New Perth aged care cluster provides more choice in culturally sensitive services
With the opening of a new service in Perth, older Western Australians from Greek and Italian backgrounds will have greater access to aged care services that meet their cultural and societal needs.
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18 May 2005
JB056/05
Older Western Australians from Greek and Italian backgrounds will have greater access to aged care services that meet their cultural and societal needs with the opening of a new service in Perth today by the Federal Minister for Ageing, Julie Bishop.
Ms Bishop said the new cluster at Embleton Care Facility in Embleton focused specifically on meeting the language, cultural, dietary and spiritual needs of residents from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Embleton’s new Alena Wing will provide a cluster of seven high-care places and 10 low-care places for people from the Italian and Greek communities. A Ukrainian cluster is to be established in the future. The home already provides care for people from a range of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
"The home includes a chef who cooks Italian, Greek and Ukrainian dishes on dedicated days, as well as bilingual staff and volunteers who are helping to meet the language and social needs of residents," Ms Bishop said.
"Older people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities will make up almost a quarter of the over-65 population in Australia within 10 years.
"The Australian Government provides significant support to enable aged care providers to deliver culturally appropriate services, including through residential and community aged care places dedicated to people from culturally diverse backgrounds, and through the Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care program."
The Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care program provides funding to organisations in each State and Territory which help to link culturally diverse communities with aged care providers to develop more culturally sensitive services. The initiative also provides cross-cultural training for staff of residential care services and information sessions for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
In the 2005-06 Federal Budget the Australian Government provided continued funding of $5.1 million for the program over three years. In 2004-05 the program received $1.2 million, of which 13 per cent was allocated to Western Australia through the Multicultural Aged Care Service WA.
Embleton Care Facility is one of 18 aged care clusters established in Western Australia which receives Australian Government support through Multicultural Aged Care Service WA.
"This new cluster demonstrates how the Australian Government is working in partnership with aged care providers, such as Embleton Care Facility, and ethnic communities and organisations, such as the Western Australian Italian and Greek communities and Multicultural Aged Care Service WA, to realise our vision of a world class system of aged care that provides high quality, affordable and accessible services to meet the individual needs and choices of older Australians," Ms Bishop said.
Media contact: Rachael Thompson 0417 265 289
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