusses strategies to respond to the mental health needs of migrants and refugees).  Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-and-forced-displacement

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We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we work and recognise that it always has been, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
We honour the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and pay our respects to all Elders past and present.

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Consistent with the vision of the aged care sector’s Aged Care Diversity Framework, our work aims for all older people to experience a high quality aged care system that ensures equitable access and outcomes and embraces their diverse characteristics and life experiences.

1800 700 600

Aged Care Advocacy Line 8am – 8pm Mon – Fri | 10am – 4pm Sat

This number will connect you with the aged care advocacy organisation in your state or territory.

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